neiman marcus chicken salad

a couple of years ago, Neiman Marcus published their recipe for their well known cafe chicken salad.  this has been a favorite of many lunchtime visitors over the years.  Sauveur magazine was the lucky recipient of the first publishing of their mixture.  the secret ingredient is whipping cream.  other than that, the ingredients are similar to other chicken salad recipes out in cookbooks today.

to make the chicken salad: grill 1-2 chicken breasts ahead of time and allow to cool.  if i am serving this for a dinner entree, i grill the chicken early in the day and then slice into small cubes in the afternoon.  this makes the salad assembly go very quickly.  toss the cooled and refrigerated chicken with about 1/2 cup of low fat or canola mayonnaise.  then add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery, 1/2 to cup halved seedless red grapes, 1/2 cup of sliced almonds, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley chopped, salt and pepper to taste.  then, thin the entire mixture with whipping cream or whipped cream.  either way, the taste of the chicken salad improves with the addition of the cream.  and, the texture is far more creamy than most chicken salads made with mayonnaise.

serve over bibb or Boston lettuce leaves.  i use those grown hydroponically, as the taste is very fresh and crisp.  adjust the ingredients to the number of people served.  one chicken breast with 1/2 cup of each ingredients makes about 3 generous servings.

this is a perfect entree salad for a lunch or dinner.  served with muffin and a side of fresh fruit, it would be a lovely offering for a lunch with the ladies.