Chicken Salad

I hope everyone had a tremendous and blessed Mother's Day!!
Whether you are a mother, mother to adopted children, foster mother, grandmother, aunt, surrogate mother, guardian, have cared for and loved a child or children, have lost a child, or are not able to physically have children, you are extremely special and very much loved by those who surround you!
You deserve to be applauded and held in high esteem on a day like today and I very much hope that you were!
If today was difficult for you because you were not able to physically be with your mom due to distance or because she has passed, I give you extra BIG hugs and send you much love.
I understand and frankly, it stinks.
It is entirely true that you don't realize how wonderful something is until it's gone, and I think a relationship with mom and everything that she does for us is taken for granted.
Speaking from personal experience, I know I did, and I regret that.
It's not that I didn't tell her I loved her or repeatedly did things for her to show her that I was appreciative for everything, it's just that I now know that I could have done more.
Actually, I could never have done enough to let her know just how much she meant.
It only became so obviously apparent when I became a mother myself, losing her a short 3 months later and realized the sacrifices, the amount of love, and the countless hours she invested in her only daughter.
For that, and all she did, I am forever. grateful.
And I know, one day my children will feel the same way.

This recipe was found in my Everyday Food - Fresh Flavor Fast; author, Martha Stewart; publisher, Clarkson Pottler/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-307-40510-4.
I realized as I was looking for a chicken salad recipe in all of my cookbooks that in my 21+ years of marriage and even before that, as a matter of fact, I have never ever made chicken salad!
I know, I couldn't believe it either.
It really sounds like a no-brainer, seeing as how my freezer is totally stocked with boneless and skinless chicken breasts, and we always order it at various restaurants, especially at Paradise Bakery, so why not make it at home?
DUH!
So, here it is, adapted from Martha Stewart's wonderful book.
I made a somewhat healthier version than what I'm used to eating, leaving the mayonnaise out and substituting buttermilk and Greek yogurt.  One word, success!
I think you'll like it.

Chicken Salad - serves 4-6

1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Wings - Sweet Heat BBQ)
4 cups shredded poached chicken breast (see below)
3 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1/3 of a large red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Chicken
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - directions below (mine were on the larger side, probably equaling 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth plus more if needed to completely cover the breasts while cooking (I actually used an additional 1/2 - 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place chicken breasts in a large saucepan in a single layer.
Cover with water and chicken broth.
Add poultry seasoning, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer.
Cook chicken breast for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, turn chicken breasts over, partially cover saucepan and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Using tongs, drain chicken and transfer to a cutting board to shred using two forks.

Assembly
In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, buttermilk, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice, and hot-pepper sauce.
Stir in chicken, celery, onion, and parsley.
Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve on rolls or over salad greens.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.

We really loved this salad and I will definitely be making it again.
I thought the dressing with the yogurt and buttermilk was really good, I just don't think it was enough, so I would increase the amounts of both the yogurt and buttermilk to 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 next time and see if those amounts are better.
When poaching the chicken, I would have used all broth for more flavor instead of combining it with water, but I didn't have enough.  You can do either.
It really was quite easy to make and pretty delicious.
I am definitely putting this on our menu quite often this summer!
I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 and this Chicken Salad earned 4 rolling pins.
Yuppers, the family unanimously voted that it should be given 365's highest rating.
Enjoy it, my friends!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!