Spring is here, y’all!
Of course, with spring comes new beginnings, more daylight, more energy and new growth (not to mention the Hitching Lot Farmer’s Market – anyone else counting down the days until it’s opening day on Saturday?)
And, speaking of new beginnings, I’ve been fortunate enough to start a new job recently – right here at The Commercial Dispatch! If you happen to walk into our downtown office, call us up to renew your subscription or have us help you track down an article, you might just end up speaking with the newest member of the circulation team – me!
I’m super happy to be here and look forward to meeting the wonderful subscribers who so lovingly support this local, small-town newspaper.
Now that I’m working a downtown office job with a standard one-hour lunch break, the temptation to get takeout or hop over to one of our many delicious downtown restaurants every workday for lunch is real – but I’ve been doing my best to curb that temptation with smart food prep.
Don’t get me wrong, I love our local establishments and am more than happy to support them when I do go out, but my out-to-eat budget simply won’t let me make a daily habit of it. To mitigate this, I’ve been prepping a lot of quick lunch options for myself at home so that I can get a meal on my plate quickly and still have plenty of time to take a break.
This week I turned to Carolina Gelen (one of my go-to recipe developers) to find some easy and delicious lunch inspiration and was thrilled to find a post on her Instagram account from this time last year featuring a stunning “Green Goddess Chicken Salad” (Instagram.com/carolinagelen). This recipe checks all the boxes for me. It’s easy to assemble, stores well in the refrigerator, it’s healthy, and it incorporates lots of fresh, in-season produce. Plus, it’s interesting enough that I’m not bored with it by day three … or four …
I decided to stray from Carolina’s original recipe just a bit. Firstly, I reduced the amount of lemon juice I used in the dressing because the lemons I got from the grocery store last week were pretty big, so if you have a small lemon, maybe just go ahead and squeeze the whole thing. I also decided to substitute Greek yogurt for the traditionally used mayonnaise. This doesn’t really affect the consistency of the chicken salad; it’s just an easy way to make things a little bit healthier without sacrificing flavor.
I wouldn’t say this recipe is super spicy, though I did throw the whole jalapeno, seeds included, into my dressing as called for, and it’s got a nice kick to it! If you don’t like spice in your food, you could either make sure to remove all the seeds from your jalapeno before adding, or just omit the pepper altogether.
This recipe is as versatile as it is absolutely delicious. It can be served scooped on top of fresh salad greens for something light and protein-packed, as a classic sandwich for something quick and comforting, or even open-faced on a slice of toasted sourdough with an olive oil drizzle if you’re feeling fancy.
Spring is all about new growth – whether that’s trying new recipes, starting your own garden or even taking a much-needed break as we head into this busier season. I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful spring weather we’ve been having, and I hope it’s as inspirational for any of your new beginnings as it has been for mine!
GREEN GODDESS CHICKEN SALAD WITH GREEK YOGURT
(recipe adapted from Carolina Gelen)
Ingredients for dressing:
3 scallions, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped and using stems
1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped and using stems
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped and, if preferred, seeds removed
1 large avocado
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup avocado oil (or more as needed)
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for Salad:
1 rotisserie chicken, pulled or chopped
2 celery sticks, diced
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, cut into quarters
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
■ Pull and chop a still-hot rotisserie chicken and set aside to cool.
■ Make the dressing: In a blender, combine the scallions, herbs, jalapeno, avocado, lemon and lime juice, and avocado oil and blend until smooth (you may need slightly more avocado oil, so adjust as needed). Once smooth, transfer to a bowl and stir in the Greek yogurt, then taste and add salt and pepper.
■ Make the salad: In a large bowl, combine the chopped and cooled rotisserie chicken, celery, scallions, sugar snap peas and apple. Season with salt, then pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine until everything is evenly coated. Taste one more time and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
■ Enjoy on toasted bread or over salad greens!
Kristin is a Columbus local and a graduate of MUW’s Culinary Arts Program. She lives downtown with her husband Jon and her naughty cat Sokka. In her free time she enjoys baking, making stained glass art and hanging out with her friends. If you see her in town, say hi!
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
