Moroccan Chicken Salad - 15g Carbs, 2g Fiber
From: Moroccan Chicken Salad Is Fit for a Celebration by Dana Jacobi for
the American Institute for Cancer Research VIA www.tdn-digital.com
When June graduations and weddings call for creative menu planning, the
biggest challenge can be finding casual yet elegant and attractive dishes
that please everybody without stressing the cook.
Chicken salad is a good starting place, particularly if you use store-bought
roasted chicken. This version, gourmet enough to impress guests and look
pretty presented on a buffet, is inspired by Moroccan bistilla (or bastila),
a dish served to honor guests and mark special occasions.
Bistilla, an example of simple ingredients transformed into a unique dish,
is a large pie built by layering minced pigeon or chicken and ground almonds
between sheets of phyllolike dough. The pie is bound together by adding
eggs beaten with lemon juice. Baking turns bistilla into an exquisite disk
of golden pastry filled with creamy, savory custard studded with nubs of
pigeon and nuts and wafts the aromatic perfume of cinnamon, ginger, and saffron. If your mouth is watering and you want to make bistilla, consider
that it takes the better part of a day and much practice to keep the pastry
layers crisp around the moist filling.
Deconstructed, bistilla becomes this bright chicken salad, rich with North
African flavors and enticing textures. To serve, spoon it into romaine
lettuce leaf boats or onto a generous platter, mound it onto a slice of
whole wheat toast, or chop more finely and spread it on thinly sliced bread
for tea sandwiches.
P.S. If you are determined to tackle making a bistilla, drop in on
Facebook's Moroccan Cooking group led by Paula Wolfert, the doyenne
of this exquisite cuisine, or visit your local library to browse her
cookbook, The Food of Morocco.
2 large hard-cooked eggs
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast, in bite-size pieces
1 navel orange, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
4 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
--> Dressing
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Halve eggs. Place 1 yolk in small bowl and set aside; discard second
yolk. Coarsely chop egg whites and place in medium mixing bowl. Add
chicken, orange, almonds, raisins and 3 tablespoons parsley to egg
whites. Using fork, toss to combine.
For dressing, mix orange juice with egg yolk, mashing to combine. Whisk
in cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and salt until blended. Add 4-5 grinds
of pepper. Whisk in oil.
Pour dressing over chicken mixture and toss with fork to combine. Let
salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving to allow
flavors to meld.
Servings: 4
Serving Size: Scant 1 cup
Nutrition per Serving:
274 Calories, 12g Fat, 2g Sat Fat, 27g Protein, 15g Carbs, 2g Fiber, 319mg Sodium
"Something Different" is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR's New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. www.aicr.org
