Creamy chicken salad

Creamy chicken salad

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Kathi Gibler of Vancouver, Wash., was recovering from surgery on her foot at Fort Vancouver Convalescent Center, where she enjoyed a chicken-and-cranberry salad.

It had a creamy dressing and celery, with no nuts or onions. She was hoping for a recipe.

Sheila Forsberg of Roseville shares this recipe that her husband loves.

You can substitute, add or eliminate some of the ingredients as you like in this versatile recipe. Use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to eliminate the cook time. You may eliminate the smoked almonds, use regular almonds or any other kind of nut you have on hand. If you don't have Greek yogurt, use regular, plain nonfat yogurt.

Try raisins instead of sweetened, dried cranberries, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, poached to 165 degrees

½ cup light mayonnaise

½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

7 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) coarsely chopped smoked almonds

6 cups mixed salad greens

Instructions:

Shred cooked chicken and chill for 30 minutes or until cold.

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until combined.

Add chilled chicken, celery, cranberries and almonds. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve over salad greens.

Per serving: 316 calories; 33 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams fat (2 saturated, 11 other); 82 milligrams cholesterol; 438 milligrams sodium; 2 grams fiber; 2 grams sugar; 36 percent calories from fat.