Rosemary Chicken Salad

While some kids grew up fearing dusty, cobweb-laden attics filled with looming shadows and stinky mothballs, the attic that I remember paints quite a different image. Aside from being keeper of the infamous toy trunk, it was a haven for my mother's beautiful, sweet smelling flowers and herbs, delicately hung from the ceiling to dry and preserve.

Thyme, lavender, statice, sweet Annie, sunflowers, rosemary...

All hovering high above our heads, filling that small space with the most wonderful smells. Who wouldn't love spending time in a place like that? (Although, I'm sure the three-dozen Barbies are truly what made me a regular.)

But even now, 14 years after moving out of my childhood home, I’m instantly taken back to my days in LaPorte, Indiana with the simple act of chopping fresh rosemary for this delicious chicken salad.

And what an awesome chicken salad it makes! Flavor-packed smoked almonds, chopped green onion, Dijon mustard and fragrant rosemary compliment each other perfectly, creating a delicate, earthy taste in quite possibly...no, most assuredly...the best sandwich I've ever made.*

*Unless you count that one sandwich with bacon, cheese and uh, fried chicken.

To start, I roasted the skinless, boneless chicken breasts by brushing them with olive oil, sprinkling with S&P, and baking at 350-degrees until done. (30-45 minutes - the perfect amount of time to chop the rest of the ingredients, and heck, even take a nap if so inclined.)

Then everything comes together beautifully with a little light mayo and fat free yogurt. Yogurt? Yep, surprised me, too, but wonderfully so. A little lettuce and fresh rosemary sourdough bakery bread and I was in business.

What a great sandwich. So thick and creamy, and bursting with flavor. I'm sure you could add all kinds of things to suit your taste buds, too. Next time I may try sliced grapes or small chunks of peeled apple.

The husband agreed with the awesomeness of this meal. He said it tasted like something you'd find at some fancy bakery. (Or, thankfully, in your very own kitchen.)

And so with every bite, every creamy, rosemary-infused bite, I was brought back to a simpler place and time. A place full of cascading flowers and herbs. And a time where the only thing on the agenda was making sure Barbie's golden hair was braided just right before Ken picked her up for the ball.

Rosemary Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Brandy Long, Cooking Light, April 2005
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:
3  cups  chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound)
1/3  cup  chopped green onions
1/4  cup  chopped smoked almonds
1/4  cup  plain fat-free yogurt
1/4  cup  light mayonnaise
1  teaspoon  chopped fresh rosemary
1  teaspoon  Dijon mustard
1/8  teaspoon  salt
1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
10  slices whole-grain bread

Preparation:
Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring well. Spread about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture over each of 5 bread slices, and top with remaining bread slices. Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 360 (29% from fat), Fat: 11.6g (sat 2.1g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.8g), Protein: 33.6g, Carbohydrate: 29.9g, Fiber: 4.4g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Iron: 2.9mg, Sodium: 529mg, Calcium: 104mg.

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