Easy Summer Chicken Salad Recipes

Summer is a great time to make chicken salads. They are light,
easy to make, and make a great addition to summer picnics and
family barbecues. I like to keep extra frozen chicken fillets on
hand for easy spur of the moment dinners like these. At Costco,
you can buy a large package of individually frozen chicken
fillets for a very reasonable price. You can just take out what
you need for your recipe and leave the rest in the freezer.

Chicken Salad

5 c. cooked chicken, cubed
2 tbsp. salad oil
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
3 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. green grapes
1 1/2 c. sliced celery
1 (13 oz.) can pineapple tidbits
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. slivered almonds
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise

Combine chicken, salad oil, orange juice, vinegar, and salt. Let
stand while preparing other ingredients. Gently toss all ingredients
together.


Summer Fruit and Chicken Salad

Dressing:

1/2 c. low-fat raspberry yogurt
1/4 c. light mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tbsp. honey

Salad:

4 leaves leaf lettuce
1 c. cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 medium cantaloupe, seeds removed, peeled, cut into very thin
slices and halved
1 c. raspberries
1/2 c. fresh blueberries

In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; blend well.
Refrigerate until serving time. To serve, arrange lettuce on
large serving platter or on 4 individual plates. Arrange chicken,
cantaloupe, raspberries and blueberries over lettuce. Drizzle
dressing over salad.


Chinese Cabbage Salad

1 large head cabbage, thinly chopped
1 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds
4 green onions, chopped
1 Ramen style oriental noodles, broken

Dressing:

3 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all salad ingredients together. Add dressing and re-mix.


Tarragon Chicken Salad

1 c. plain yogurt
1 tsp. dry tarragon
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 c. cooked diced chicken
2/3 c. celery
1-1/4 c. halved cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
6 c. mixed greens

Combine yogurt, tarragon and mustard. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Add chicken, celery, tomatoes, and seasoning to taste. Let stand
for 15-20 minutes. Serve over mixed greens.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of
What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick
easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips,
home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative
Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com/.