Yogurt is like a little gift from the dairy gods. We Americans all too often thing of yogurt only as a sweetened, fruity breakfast snack, when in reality it can be used in so many different ways. Plain yogurt is extremely versatile, from tenderizing chicken in marinates to adding a tangy zing to foil the richness of an over-the-top chocolate cake.
One of the best things about yogurt is that it tastes good even in its low fat and fat free forms, unlike sour cream, which is terrible in lower fat forms. Fortunately, plain yogurt is an excellent substitute for sour cream, and in this recipe, for mayo in a salad dressing.
This is also a great way to use leftover grocery store rotisserie chicken, of which I am a huge fan. It's the savior of harried housewives and baker/waitresses in between shifts at the restaurant!
Chicken Salad with Curried Yogurt Sauce
4 ounces shredded leftover chicken breast
1/2 English ("seedless") cucumber, peeled and sliced into half moons
1 hard cooked egg
handful of grape tomatoes, halved
1 heart of romaine, cut into strips, or any lettuce of your preference
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp Thai green curry paste, or to taste
pinch of salt
a few grates of fresh ginger, optional
a few drops of lemon juice, optional
dill sprigs
Arrange the lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, eggs and cucumbers on plate and sprinkle the slivered almonds over. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, if desired.
To make the sauce, combine the yogurt, curry paste, ginger and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir well, being sure that the curry paste is evenly distributed so you don't get any overly spicy bites, add a pinch of salt and pour over salad. Cover the plate with dill sprigs. Now don't you fell healthy?
