An Experimental Caesar

Chicken salad is a family favorite, and I am always experimenting with ways to make it. In this version, I make a Caesar-like dressing of anchovies, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The chicken is torn into wide strips instead of shredded, tossed with the tangy dressing and served on crisp romaine leaves.

To make this chicken salad hearty enough for a main dish, I add chunks of small boiled red new potatoes and slices of cucumber to the romaine mixture. If you have cooked green beans or leftover roasted red bell peppers, they can be added too.

For a chicken salad to be good, the meat must be moist and juicy. If the chicken is dry and overcooked, all the delicious dressing in the world will not make it right.

Sometimes I poach chicken breasts or a whole chicken especially for use in a salad. But this takes time and planning, so I am more likely to double the recipe for my favorite lemon and basil chicken, serve the chicken one night and then serve the leftovers in a salad another night. Another alternative and a real timesaver is to purchase roasted chicken in the deli section of the supermarket.

Serve a pitcher of refreshing lemonade and finish the meal with lemon ice topped with fresh blueberries or raspberries.

Simmons is the author of “Fresh & Fast” (Chapters Publishing, 1996).

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CHICKEN SALAD WITH CAESAR-STYLE DRESSING

3/4 pound small red boiling potatoes

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 anchovy fillets, drained, blotted dry and chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups cooked chicken, removed from bones in wide strips (about 4 breast halves or 1 whole chicken)

1 large head romaine lettuce, washed, trimmed, torn into bite-size pieces

12 (1/4-inch-thick) diagonal slices peeled cucumber

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 cherry tomatoes, halved, optional

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup sliced almonds, optional

To keep lettuce crisp until ready to use, wrap it in a towel and refrigerate. If using almonds, toast in dry skillet until golden.

Cut potatoes in half if larger than 1 inch in diameter. Boil potatoes in water to cover in covered saucepan until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Combine lemon juice, anchovies, vinegar and garlic in blender or food processor. With motor running, gradually add olive oil until dressing is blended.

Place chicken in medium bowl and toss with half of dressing.

Toss lettuce, cooked potatoes, cucumber and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese with remaining dressing in large bowl.

Divide lettuce among 4 large dinner plates. Top each with chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Garnish plates with tomatoes and add grinding of black pepper to each salad. Sprinkle with toasted almonds if desired.

4 servings. Each serving:

482 calories; 325 mg sodium; 101 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 37 grams protein; 1.22 grams fiber.

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LEMON AND BASIL CHICKEN

4 chicken breast halves, with bones and skin, fat trimmed

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large basil leaves

4 cloves garlic

4 thin slices lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Serve this chicken warm or cold or pulled from the bones for use in chicken salads.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange, skin side up, in baking dish. Loosen skin from each chicken breast and slip 1 basil leaf between skin and meat. Add garlic to baking dish. Place 1 lemon slice on top of each chicken piece. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees, basting occasionally with pan juices, turning chicken and baking dish occasionally so chicken browns evenly, 35 to 40 minutes. (Note: If using cut-up whole chicken, cooking time will be about 50 minutes.)

To serve, place browned lemon slice and garlic clove on top of each portion.

4 servings. Each serving:

268 calories; 160 mg sodium; 87 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 0.05 gram fiber.