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I dare you to try to eat just one bite!

When I was growing up, I had a mother who was quite accomplished at numerous things. She mowed the lawn, re-wired lamps and ceiling fixtures, and re-finished a Baby Grand piano that still stands in my living room today (and is as much an exquisite piece of fine furniture as it is a beautiful instrument for our talented daughters...). She won golf tournaments, sat on boards of directors, helped economically disadvantaged folks complete their tax returns and was the first Eucharistic minister at our Catholic church in the late 1970's. Truly, she was one remarkable woman with a list of talents as long as my arm.

Cooking was not exactly one of those talents. That is to say, she had a fair number of recipes that she was good at putting together, but she was not a creative cook, and she really didn't enjoy cooking. Somehow, I have developed a love of cooking in spite of that. One dish of Mom's that I always loved, was her chicken salad. It was simple but delicious. As I've grown older, however, and developed a more sophisticated palate, I've realized that I prefer a little more complex combination of flavors, when possible. I love coming up with new twists on old favorites, and chicken salad is no exception.

So, here's my rendition of Mom's delectible time-tested favorite.

Easy But Spectacular Chicken Salad

• 2 Chicken Breast Halves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 green onion, chopped (both white and greens and included)
• 1 rib celery, chopped medium
• 4 to 6 sugar snap peas, chopped into 1" pieces
• 2 T toasted sliced almonds
• 2 T to 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/8 t celery seed
• 1/8 t garlic salt
• Dash red pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Combine all. If there is time, the flavors in this mixture will meld best if left to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. If there isn't time, however, it will still be delicious. If you are trying to go lower carb, this is quite good on spears of Romaine lettuce or Endive lettuce. It's also very pretty with a few extra toasted almonds sprinkled on top. I love the crunchiness that the celery provides, but if you don't care for that, you can omit it.

Here are some variations:

Asian Chicken Salad: Omit the cherries and celery seed. Add up to 1 T soy sauce and 2 to 4 T water chestnuts.

Super Traditional Chicken Salad: Omit the sugar snap peas, almonds, cherries and red pepper. Add 1 chopped hard boiled egg and an additional rib of celery.

Additional variations: Add grapes or raisins instead of the cherries. Add pecans, walnuts or pistachios instead of the almonds.

I sure miss my mom. She's been gone for 16 1/2 years now, but you know, certain dishes - like chicken salad and her meatloaf and even steaks on the grill - remind me of her. The chicken salad brings back memories of sitting out on the back patio and sharing lunch with her. Funny how food does that, isn't it? It's like a salve to the wound of death for me, and I think it always will be. Those memories help soften the grief of loss.

I hope you enjoy the chicken salad!