Chicken Salad Sandwich

I think that there's a tunnel... I'm not sure I can see any light yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm at least in the tunnel. That's progress, right? This whole teaching a new high school science content area is rough stuff (I'm an earth science teacher suddenly being asked to be a chemistry teacher). You remember those old ads for the Peace Corps? "The toughest job you'll ever love." That's teaching, too. In a lot of ways, I really regret taking this job. I miss being able to do so many of the things that I enjoy doing - like cooking!

The other day I finally made it back to the grocery store and when I walked by the hot table with those rotisserie chickens, the smell was so enticing. I love those little chickens. You just can't beat them! Heck, you can't hardly even buy a raw chicken for what you pay for one of those rotisserie things.

I like to make all kinds of things from these guys, but lately, what I've enjoyed the most is the chicken salad. This dressing is so simple and quick, but you'll enjoy it like you slaved over it all day. Mix the chicken and dressing with whatever add-ins appeal to you. I used shallots, celery, and Craisins, but you could also add grapes, diced egg, or anything else that sounds good.

Chicken Salad Dressing
Yield: about 1/3 cup of dressing, enough for about 4 cups of chicken

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
2 TBS white wine vinegar
salt and fresh cracked pepper
hint of lemon zest (1/4 tsp or so)
1/2 clove of "zested" garlic

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sugar, poppy seeds, and vinegar. Using a microplane, zest a little bit of lemon into the bowl. Then use the microplane to "zest" a little bit of garlic into the bowl as well (perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 tsp). Mix well and pour over diced or shredded chicken. Add desired mix-ins and serve in a bowl or on a sandwich.