Tag Archives: celery

This is a very forgiving flexible recipe. Dill and chickpeas are optional. Even the celery is optional. You can cube the chicken if you prefer. I think most important is to not overcook the chicken. I think an instant read digital thermometer is extremely helpful to prevent overcooking.

I poach it in a pot of water with salt and a few herbs and veggies for added flavor. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat off until done. I’ll give you more specifics below

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts, boned and skinless and cut in half crosswise
• 2 teaspoons salt for water
• 1 medium onion, quartered , optional
• 2 sticks celery, halved, optional
• 5 whole peppercorns, optional
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 handfuls of fresh dill, chopped fine
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and add onion, celery sticks, 2 teaspoons salt, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
2. Add chicken breasts. Try to make sure they’re all about the same size so they cook evenly.
3. Bring to a boil, cover and turn off the heat. If you have a gas stove turn the heat on as low as possible. An electric stove will maintain a low heat for some time.
4. Using an instant read digital thermometer check the temperature of the breasts every 5 minutes. When it reaches 155 remove from hot water and place in a colander to drain. The chicken will continue cooking as it cools. All the breast halves may not get to the 155 degrees at the same time.
5. When it’s cooled start shredding the chicken into a large bowl
6. In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, dill, salt, pepper, and white balsamic vinegar. Taste the dressing and add seasonings if you think it’s needed.
7. Add chickpeas to the dressing and smash them against the side of the bowl with a fork. Smash as many as you like. They all don’t need to be smashed.
8. Add the dressing to the chicken and mix well. Then add the celery and mix again.
9. That’s it! Ready to serve or store in the frig. This keeps about 4 days.

Voila!