Sonoma Chicken Salad

SONOMA CHICKEN SALAD 

Grandma Mary Lou loved making this special salad.  She served it on a bed of lettuce.  Remember she had a Whole Foods near her place in Denver ;).   It was always a treat to go there with her and pick out some special items, including little desserts;).  

Dressing (can be made a day or two ahead): 

1 C mayonnaise (Japanese mayo is next-level good:  6-7 ounces)

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 tsp honey

2 tsp poppy seeds (sometimes I substitute 1 tsp curry powder for a slightly warmer flavor) 

salt and pepper to taste - plenty of pepper if you are using curry powder instead of poppy seeds 

Salad: 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 C toasted, chopped pecans

2 C red seedless grapes, halved 

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. 

2.  Whole Foods method of cooking the chicken:  375 degree oven, one layer in a baking dish, plus 1/4 C water, cover, bake 25 min (for me it took much longer - check on the chicken at 25 min) .  Remove breasts from pan and refrigerate at least two hours. 

3.  Dice chicken into bite sized pieces, transfer to a bowl.  Stir in pecans, grapes, celery, dressing.  

YUM. 

p.s.  Just did a quick search online.  Whole Foods suggests possibly subbing plain Greek yogurt for part or all of the mayo.