Sun-Dried Tomato & Rosemary Chicken Salad

One of my new favorite things to eat is an avocado stuffed with chicken salad. The trouble is that all the great chicken salad recipes add fruit like yummy grapes and nuts to the mix which really increases the carbohydrates. So I wanted to make a flavorful and not so fruity chicken salad to load into my avocados without risking dropping out of ketosis. Have I mentioned my newest diet is a low carbohydrate diet. I have been cycling through diets that have worked for me one right after the other and so far I have shed more than eighty pounds his year and I hope to lose the rest by adopting a ketogenic way of eating. My primary care physician recommended it based on his diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. So, on the fourth of July, I kicked off the low carb leg of my weight loss journey. Which brings me back to chicken salad. Creamy, bold and delicious.

I used two cups of fork shredded rotisserie chicken to start. It is just too easy to pick up a perfectly cooked bird at the local market! Thank you Publix! I remove the skin and bones and mix the light and dark meat together with a teaspoon of lime juice. I like my chicken salad to be well shredded but you could leave it chunkier if you want. Plus fork shredding is a pretty good work out. I decided to use fresh herbs for the best flavor and texture, so I picked a few basil leaves and a sprig of rosemary. The basil is rolled tight and minced and then I give it a few cross-wise chops for good measure. The rosemary leaves must first be removed from the stems and then finely minced.

The next step is to add the herbs and other chopped vegetables like finely diced celery for crunch, chunky dill pickle relish for some tartness and minced sun-dried tomatoes for bold full flavor and sweetness. Fold all of these into the shredded chicken meat and allow it to rest while you season your mayonnaise.

 

I wanted a little sweetness without adding sugar. Sweetleaf Stevia drops to the rescue! I added 10-12 drops of stevia to a tablespoon of lime juice and stirred it into my mayonnaise along with some pink Himalayan salt and fresh ground black pepper. The stevia and lime juice bring the sweetness you expect to taste in a chicken salad. I use Duke’s brand mayonnaise because it has no sugar added and so is zero carbohydrate. Fold in the dressing and mix it all up thoroughly. Store it in the refrigerator overnight in an airtight container to allow the flavors to fully integrate and develop. To serve, simply scoop a generous portion into each half of a pitted avocado, garnish with a little shredded cheese (optional) and get yourself a spoon! Deee-licious!!

• 2 C Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded
• 3 Scallions (green onions), finely chopped
• 2 sticks Celery, finely diced
• 3-4 leaves Basil, minced
• 1 Sprig Rosemary, minced
• 2 T unsweetened Pickle Relish
• 2 T Sun-dried Tomatoes, minced
• 3 T Mayonnaise (no sugar added)
• 1 T plus 1 tsp Lime Juice
• 10 Drops Liquid Stevia
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Pink Salt

1. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken meat. Using two forks shred the meat in a large mixing bowl and season with a teaspoon of lime juice.
2. Finely chop the celery and scallions and add to the bowl of chicken with two tablespoons of dill pickle relish.
3. Roll the basil leaves tightly to mince and add to the bowl.
4. Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and finely mince the leaves and add them to the bowl.
5. Mince the sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
6. Season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper, a tablespoon of lime juice and 10-12 drops of liquid stevia. Then fold the dressing into the chicken meat mixture.
7. Chill overnight to allow flavors to fully develop.

Enjoy!