Recently, we posted our un-recipe for Easy Bean Salad. That was a dish that really fits with our theme of cooking without recipes. In fact, you can prepare it without cooking! Today’s dish fits into the same category if you following our guidelines to the letter. We call this Easy Chicken Salad because it couldn’t be simpler. Locally, here in Ottawa, every Tuesday evening, our local Metro grocery store offers a large barbecued chicken for an excellent price (about $7.95). Generally, this will do us for a couple of meals, but there are generally a few pieces left over. This is what I use as the basis of my chicken salad, though, in reality, any cooked chicken will do the trick. I simply take all the meat off the bones and chop it finely. How finely will depend on your individual taste but I prefer the pieces to be small, not more than 1/2 inch.
How you proceed from here depends both upon your tastes and your available ingredients. Here are the basics:
- Mayonnaise or salad dressing (purists can just use oil and vinegar)
- Finely minced onions, shallots, green onions and/or chives
- Diced celery for added crunch (if available)
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
- Your choice of seasonings
Personally, I will always add something to lend a little zing. Usually this will be either Trinidad style green dressing or some varitey of hot sauce. I may also add a little prepared relish. In reality, other than the basics above, I rarely produce the same thing twice. As always trial and error are paramount. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. Add some chopped walnuts perhaps or even some raisins or sultanas. The sky is the limit and the more you experiment, the better you will become at knowing instinctively what ingredients go together well for you and your normal crowd. Usually family and close friends are not shy about telling you what they don’t like. Save your more way-out concoctions for those who will forgive you if you make a mistake. One of the enduring tales in our family is about the time I decided to try rutabagas juice in a fruit smoothie. N.B. don’t try this at home 
Serving Suggestion for Easy Bean Salad and Easy Chicken Salad
You will find this easy recipe or rather un-recipe in our Un-Cookbook The Art of Cooking without Recipes available in hardcover, softcover and electronic versions. Let me know if you have any of your own suggestions that have worked well for you.
