Summertime for me is picnics on the beach, lunch al fresco and light dinners under the stars. My go to dish for any and all of these meals is chicken salad. It’s so versatile, going from a bountiful summer salad, to a grab and go sandwich, to a snack atop a cracker! Its only major complaint: the fattening mayonnaise… Trying to be as healthy as I can, I fix this problem in two ways: first, I use a healthy alternative “mayonnaise” (check out Just Mayo — trust me, I love real mayo and this stuff tastes just like it but it’s a whole lot healthier!); second, I use half the amount of mayonnaise substituting plain greek yogurt (which we all know is good for you). This combo makes for a tangy, lighter version of traditional chicken salad!!

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together to blend well. Refrigerate until ready to dress your chicken salad. You will need 2 to 2 ½ cups cooked, chopped chicken to go with your salad dressing. When ready, make your chicken salad like you always do — for me, it’s definitely a mixture of minced red onions and walnuts!! What are your secret ingredients?

Ingredients:

½ cup Just Mayo (or if you must use mayonnaise use a light version)
½ cup plain greek yogurt
2 tsp. grainy mustard
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. fresh or dried parsley
½ tsp. onion powder
A dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

Makes roughly 1 cup of dressing.

Makes a delicious chicken salad to accompany all your freshly picked garden vegetables!

Or, perhaps a sandwich on the patio?