Recipe for Health: 'Great' chicken salad adds pecans, eggs

commercialappea ^ | July 27, 2009 | Megan Murphy

[JoeProBono]

I've always been a fan of chicken salad. But I haven't made it at home often, because I just couldn't find a great recipe.

Now I think I've got one, and I'm sharing it today.

When I first read through the recipe, I thought it was a bit odd to grate the hard boiled eggs. But I do like hard boiled eggs in chicken salad, so I gave it a try. It was a little messy, but doable, and the finely grated eggs don't overpower the chicken in taste or texture.

I had never added horseradish to chicken salad before, but it turned out to be very nice. The chopped pecans in the recipe add body and a little texture, without being a distraction.

A serving of this salad has ample amounts of high-quality protein, primarily from the chicken and the eggs. To cut down on the cholesterol and some of the fat, you could grate only the whites of the hard boiled eggs.

You could also decrease the fat by cutting down on the pecans, or leaving them out. However, there is research supporting some excellent health benefits from pecans.

In a study done at Loma Linda University, published in the Journal of Nutrition in September 2001, researchers placed volunteers on a diet that replaced 20 percent of their calories with pecans. After eight weeks, their total cholesterol had dropped 11.5 percent and their LDL cholesterol, often called the "bad" cholesterol, had decreased by 16.5 percent. The volunteers' HDL cholesterol, the "good" kind, had increased by 5.6 percent.

The National Cholesterol Education Program states that for every 1 percent drop in LDL cholesterol, there is a 1.5 percent decrease in risk for cardiovascular heart disease.

Another study done at New Mexico State University, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in March 2000, showed similar results. The participants in this study simply added ¾ cup of pecans to their diets, and they also experienced a 6 percent decrease in their LDL cholesterol. They did not gain weight, even though these were added calories. Before you start heaping pecans on everything, note this was a small study, only 19 participants, and all began with a normal blood lipid profile and none were obese. Still, research on many varieties of nuts supports positive health benefits.

[T Minus Four]

My teen daughter and I have wasabi-eating contests when we go out for sushi. We each put a blob on our chopsticks and pop it in our mouths and stare each other down. No gasping, choking, face-fanning or water-drinking allowed. Eye-watering can’t be helped.

Dang she’s tough!

[trisham]

It looks interesting. My chicken salad includes celery, walnuts and mayonnaise.

[trisham]

Sounds good.

[trisham]

Wow. That’s interesting too.

[Tainan]

Just a side note:
If you like spicy additions to your food, I recommend you try Le Kum Kee brand Chili Garlic Sauce.
Its in a little glass jar with a red lid. Its a very good addition to a lot of different foods. It 'cooks' well in different dishes and adds a nice chili-garlicky tone without being over-whelming.
Of course, that depends on how much you spoon in!

[trisham]

Thanks!

[T Minus Four]

Mmmm, thank you, that sounds wonderful.

In my world, food is divided into two groups: those that can be enhanced by the addition of garlic, and those that can be enhanced by the addition of chocolate :-)