Tahini Chicken Salad (Whole 30 )

I’m wildly excited to share this recipe for multiple reasons. 1. I’ve been meaning to develop a non-mayo chicken salad for a while. Spoiler alert - there is no mayo in this recipe #whole30approved! 2. I LOVE tahini, almost as much as almond butter. 3. I also love dates. 4. My family loves cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi cookbooks thanks to oldest sis and BIL Claire and Mike’s influence. We love his middle eastern style cooking and this recipe nods to those flavors.

Chicken salad is so easy to prepare and makes for a great tasting and filling lunch. However traditional chicken salads are typically loaded down with globs (yes globs, let’s all gag together now) of mayo (gag again). However once the mayo gets hidden, I truly love chicken salad. I love even more how this recipe ditches the mayo and adds in my fave - tahini. It makes for a killer Whole 30 meal too. I’m on day 21. The end is near, but this recipe will be in rotation post W30 for sure.

Whole 30 Tahini Chicken Salad
yields 3-4 servings

Rotisserie chicken, shredded - (should yield 21/2 - 3 cups)
1/4 cup tahini*
1 tbsp. aapple cider vinegar
3-5 tbsp warm water
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped dates (about 3 large dates)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
dukkah, optional**

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk tahini, apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons of warm water, lemon, salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside. Shred your rotisserie chicken into a medium bowl. Add chopped dates, celery, green onion, and parsley. Pour tahini mixture over the top and stir to combine, add more water if necessary. Serve with extra celery on the side and top with parsley and dukkah.

*I love love love tahini, but I have a strong distaste for Trader Joe’s tahini. If you’ve ever tried tahini from TJ’s and didn’t like it, try buying at Whole Foods, Sprouts or a Mediterranean grocery store. TJ’s is much thicker than traditional tahini.
**Dukkah is an Egyptian seasoning made of nuts, seeds, and spices. It pairs perfectly with tahini and middle eastern dishes. You can find it in most Mediterranean grocery stores, but I actually found mine at Trader Joe’s!

I portioned the chicken salad into 3 of my favorite meal prep jars for lunches that I’ll have with celery on the side. Only about a week left of Whole 30!

Annie

Zesty Chicken Salad

I'm coming in clutch for your lunch game. This chicken salad is zesty, fierce and Barre3 approved. I found the recipe in Barre3 founder, Sadie Lincoln's book, Love Your Lower Body. Not only is my lower body loving this recipe, so are my taste buds. 

It takes the traditional idea of chicken salad, but gives it a little kick in the tush. Pickles? I love. Paprika? Zesty. Apple? Why not. Best part is it only uses a little bit of greek yogurt and dijon mustard. Traditional chicken salad calls for mayonnaise, but mayonnaise gives me the heebie jeebies. I watched a video in 10th grade chemistry on how mayonnaise was made and that was pretty much it for me. 

One of my roommates and I got into a chat about chicken salad after I made this and we love how versatile it is. It can be a salad, a wrap, a sandwich, even a dip. Add some curry powder and you've got an Indian spin on. So many options with this zesty lunch!

Zesty Chicken Salad adapted from
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked chicken breasts*
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 Tbsp. finely diced onion
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. plain greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 granny smith apple, chopped
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Spinach, kale, arugala, or whatever your favorite greens are; for serving

Directions:
In a medium size bowl, mix together all ingredients. Done, that's it. To serve, place about a cup of greens on a plate with equal portions of the chicken salad on top. 

*My favorite way to cook chicken breasts is by placing them in the crock pot with 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper and let them go on low for 3-5 hours. You can even do this with frozen chicken breasts they will just take a little longer. 

Annie