By Lucienda Denson.
Sometimes, meal preparation for one is the result of rummaging through the fridge for usable leftovers.
I’ve already said I’m not a fan of eating the same thing for three or four meals or days in a row, but that doesn’t mean those same leftovers can’t be turned into something tasty and – yes – definitely different.
It was Saturday evening after the Royal Wedding, and I wasn’t in the mood to cook. Nor was I willing to go out to eat, and I didn’t want a repeat of Thursday’s meal, mainly because the only thing left over was not quite half of a rotisserie chicken from the grocery.
I recorded the wedding so a friend and I could watch it at my house over tea Friday after work. A stop at Brit friends’ British import shop offered nothing in the way of appropriate nibbles – the shelves were bare, for all practical purposes. Even their traditionally ample supply of shortbread cookies were gone.
I punted and stopped by the grocery, where I bought water crackers, cream cheese with chives, an English cucumber, small tomatoes, a nice bunch of grapes, strawberries, and a container of what promised to be “very vanilla” yogurt. I arranged my bounty on two trays with small serving dishes for the cream cheese and yogurt in the center, and made tea.
By the time the kiss on the balcony had been exchanged, we had done a pretty good job of grazing through the edibles. Left over were a few small tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, and a few slices of cucumber.
That, plus the remains of Thursday’s rotisserie chicken and some romaine lettuce, proved to be my Saturday evening meal.
Chicken Salad
A handful of romaine lettuce, torn into generous pieces
1/2 cup cubed or very coarsely chopped chicken
Grapes, halved
Parmesan cheese, broken into very small pieces (use the tip of a knife, do not grate or chop)
Slices of English cucumber
Tomatoes, halved
Any other fruits or vegetables you’d like to have in the salad
Two to three tablespoons mayonnaise mixed with the juice of half a lemon or a little orange juice
Arrange the lettuce on a salad place. In a small bowl, toss together chicken, grapes, cheese, and cucumber. Spoon over lettuce. Mix together mayonnaise and lemon or orange juice (or both) and pour over salad. Arrange tomato halves over the top. Enjoy.
