With sunshine finally in the forecast, it’s time to break out the picnic basket and settle in for lunch on the lakefill. A picnic lunch can be more exciting than store-bought potato salad and soggy coleslaw. Prepare a packable meal, bring a blanket and enjoy lunch with a view of the lake this week.
Deviate from a standard turkey-on-white by making colorful and delicious curry chicken salad sandwiches. Prepare your own chicken breast or purchase a prepared rotisserie chicken. Either way, chop your chicken into chunks and combine about two cups of chicken with an apple, one stalk of celery and a medium red onion, all diced. If you happen to have grapes, slivered almonds, pecans or sunflower seeds, mix those in too.
Next, mix in about two-thirds cup of mayonnaise and one-third cup Dijon mustard, then add a teaspoon of curry powder, a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. These measurements are just guidelines – you can alter the recipe to taste. If you’re looking for a lower-fat version, you can also replace some of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a healthy alternative. Put a generous serving of chicken salad on some toasted wheat bread with lettuce and tomato, if you’d like, and wrap your sandwiches in foil or parchment paper.
For a quick Tupperware-friendly side dish, avocado ranch dip makes a great colorful option. Mash two peeled avocados with a cup of plain Greek yogurt and two tablespoons lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of any herbs you have on hand, like chives, parsley or dill. Depending on your preference, this dip also meshes well with a little minced garlic or finely chopped onion. Enjoy the dip with some store-bought potato or pita chips or fresh vegetables.
If you’re planning ahead, make some easy, no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies the night before by boiling a stick of butter with one and three-quarter cup sugar, one-fourth cup cocoa powder and one-half cup milk together for just over one minute. Remove from heat and stir in one-half cup peanut butter, one teaspoon vanilla and three cups oats. Spoon the batter onto cookie sheets covered with wax paper and refrigerate overnight. No time to chill cookies before your picnic? Fruit salad is also the perfect last-minute dessert!
