Chicken Salad

I needed a way to use up leftover roasted chicken from last Sunday, so I shredded the leftovers into a bowl and added chopped black olives, chopped sundried tomatoes, chopped cilantro and thyme, pine nuts, walnuts, and a sprinkle of dried cranberries. To dress it, I mixed 1/4 cup mayonnaise with a good splash of balsamic vinegar, a minced clove of garlic, a dose of dried basil and sage, and some salt and pepper. I put the salad on some lettuce and that was that. Next time I'll drizzle something other than chicken salad on the lettuce -- maybe some olive oil or something. I could have also used even more cilantro and maybe a tiny bit more mayonnaise.

I served this with the Braised Turnips, which it doesn't match at all by the way, and didn't really have any rice or potatoes or other carbohydrates at that meal. I was informed by the friendly local restaurant critic that carbohydrates are less important at dinnertime than at other times, so this lack was not missed - perhaps because there's less need for energy in the evening. Although this may be true, pilafs and pasta and other carbohydrate dishes are (1) cheaper than animal protein and (2) generally easier to prepare as one-dish meals than meals made of meat and vegetables. On the other hand, unsprouted grains (and especially non-whole grains) are probably the least healthy staple in the pantry, relative to the nice organic veggies and free-range chickens in there, so maybe I ought to cut back on the risotto. I'll think about it.