Picnic Chicken Salad

The first time we "cooked up" this recipe, I pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator: "Waddya think ... we've got some dried cranberries. Would that be good in chicken salad?"

We baked the chicken, put together the salad, packed it in a small cooler and headed off with our snowshoes for Todd Lake. We worked up quite an appetite … and chicken salad never tasted so good!

1. Sprinkle 2 chicken breasts with garlic powder and Mrs. Dash's seasoning; bake 20 minutes in 350 degree oven.

2. Cool chicken, dice into 3/4" cubes, and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Meanwhile, combine:

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

2 green onions, sliced

¼ cup red onion, diced

½ cup dried, juice-sweetened cranberries

4. Coarsely chop ½ cup pine nuts and set aside in a small serving dish.

5. To make Tarragon Garlic Dressing, in a small bowl blend with wire whip until smooth:

½ cup Vegenaise

1 Tbsp prepared Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp dried tarragon

¼ tsp garlic salt

¼ tsp lemon pepper

6. Combine cooked chicken, vegetable mixture and Tarragon Garlic Dressing. Sprinkle pine nuts on individual servings. Yields enough for two hungry snowshoers, or 3 civilized guests.

NOTE: Dressing can be made a day or two in advance.