May is upon us and the warmer weather has finally made an appearance in central New York, Lol! And with May, comes nicer weather, outdoor cooking, beautiful flowers and Mother’s Day. I have to honestly say, that each year that passes the pain of losing your Mom does get a little easier, but not any easier when Mother’s Day comes around. So, every year I honor my Mother by preparing those recipes that she so lovingly fed her family with.
What recipes trigger special memories for you?
I did not realize there were so many recipes that remind me of her until I was asked to write my second cookbook ,Love in The Shape of a Tortilla. Funny thing is that I never was able to ask mom if she even enjoyed cooking. Honestly, I would say yes because her simple recipes were always so delicious and seasoned perfectly. Or maybe it just came natural to her. She still inspires me to this day.
Ensalada de Pollo~Mexican Chicken Salad
Ensalada de Pollo (Chicken Salad) as simple and basic as it may seem, was special to us. Mom would only prepare it a once or twice a year. I laugh when I think how we would announce to each other with great excitement, “Hey! Mom’s fixing Ensalada de Pollo!” We couldn’t wait!
I am not sure where the recipe originated from, but it does seem to be typical of where my Mom’s family is from, which is Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Either way, the recipe brings back great memories, even though I was in charge of shredding the chicken most times, ha, ha, ha…. It’s still not my favorite job in the kitchen. The only thing I did different in the recipe that I remember, was to add a little lemon juice. I do that with all my salads that contain mayonnaise. So, to all the beautiful Mom’s past and present, thank you for your unselfish love, wonderful memories and delicious recipes. Happy Mother’s Day, Feliz Dia de las Madres.
If you can find La Costeña brand of jalapeños, it’s the best tasting!
Ensalada de Pollo-Mexican Chicken salad
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded ( I had leftover grilled chicken breast)
- 1 cup mayonnaise more or less (I used light)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of the brine from pickled jalpeños
- salt and pepper to taste
You will also need
- 1 head or iceberg lettuce washed
- Whole or sliced pickled jalapeños
- Saltine crackers
Instructions
Directions
- Add the carrots and potatoes to a pot. Cover with water, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or just until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
- Once the carrots and potatoes are cool, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl in the order listed. Taste for salt.
- To serve, add a bed of washed lettuce to a shallow bowl. Spoon in some ensalada de pollo. Serve with pickled jalapeños and saltine crackers.
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Looks delicious!!!
Thank you Yvette! Reminds so much of home.
Hello are the directions for another recipe?
Hi Perla. I just fixed the directions. Not sure what happened there. Thanks for pointing it out to me.
Thank you! I believe this is the recipe for the chicken salad my daughter’s Mexican friend shared with us years ago!
Oh good! Many families use this same recipe. It may vary slightly from family to family, but basically the same.
Podrían ponerlo en español 🇪🇸
Es dificil poder tenerlas recetas en Inglés y en Español simplemente porque tiene uno que tomar mucho tiempo para poder lograrlo. Quizas muy pronto podre dedicarle mas tiempo a las recetas en Español. Gracias.
Would this work with mayonesa con limón or would it throw the flavors off
It would be great! No problem at all! Tasty!
What do you include when boiling the chicken?
Hi Jenn, if I am cooking the chicken on the stove top, I like to include onion, garlic, celery, carrot, bay leaves and cilantro. Cover with water and add salt to taste. Just 1/3 of the onion and a few cloves of garlic should be enough.
Lo voy a preparar para mi novio, gracias por la receta😊
Gracias Nohemi por escribirme! Mi nombre es Sonia Noemi tambien! Saludos!