Chicken and Spring Green Something

Was Spring slow to arrive this year? Did it arrive and stay with us for more than a few hours? Did I miss it while we were inside the boat shed in May? I'm still waiting for Spring warmth and sunshine to last for more than two days in a row. Too bad! summer officially begins next week, so it's time to move on. 

Spring means green - new shoots on plants, buds on trees, weeds in the flowerbeds, and fresh greens at the market. We've been enjoying a lot of green produce lately, transitioning from winter's offering of dark green kale to the brighter tones of asparagus for example. 

But this post is also about chicken, not just about Spring. I am wild about roast chicken, whether homemade or deli-purchased. It's crispy, decadent bits of skin are swoon-worthy, the flavorful dark meat or even slices of moist breast meat are mouthwateringly good. However, the good news/bad news about chicken is that each small bird provides more than one meal's worth of protein. This week's roast chicken left me with a lot of leftover meat. Usually that means chicken enchiladas, but I just wasn't in the mood for more Mexican food (shock!). 

First we shared a brunch omelet filled with shredded chicken, parsley, asparagus and sauteed kale left from dinner, crumbled bacon and green onions, accompanied with a side sauce based on yogurt and chopped herbs. RL does not love eggs, but he certainly put away his half of this omelet.

The omelet

Another day's lunch featured sandwiches on grilled French bread, spread with a mix of cream cheese, creamy blue cheese, green onions, parsley, crumbled bacon and pecans and filled with sliced chicken, thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and Romaine lettuce. Oh yes, I'm adding this combination to our list of favorites.

Even the unassembled ingredients look tasty.

The sandwich.

There was still some chicken meat to deal with. Rather than freeze it for another day, it seemed reasonable to try a new (to us) version of chicken salad. More of the same ingredients - chicken, Romaine, apples, parsley, green onions, pecans - and this time with a thin-but-creamy Miracle Whip dressing with a few tablespoons of Major Grey chutney mixed in for a sweet and tangy flavor. (Yes, Miracle Whip! and the only way I ever use it, except on RL's sandwiches.) Hooray, another winner with chicken and green things. 

The salad.

Enough with the chicken already! Not that I won't turn to chicken enchiladas as an easy follow-on to the next roast chicken dinner, but this week's wander into Spring Green Something territory was a good thing.

What do you do with too much chicken?