July 24, 2008

Salmon for the Rest of Us

When you have a food allergy, eating out or even going to a friend's for dinner can feel a little intimidating. I'm allergic to fish and seafood, and multiple trips to the emergency room over the years have taught me that if something has gills or fins, swims or just plain lives in the water, I am to stay away from it.


For today's Barefoot Bloggers assignment, our hostess—Ashley of The Spicy Skillet— selected Smoked Salmon Spread. Obviously, a recipe with the words "smoked salmon" in the title is likely to scare the bejeezus out of someone like me. I had a brief oh-crap moment and then started brainstorming as to how I could stay as true as possible to the original recipe (without having to visit my friendly neighborhood ER doc yet again). I simply substituted chicken for the salmon. And, I cut back on the cream cheese and sour cream. One, because I wanted it to have the consistency of traditional chicken salad and not a spread; and two, to reduce the fat and calories.

The modifications worked out great. The dill and chicken complemented one another nicely and the combination made for a cool, crisp summer sandwich.

Dill Chicken Salad Sandwiches
adapted from Ina Garten's Smoked Salmon Spread

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

Once the chicken cools, cut into small cubes and set aside in a large bowl. Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add to the cooked, cubed and cooled chicken and mix well. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

To assemble your sandwiches, use any combination of breads and vegetables that appeals to you. I used pumpernickel bread and the following veggies: red onions, sprouts, cucumbers and tomatoes.

I've also made Ina's:

9 comments:

Esi said...

Yum!! These sandwiches look delicious.

What's Cookin Chicago said...

Beautiful pictures and great idea to use for sandwiches!

BMK said...

Very creative. Glad you found a way to still participate.

Laura said...

What a great adaptation to suit your needs! It looks really tasty- i was just thinking of making some chicken salad earlier today. Maybe I will try a little spin on your recipe since I already have the ingredients!

Anonymous said...

Yikes I'm glad you didn't end up in the ER because of my recipe choice! Great substitutions though!

Megan said...

I have a child with food allergies so I totally understand your position. What a clever and creative way to make something that you could eat!

Although, if the ER doc is cute.............

just kidding!

Anonymous said...

Those look so good. Love your photography!

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Goodness! Why can't I be creative like that? Sorry it took me so long to come and check out your dip- I've been a little MIA and VERY busy lately. I'm so glad the chicken salad worked out for you. I bet it was fabulous. My favorite sandwich (I'm not a sandwich person) is called Dilly Chicken Sandwiches, I'll have to post about it soon because it's a perfect summer dinner.
~The Cat's Pajamas

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Goodness! Why can't I be creative like that? Sorry it took me so long to come and check out your dip- I've been a little MIA and VERY busy lately. I'm so glad the chicken salad worked out for you. I bet it was fabulous. My favorite sandwich (I'm not a sandwich person) is called Dilly Chicken Sandwiches, I'll have to post about it soon because it's a perfect summer dinner.
~The Cat's Pajamas