Recipe: Curried Chicken Salad on Whole-Wheat Pitas

Martha Stewart comes through for us again.

This recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine is a great non-traditional sandwich for your Fourth of July.

What's more American than throwing some non-traditional sandwich ingredients into your pita?

Yield: 4 servings

1 lemon, halved

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 jalapeno, quartered

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

6 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

1 tablespoon sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

4 whole-wheat pitas

4 large Boston lettuce leaves

Fill a medium stockpot halfway with water; add 1 lemon half, garlic, cilantro sprigs, and jalapeno.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken. Simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 16 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate; discard liquid. Tent chicken with foil, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.

Stir yogurt, mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons lemon juice from remaining lemon half, the curry powder, scallions, almonds, chopped cilantro, apple and salt; season with pepper. Stir in chicken.

Toast pitas. Top each with a lettuce leaf. Spoon 1 cup chicken salad over lettuce and garnish with a cilantro sprig.

-- Emily Simnitt

This story was originally published July 4, 2006 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Recipe: Curried Chicken Salad on Whole-Wheat Pitas."