I am obsessed with cookbooks. I really do read them for fun. Yes, lying in bed, lounging on the couch, sitting in the kitchen with morning coffee, I read cookbooks. The previous owners of our house had a mini-office set up in the kitchen, complete with a built-in desk with file drawers and three shelves above the desk top. We were thrilled to have a place to put my many cookbooks. I have to reign in my purchases because we are almost out of space there. A couple of years ago, Husband insisted on buying 300 best taco recipes. He promised weekly taco night and taco parties for our friends. I had no objections. At the last book club meeting at our house, a member commented on the book and asked, “How many have you made?” Yup. I replied, “Zero.” Not that we haven’t made tacos in 2 years. We love tacos. We just haven’t cracked open that cookbook yet. We will! Promise.
This Chicken Waldorf Taco caught my eye for a couple of reasons. My dad is a huge fan of Waldorf Salad. My late aunt, who was not a cook but had us over for my dad’s birthday every year until she died, always made Waldorf Salad for him (none of the rest of our family ever did). It comes from the Waldorf Hotel in New York, circa 1893. It typically is made with apples, celery, walnuts, and mayonnaise and served as an appetizer or salad course. Over the years, the salad evolved; chicken, grapes, and other dried fruit were added. I always thought it was a weird concept, but it didn’t taste bad so I ate it politely every year.
The other thing that caught my eye was the curry added to the “sauce”. It reminded me of this carrot broccoli slaw I used to make with yogurt curry sauce and raisins, stuffed in a pita. So why not curry waldorf tacos? It’s from Prevention Magazine, July 2015.
Chicken Waldorf Tacos
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-taco-recipes?slide=5
PREP TIME: 5 minutes / TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes / SERVINGS: 4
3 Tbsp fat-free plain yogurt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp Madras curry powder
2 tsp fresh lime juice + lime wedges for serving
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1½ c shredded cooked chicken breast
½ c halved seedless grapes
¼ c roughly chopped walnuts
8 flour tortillas (6″ diameter), warmed
2 scallions, chopped
1. WHISK yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small dish.
2. DIVIDE chicken, grapes, and walnuts among tortillas. Top with curry mixture and scallions.
NUTRITION (per serving) 326 cal, 22 g pro, 33 g carb, 2 g fiber, 5 g sugars, 12 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 564 mg sodium
I had a cooked chicken breast in the freezer leftover from another recipe, so I defrosted that and cut it into thin slices. Other than cutting this recipe in half, the switches I made included substituting orange juice for the lime juice, and pecans for the walnuts. I also put the scallions right in the mixture instead of reserving them for garnish, and tossed all the ingredients together before putting it on the tortilla.
Verdict: Weird but good! The nuts gave a nice crunch and the curry was fragrant and sweet. The grapes gave an unexpected burst of sweetness, but they weren’t too strong (they added texture as well). Husband said the grapes made the other ingredients all come together. The yogurt sauce was a little thick for my liking, so I might add an extra teaspoon or two of juice next time to loosen it up a little. I would definitely make these again.
I should also probably make my dad some Waldorf Salad. He deserves it.
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