Recipes by Della Reese: Chicken Salad a la Grecque; Jamboree Salad

Della Reese's Chicken Salad a la Grecque

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine (or apple juice)
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 whole chicken breast, split
2 tsps. corn oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup seedless green grapes
2 tbsps. feta (or Monterey Jack) cheese

1. Core, rinse and drain lettuce thoroughly; chill in disposable plastic bag (or plastic crisper). Bring chicken stock, wine (or apple juice), lemon juice, curry powder, rosemary and bay leaf to a boil. Add chicken breasts. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Cool in broth. Remove skin, cut into large chunks.

2. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces. Toss with 2 or 3 tablespoons chicken broth, corn oil, salt, pepper and grapes. Top with crumbled or cubed cheese. Heat remaining broth to sip with salad. Makes 2 luncheon-sized servings.

NOTE: Della likes to toss a salad in a glass or wooden salad bowl. Her favorite salad bowl is a large, 12-year-old wooden bowl bought in New York. To prepare the bowl for salad-making, she suggests, "Let bowl soak in oil--any kind will do--for three days. Pour off the oil, wipe dry with paper toweling. After using, it can be cleaned simply by wiping dry with paper toweling. It should be rinsed with water only, never soap. Dry thoroughly before putting away." Della learned her "soak-in-oil" trick from her late mother.

Della Reese's Jamboree Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 cup cooked diced mixed vegetables (or one 8 1/4-oz. can mixed salad vegetables)
1 cup cooked whole small white onions (or one 8-oz. can whole small onions)
4 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup dairy sour cream
1 tsp. fresh lemon
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
A few dashes coarsely grated black pepper
Caraway seeds
1 small cucumber and several cherry tomatoes for garnish

1. Core, rinse and thoroughly drain lettuce; chill in plastic crisper (or disposable plastic bag). Drain vegetables and onions well.

2. Cut onion and tomatoes into wedges. Blend sour cream with lemon juice, soy sauce and seasoned salt; toss lightly with mixed vegetables, onion and tomatoes.

3. Line salad bowl with outer surface leaves; halve remaining lettuce lengthwise, then finely shred enough to measure 3 cups. Mound in center of bowl. Spoon vegetable mixture in ring around mounded lettuce. Lightly sprinkle pepper and caraway seeds over all. Garnish with sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Makes 4 servings (81 calories each).

Thoughts: Della's favorite salad is a rich-tasting salad and is satisfying as a low-calorie lunch. Calories become even less if yogurt (62 calories) is substituted for the sour cream but lemon juice should be reduced to one teaspoon. Strips of cheese or lean meat (rare roast beef, tongue, leg of lamb or ham) or poultry (turkey or chicken) can be added for protein, increasing calorie content somewhat.