Once upon a time, the Christmas dining table in my house was never complete without the ultimate Nigerian salad…
Once upon a time, the Christmas dining table in my house was never complete without the ultimate Nigerian salad….boiled macaroni, chicken chunks, corned beef, egg slices, lots of baked beans, boiled Irish potatoes, thick juicy salad cream and vegetables which I always tossed to the side.
This year, I have decided to partially relive a childhood eating memory with this quick and delicious bowl of goodness.
Fast forward to recent years with busy lives when Christmas day might be your only rest day, diet related health conditions and less money in the pocket.
All I see is plain coleslaw which by the way can be spiced up with apple or peach slices. *wink*
If like me, you are tired of coleslaw and cannot go all out with Nigerian salad or you just want to try something different, this recipe is for you!
Recipe
Time: 20mins
Ingredients:
- Mini pasta or macaroni
- Diced/ shredded cooked chicken
- Diced Onion
- Diced Plum tomatoes, without the seeds
- Chopped herbs (I use parsley or cilantro)
- Mayonnaise
- Juice of lemon
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
- In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the pasta and leave to boil until cooked.
- Pour cooked pasta into a sieve and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking more and drain thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, toss, the diced chicken, onion, tomatoes and past, add salt and black pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl, mix herbs with juice of lemon and mayonnaise (dressing).
- Refrigerate bowls separately till ready to serve.
- Combine pasta mix with dressing and serve alone or alongside spicy Nigerian jollof rice.
Substitutions & Additions:
- The chicken can be replaced with turkey
- The dressing can be replaced with store-bought dressing (ranch or Italian work just fine)
- Crispy bacon slices would do magic to this bowl if added.
- Halved cherry tomatoes instead of diced plum tomatoes definitely elevates the dish.
- Replace herbs with spinach for a different dose of freshness.
Written by The Foodlover.
The FoodLover is an amateur cook/ food blogger who is in search of satisfying her passion for everything food. Recipes and foodie adventures are her thing! Instagram: @thefoodlover_blog.