Pea Salad with Rice and Chicken

It was a pleasure to get out of town for the weekend and head up to Lake Placid with our tri club, HEAT, for a weekend of training. Two nights in a hotel meant at least two dinners, two breakfast and two lunches at restaurants. I didn’t want to treat our wallet or our stomachs to that abuse. Thankfully due to a last minute cancellation we scored a room with a kitchenette. I had no plans to use the stove, but the refrigerator was key. I made a wonderful pea salad with rice and chicken to refuel us for lunch. For breakfast we ate granola with almond milk. As a snack I brought along homemade muesli bread. This bread was enjoyed while at the summit of Owl’s Head. A little advance planning during the week paid off big rewards for our weekend of training.

Pea Salad with Rice and Chicken

Ingredients
  • 1 lb cooked chicken (I cooked up extra drumsticks and used them the next night in this salad)
  • ½ cup peas, shelled
  • ½ cup rice (I combined wild rice and jasmine rice)
  • day old Magic Sauce salad dressing (from www.101cookbooks.com)
Directions
Combine everything together and chill.

Magic Sauce

Ingredients
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2-3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 sprig oregano
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed into a paste 
  • 1 well crumbled bay leaf
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Sauce Directions
  1. Gently warm the olive oil of medium low heat until just hot. Remove from heat.
  2. While the oil is heating, mash the herbs with a mortar and pestle.
  3. Stir the paprika, garlic, bay leaf and red pepper flakes into the oil. Next add the bruised herbs and lemon juice.
  4. Serve the sauce or save and let the flavors fully come alive over the next few days.