A bit of planning ahead makes preparing weeknight dinners a breeze. Use the extra chicken from Roast Chicken and Parsnips with Swiss Chard (page 149) in one of the recipes below.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1/4 cup mayonnaise

　　1/4 cup buttermilk

　　1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

　　4 cups shredded roasted chicken breast (see page 149)

　　2 celery stalks, finely chopped

　　1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

　　1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　

Step 1

Stir together mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, lemon juice, and hot-pepper sauce. Stir in chicken, celery, onion, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve in a sandwich or over salad greens. Chicken salad can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container.

　　

Substitution

Step 2

If you prefer poached chicken to roasted, you can make the salad recipe with 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds). Bring 1 inch water to a boil in a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid; add salt. Add chicken in a single layer; cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let chicken stand (still covered) until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from skillet; when cool enough to handle, cut into chunks, or shred with two forks.

　　Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2010 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine’s editors.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.