Recipe: No-Fail Dressing For Chicken, Tuna, or Egg Salad with 20 Variations

NO-FAIL DRESSING FOR CHICKEN, TUNA, OR EGG SALAD

"This basic dressing--smooth and creamy with just a slight tang--works equally well with chicken, tuna or hard-cooked eggs. Some of the variations that follow, however, are more appropriate for one type of salad than another and are coded as follows: T=Tuna; C=Chicken; E=Egg.

Depending on how moist or dry you prefer the salad, expect 1/4 cup of dressing to accommodate 1 cup of chopped filling (roughly a 6-ounce can of drained tuna or 3 to 4 hard-cooked eggs). This recipe is easily multiplied for larger quantities."

BASIC NO-FAIL DRESSING

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream (or use plain yogurt or buttermilk)
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl using a fork, stir together all of the ingredients, blending until completely smooth. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes about 1/4 cup dressing

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 63 calories, trace protein, trace carbohydrates, 7 gm fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 90 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber

VARIATIONS:

BARBECUE (C):
Omit the lemon juice and add 1 tablespoon prepared barbecue sauce.

BASIL (C & E):
Add 1 tablespoon minced basil and 2 tablespoons seeded, diced tomato.

BUTTERMILK (C):
Substitute buttermilk for the sour cream and add 1 tablespoon minced scallions or chives. Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons fried, crumbled bacon.

CHIPOTLE (C & E):
Add 1/2 tp 1 1/2 teaspoons pureed chipotle in adobo sauce.

CHUTNEY (C):
Add 1 tablespoon mango chutney.

CLUB (C & E):
Add 1 tablespoon each diced avocado and seeded, diced tomato. Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons fried, crumbled bacon.

CURRY (C):
Add 1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala, pinch ground ginger and honey to taste.

HERB (T, C, & E):
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as chervil, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, tarragon or a combination.

HORSERADISH (T & C):
Add prepared horseradish to taste.

THE JAMES BEARD (C & E):
Add 1/4 cup each minced celery and halved grapes and garnish with hard-boiled eggs, capers and chopped black olives. Adapted from "The New James Beard" (Knopf, 1981).

LEMON (T & C):
Add 1/2 teaspoon minced lemon zest and 1 tablespoon minced chives or scallions.

THE MARTHA (C):
Add 1 tablespoon each minced celery, minced tarragon and pecans. From "The Martha Stewart Cookbook" (Clarkson Potter, 1995)

NUT (T & C):
Add 2 tablespoons chopped almonds, macadamias, pecans or walnuts.

PICKLE (T & E):
Add 1 tablespoon pickle relish or minced dill pickle.

SESAME (C):
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons each toasted sesame oil, minced cilantro and scallions. Just before serving, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Adapted from "Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook" (Clarkson Potter, 1999).

SOUTHWESTERN (C):
Substitute lime juice for the lemon juice and add 1 tablespoon minced scallions or red onion, 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest, 1/8 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper, dash cumin and, if desired, dash hot red pepper sauce. Adapted from "USA Cookbook" by Sheila Lukins (Workman, 1997).

TROPICAL (C):
Add honey to taste, 2 tablespoons diced mango or papaya, 1 tablespoon each minced red onions and mint.

TSATSIKI (T & C):
Substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream and add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 2 tablespoons minced cucumber.

VEGETABLE (T, C, & E):
Add 2 tablespoons minced bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes, red onion.

WALDORF (C):
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons each diced celery, green apple, walnuts and, if desired, raisins.

Adapted from source Renee Schettler, Washington Post, Wednesday, June 21, 2000