Minty Chicken Salad

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon smoky paprika
1 ½ cups dried cranberries
1 cup celery, finely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, minced
1 cup pecans, chopped
4 cups cooked chicken meat, cubed
4 tablespoons fresh mint, julienne
Sea salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE
In a medium mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream and smoky paprika. Blend in cranberries, celery, green onions, red pepper and pecans. Add chicken and mint and mix well. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and chill for one hour.

NOTES
The genus Mentha probably includes 25 distinct species, but these have hybridized among themselves so readily that more than 600 hundred mints have been named.

The true mints we commonly use for cooking are peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint is spicy and its leaves are considered superior for drying.