knocking at the moonlit door

i used to work for a caterer, oh, like, 12 years ago. the woman i worked for was about 5 feet tall and barely weighed 90 pounds, but God help you if you got in her way. this woman was TOUGH. and oh gosh, i loved her. i learned sooo much just in the short time i worked there. namely things like what a heel her ex-husband was, how catering aprons are flattering to no one, and that 2pm in the afternoon is definitely not too early for businessmen at a red cross charity event to start drinking. BUT. the woman could cook. i totally stole a bunch of her recipes when i left, and since i think i might have signed something that said i can't reprint them or she will kill me, i will just put up this one, since it's more of a concept than an actual recipe. this is an old standby, but with a few add-ins to make it really stand out. i make it all the time, and everyone who tastes it loves it, i promise.

the best chicken salad ever
a couple chicken breasts, shredded (i love to use leftover cornstarch chicken or rosemary chicken for this recipe. or you could just cook the chicken in the oven if you want, but be sure to spice them up so they have lots of flavor)
a couple green peppers, chopped (you could use celery instead)
a red or yellow pepper, chopped
half a red onion, chopped
dried cranberries (this is actually the secret ingredient! you MUST use these!!)
mayo
a few squirts of a fun mustard (a lot of times i just use regular old yellow)
paprika
oregano (dried or fresh)
chives
s/p

toss the chicken and veggies in a bowl, and add enough mayo to your liking. (i use quite a bit, since i like it pretty creamy. the picture at the top of the page is not really an accurate representation, since i took that pix before i added the mayo.) then add a few squirts of mustard. (be generous if you are just using regular mustard - you're going for some tang here. but not too much.)
then add whatever spices/herbs you have lying around (also be generous with the seasonings) and the dried cranberries, and mix it all together. s/p to taste, and top with chopped chives. let sit in the fridge a few hours till the flavors really meld, then serve on a really nice toasted sandwich bread (we prefer sourdough around here). YUM.