Winter continues in New Hampshire.   As I write this post, I am watching both snowflakes and temperature drop.  With multiple snowstorms and ice storms already occurring, winter feels long this year.

I know, I live in New Hampshire; we are supposed to have cold temperatures and snow-covered yards.  If I were to live somewhere tropical, I would miss watching snowflakes glide to the ground and seeing light shimmering on an icicle.  However, sometimes it is nice to visualize a warmer climate for a little while.

Last week I decided to bring a tropical feel to our house via dinner.  Having bought a pineapple during a grocery store trip, it seemed like a good starting point to make our home feel more like Hawaii and less like an arctic region. While I could have made a stirfry with the pineapple, I was seeking something that was more reflective of a warm summer day.

Thinking about Hawaiian food products that would please all family members, I decided to incorporate macadamia nuts.  From there, my dinner plan progressed.  Add some chicken, create a dressing, serve it in wraps or lettuce leaves, and we would have a fun dinner that might conjure images of palm trees.

When dinnertime arrived, everyone chose lettuce leaves for their wraps.  Served with a side of coconut rice, this dinner satisfied both our hunger and weather cravings.

Taste of Hawaii Chicken Salad

2 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 Tb. sour cream

2 Tb. mayonnaise

salt and pepper

3/4 cup oranges, diced

In a large bowl, combine chicken, pineapple, celery, macadamia nuts, and red onion, and toss.  In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.  Pour dressing onto chicken mixture, and combine well.  Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Top with orange slices, if desired.

Can be served as wraps using Bibb lettuce leaves or flatbread or as a topping to a mixed green salad.