The Conscious Kitchen » Poached Chicken Salad with White Nectarines

Poached Chicken Salad with White Nectarines Serves 6 For all ingredients, please consider using those that have been grown organically.
about 5-7 cups	purified water
1	onion, sliced
2	carrots, sliced
2-3 stalks	celery, sliced
1/3 cup	white wine
10-12	black peppercorns
1 tablespoon	sea salt
about 2 pounds	boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-5 stalks	celery, halved lengthwise and sliced
4	white nectarines, yellow nectarines or even peaches will work great
1/3 cup	plain Greek yogurt (I used 2% Fage)
2-3 tablespoons	white balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons	extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons	fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon	fresh mint, chiffonade
	sea salt
generous grinding	freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup	slivered almonds, toasted
12-16 ounces	greens such as arugula, mixed baby greens, or watercress

Prepare the poaching liquid and poach the chicken. Fill water about half way to the top of a large (about 12 inches) straight sided saute pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, wine, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow ingredients to cook for 10-20 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it will be for the poaching. The bouillon should already be simmering on low heat. If it is not, please make sure that it is before you cook the chicken. Gently lay the chicken breasts into the simmering liquid. They should not be completely covered with the poaching liquid. You may use a large spoon to baste the tops of the breasts if desired. Allow the chicken to simmer in the poaching liquid for about 15 minutes. The poaching time will depend on the size of the breasts. If you are in doubt about them being cooked, cut each breast in half. You will be cutting them up anyway so it will not ruin your finished product. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and allow to cool completely covered in the refrigerator. Prepare the salad. Cut the prepared chicken breasts into 1/2 inch chunks and put them into a large bowl. Add the celery and nectarines and gently toss together. Add the yogurt, 2 tablespoons of white balsamic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and fresh herbs along with a light seasoning of salt and pepper and mix together being careful not to bruise the nectarines. Taste for flavor and add more vinegar, oil, yogurt, or seasoning as needed. At this point, the salad can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours before serving. I would not recommend preparing this dish more than 6 hours ahead of time. Just before serving, toss in the toasted almonds. Serve on a bed of your favorite greens on individual plates or a large platter. This salad will hold in the refrigerator for a day of leftovers. The chicken will hold quite well, but the nuts will no longer hold their crunch and the fruit will get soft.