Welcome to Recipe Exchange, posted on Fridays around lunchtime with a theme. Share recipes around that theme, or if you’ve just made something amazing, feel free to veer off topic. (Note: my WordPress account was created long before I became The Duchess Approves.)

To help your fellow Avocados in recreating your masterpieces, try to write your recipes as clearly as possible, including ingredients, measurements and instructions. If you’re copying and pasting from another site, please include the link to the source. (If you don’t want to bother with copying and pasting, linking directly to the recipe is good, too.)

Today’s theme: Salads! I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but it’s a wee bit toasty outside, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Here in Austin, we hit our first triple digit day earlier this week. So in order to avoid actual cooking as much as possible: what are your favorite salad (greens-based or meat “salad”) recipes? Really any food that keeps you cool or that doesn’t require heating up the house to cook – whatever floats your boat and lets us stay in the A/C when it’s hotter out than the sun’s testicles.

Pesto Chicken Salad
I can’t remember where this recipe came from, but I make it for lunches every few weeks. The measurements are approximate and should be adjusted based on the size of your chicken. 

• Rotisserie Chicken
• 1/3 c plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c mayo
• 1/3 c pesto
• 1/4 c celery, diced
• 1/4 c walnuts, chopped and toasted
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Remove meat from the rotisserie chicken and discard the carcass and skin (or save the carcass for broth if you’re fancy). Dice the meat. It should yield about four cups of chopped chicken.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients with the chicken and taste. Add more mayo, pesto, yogurt or seasonings as needed.

My favorite use for this is in a pita pocket, with some roasted red bell pepper and hearts of romaine.