Chicken Salad with Mustard, Hearts of Palm, and Olives

Ingredients

• 1 T lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T spicy brown mustard
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cups diced, cooked chicken
• 1 jar hearts of palm
• 1 can extra large black olives
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions, white and green parts
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Remove enough zest from the lemon to measure 1 tablespoon, then juice it until you have 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice. In a bowl, whisk the zest, lemon juice, spicy brown mustard, olive oil, and black pepper into a dressing.
2. Chop the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces, roughly 3/4 inch square, without worrying if they are not perfectly even. Transfer the chicken to a plastic or glass bowl large enough for the finished salad, then toss it with 1/2 cup of the dressing.
3. Set the chicken aside to marinate while you get everything else ready. Drain the hearts of palm thoroughly and blot them dry with paper towels.
4. Move the hearts of palm to a cutting board, then use the same colander to drain the olives. Slice the hearts of palm thickly, and cut up the green onions.
5. Add the hearts of palm, well-drained olives, and green onions to the chicken and fold everything together gently, drizzling in more dressing until it is as moist as you like. If there is extra dressing, save it for salad greens or grilled vegetables.
6. Taste the salad and season it with salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for a few hours. It will hold in the fridge for 1 day or 2, though after chilling you may want to mix in a bit more dressing before serving.