CHICKEN AND MANDARIN SALAD WITH SIMPLE SESAME DRESSING
Happy Saturday to all! I hope that your weekend is getting off to a great start. I want to take the time to post the salad I prepared this week using leftovers from my kitchen. It started with a twice-cooked batch of Simple Sesame Dressing I created to go with the cooked Broccoli Salad earlier this week. It was surprisingly inexpensive, but I didn’t want the dressing wasted. Therefore, I paired it with a can of Mandarin oranges I’ve had stored in my pantry for quite some time as well as an avocado I bought on the day of the Cinco de Mayo sale as well as a portion of the chicken rotisserie that I’ve been eating throughout the week. The flavors and textures blended beautifully in this sweet-salty-creamy-and-crunchy Chicken and Mandarin Salad.
ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS
I’m sure that not every person will be left with leftovers I did, So I will suggest a few alternative ingredients I believe would work great. Instead of the delicate baby greens, try using finely chopped cabbage or a bag of coleslaw mix. Are you not a big lover of canned mandarin oranges? Consider a mango that has been diced instead. Do you have almonds that aren’t sliced? Try chow-moy or broken noodles from ramen for crunch.
INGREDIENTS
SIMPLE SESAME DRESSING
2 Tbsp neutral or light oils* ($0.08)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar ($0.12)
4 tsp soy sauce ($0.13)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.11)
One tablespoon brown sugar ($0.02)
1 tsp fresh ginger grated ($0.04)
1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.04)
SALAD
6 cups salad leaves** ($1.25)
11oz can mandarin oranges ($0.77)
One rotisserie chicken breast ($1.50)
1/4 cup chopped almonds ($0.50)
Small Red onion ($0.14)
1/2 avocado ($0.50)
INSTRUCTIONS
Start by making the dressing to allow the flavors the chance to develop. Mix vinegar, oil, soy sauce, toasted sesame oils, brown sugar sesame seeds, and ginger in a small jar or bowl. Put the dressing aside.
Cut the red onion thinly, then allow the pieces to soak in ice water for several minutes to remove the edges. Take out the can of mandarin oranges. Slice the avocado, and chop the breast of the chicken.
Place three cups of leaves in each bowl or dish to put the salads together. Serve with mandarin orange slices, chopped chicken, sliced avocado, and a few pieces of soaked red onions. Give the dressing a final whisk, then pour it on the salad. The sauce is robust, therefore, start with a small amount and make more as needed.
