4.10.12

I always overdo it when I make a salad. My caesar sale for two is always big enough for 4. And when I make an Italian antipasto salad, I put so much stuff on it, the salad hardly fits the platter. Tonight was no exception. I found a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad on a site called "foodie crush". It called for lettuce, chicken, almonds, and crispy wonton strips. That's not a salad! I added a lot more items. The recipe for the sesame dressing is awesome. Great dinner salad. My version is probably enough for 4.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing




12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4″ strips
1/4 cup canola or corn oil for frying
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 large chicken breast, shredded
1/2 red pepper thinly sliced
1/4 European cucumber thinly sliced

1 carrot shredded

1/4 cup pea pods thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 10 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don’t burn. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.

They fry up quickly! Seriously, I burned this batch just in the time it took me to take this picture.

2. In a large bowl, combine veggies, chicken breast, almonds and pasta and toss to mix.
3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with the desired amount of sesame dressing. Toss salad again to distribute the dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips. Serve.