Chinese Chicken Salad

Today it was over 100 degrees in Phoenix.  Let the cold dinners begin! During summer (which is really May-October for us) we do lots of grilling, salads, and some stove-top dinners. This salad is a great meal-salad that is filling and tasty, AND my kids ate it up.  You can absolutely make a double batch of the salad dressing and marinate the chicken in some of the dressing before grilling to add even more flavor.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 c. chopped cucumber

2 large carrots, grated

4-6 green onions, chopped

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

4 oz sliced almonds

1 can mandarin oranges, drained well

1 1/2 lb chicken breast

2 large burrito size tortillas, sliced in thin strips

vegetable oil

Preheat the grill and season the chicken breasts well with granulated garlic, sea salt and pepper, cook until done on the inside, about 12-15 minutes total.  While the chicken is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and fill it with about an inch of vegetable oil. To test the oil, put one tortilla strip in the skillet, if it sizzles and starts cooking right away it's ready! If nothing happens, wait a minute longer.  Fry the tortilla strips in batches until crispy, about 2 minutes each small batch. Remove cooked strips to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.  Continue frying the tortilla strips until they're all cooked.

Once the chicken is cooked, slice it thinly. To assemble salads layer lettuce, cucumber, carrots, onions, cilantro, almonds, oranges and chicken.  Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with fried tortilla strips.

Chinese Dressing

recipe from Ellie Krieger on Food Network

3 Tb soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)

1/3 c. rice vinegar

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 Tb. vegetable oil

2 Tb. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. sriracha

1 tsp. sesame oil