Shelly's Recipe

MANDARIN COURT SALAD

Category: Salads - Meat

Chicken
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 tsp lemon zest

Salad
1 (10 oz) pkg fresh spinach, washed, dried and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, dried and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup shredded purple cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms, drained baby corn
1/2 cup mandarin orange segments, drained
1/3 cup minced scallions
Sliced water chestnuts, minced
Chopped unsalted cashews
Fried ramen noodles

Dressing
2 tbsp lemon juice and soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch each: ginger powder and five spice powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp sesame seeds
3/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil

To prepare chicken, mix soy sauce, 2 tbsp oil, garlic and lemon zest with chicken in a bowl and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in skillet. Add chicken strips a few at a time and cook until cooked but not overdone. Remove garlic clove and discard. Chill chicken while preparing remaining salad ingredients and dressing.

Dressing: Stir together first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Add the oil in a tin stream as the machine is running until all the oil is incorporated. Chill until needed.

Salad: Mix together the greens and arrange on a large serving platter.

In concentric circles, arrange carrots, cabbage and mushrooms. Arrange prepared chicken strips in center in an oval mound. Garnish four inchcorners inch of this mound with baby corn. Top with scallions, water chestnuts and cashews. Dot with mandarin orange segments.

To serve: Drizzle dressing lightly over salad. If dressing has thickened too much, stir in a bit of water. Sprinkle on additional chopped cashews and noodles. Serves 4-6