Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Mandarin Orange Chicken Pasta Salad

I absolutely LOVE this pasta salad. It is so colorful and flavorful and perfect for these dreary winter months. It adds a little life to these cold, dark days!:)
Mandarin Orange Chicken Pasta Salad

The ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
8 oz. bowtie pasta (whole wheat is really good in this!)
1 cucumber, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion or 1/2 large onion, chopped
1 package baby spinach
1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Dressing:
1 teaspoon fresh ginger OR 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon seasame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 envelope onion soup mix

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook in a little bit of olive oil until browned. Let cool.
Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. While the pasta is cooking start chopping all the veggies.
The cucumber (this is Kyla cutting...I would never be caught dead with fingernail polish like that!! But young girls just don't seem to care:)) Put cut cucumbers in a large bowl.
Next chop the onion and add to bowl.
Then chop the red bell pepper and (again) add to bowl. (Isn't that beautiful?!!)
Then open the oranges and drain them and add to the bowl as well. (It just keeps getting prettier and prettier!)
Now you can add the almonds if you like, we didn't not becuase we don't like them but because I thought I had some and found out they were slivered and not sliced almonds and so we left them out (although slivered probably would have been just fine!)
When pasta is done cooking drain and rinse in a colander under cold water until pasta is cooled. Add pasta and cooled chicken to the bowl and stir to combine.
Let this sit while you make the dressing. Combine all ingredients and whisk together.
Right before serving add the spinach to the pasta and veggies and then pour the dressing overtop and mix together well.
This makes quite a bit of salad and if you let the spinach sit in the fridge with the dressing on it, the spinach will wilt and it doesn't look very appetizing. So what I do is split it in half. I will add the dressing to the half I am saving, but leave out the spinach and then the next day when I want some I'll add the spinach at that time. Works out really well, also it allows the dressing to mesh with all the other flavors and makes it really yummy!!
Also, I was concerned that none of my kids would eat this (it's got SPINACH in it...YUCK!!) But I was pleasantly surprised...only my 3 year old Rhett said it was gross, and Kyla and my 7 year old Eli had second helpings! Yeah...they like something healthy!!:)

Hope you enjoy this one!!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I wouls follow you to the ends of the earth (if it wasn't round)!

BTW, I am totally making THE CAKE for a baby shower Saturday. Thanks for reminding me!

jolyn said...

Oh, maybe i'll be your lucky winner again! :-) Seriously though. Also, the winter months make me CRAZY! All I want to do is bake to ease my suffering, so keep the delicious recipes coming!

Jolyn

Sue said...

I just came across you via "all things thrifty". What a great blog you have! I'll have to try the salad recipe, due to allergies in the family we are limited, when it comes to fruit, but mandarins are on the OK list.
Greetings from across the border,
Sue

Sunshine said...

That is so funny you are giving them away! My mom was trying to get me to get these last week! She had a party and was trying to help me pick some things out! :) That would be awesome if I won them since I didn't buy them!

-Susan- said...

Jana any and everything you make is divine. Gonna HAVE to try this recipe!

Galo Fab 5 said...

Stopped by from All Things Thrifty. This salad looks so good! Definitely going to try it!

*I'm a follower now! :)

Sheans said...

ohhhhhh that looks good. and don't even get me started on the brownie cookies.... you are such a good cook.

Unknown said...

I love how you literally show each recipe step by step. This way, even I can cook like you do!

Pedey @ Do You Smell That!!? said...

Keep up the great work, Mama! I enjoy seeing all your recipes.

Janille said...

This is a recipe my hubster would enjoy mucho. And our kids eat spinach (most of the time) so that works too. Good recipes!

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