Asian Chicken Salad

Last week we got takeout from one of my favorite chains, Pei Wei (the faster, more affordable concept by P.F. Chang's).  It's one of those places that even though most of the menu items are tempting to me, I always order the same thing because I like it so well (in case you were wondering, I love the Japanese Teriyaki Tofu and Vegetables over Brown Rice).  Anyway, even though I stuck to my old standby, I kept thinking how delicious an Asian style chicken salad sounded.  Finally, tonight (and a perfect evening for grilling at that), my craving was satisfied.  This may look like it has a lot of components, but it's really simple.  And, if you want to use some short cuts, just substitute your favorite Asian style bottled dressing and you have my permission to use store bought crispy wonton strips (or those crunchy chow mein noodles).  

Ginger Soy Dressing/Marinade:
makes about 1/2 cup (double the recipe if using as marinade)
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger (from about 1/2" piece)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice (or syrup/juice from mandarin oranges can or can sub 1-2 teaspoons honey)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or another neutral flavored oil--canola or peanut)

Chicken:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 batch Ginger Soy Dressing recipe (1/2 cup) or favorite bottled Asian-style salad dressing
cooking spray

Crispy Wonton Strips:
8 wonton wrappers/skins (usually found in refrigerated produce section) cut into about 1/2" strips
vegetable oil

Salad Fixings:
4 cups shredded lettuce (I used Romaine but iceberg would be appropriate too)
4 cups shredded napa cabbage (has a curlier leaf than traditional green cabbage and found in Asian cuisine)
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or roughly shredded
1 small can mandarin orange segments (I like the kind in juice rather than syrup), drained
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (also known as scallions)
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

Prepare dressing/marinade recipe by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk once more before using/serving.  Marinate chicken breasts in dressing for at least 30 minutes. Remove from marinade and discard remaining marinade.  Spray chicken with cooking spray and grill over medium- high heat, about 6 minutes per side, or chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and juices are clear.  Remove from grill, tent with foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.  Slice into thin strips to serve over salad.

Preprare wonton strips.  Pour enough vegetable oil into the bottom of a heavy skillet to cover about 1/2" deep.  Heat oil over medium high heat.  Once hot (you can test by adding one wonton strip.  If it sizzles, it's hot enough.  Fry wonton strips in oil until golden, turning halfway through.  The whole process should take about 1 minute.  Remove crispy wonton strips and let drain on a layer of paper towels. 

To serve: In one large bowl (or individual bowls), layer lettuce, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, orange segments and green onion.  Top with sliced grilled chicken and drizzle with dressing.  Garnish with wonton strips, almonds, if using and additional green onion, if desired.

Carrot Ginger Soup

I love the combination of carrot and ginger but had somehow forgotten about it until Easter when my friend, Raelene (a really amazing cook!),  brought a delicious carrot and ginger soup to our Easter lunch celebration.  Since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it and decided to come up with my own version the other day.  The sweetness of the carrots and the bite of the ginger combined in a smooth, creamy soup is really fantastic.  We topped ours with some plain Greek yogurt (and the leftovers with honey yogurt which was great too!) and garnished with some sweet little chives that are starting to poke up in my Dad's garden.  Ahh, Spring.  Now, if the weather would just start acting like it (we had flurries on May day here in Minnesota today!)... 
 

Carrot Ginger Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
8 oz. carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
large pinch of nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoon)
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste
plain Greek yogurt and fresh snipped chives for garnish and serving, optional

In a large sauce pan, saute onion in olive oil over medium high heat until softened.  Add carrots and ginger root and saute for about two minutes more.  Pour in chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until carrots are very tender (about 15-20 minutes).  Using an immersion blender (or if you don't have one, puree in batches in either a blender or food processor--but be very careful to avoid burns!), puree the soup until smooth.  Stir in half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper.  To serve, ladle into bowls or mugs and top with a dollop of yogurt and top with chives (optional).  This soup is good served hot or cold.