Manderin Orange Chicken Salad w/ Ginger-Lime Dressing

This is one of our favorite salads and a wonderfully healthy way to use up left over bits of rotisserie chicken.

For two big salads (a full meal in itself) divide the following into 2 big bowls in layers:

3 cups baby spinach (may use other lettuce, chopped, or a mixture of several)

1 c. diced or shredded cooked chicken (I prefer the rotisserie chicken as it is more flavorful and moist. You can omit or substitute edamame if you want to go vegan!)

Optional: About 1 c. sauteed vegies. This good place to use up left overs as well. Tonight I sauteed a sliced portabello mushroom, 1/2 red onion, and 1/4 yellow pepper in olive oil. (I tossed a smashed whole garlic clove in with the vegies but then removed before serving. This flavors the oil and vegies without coming on too strong.)

1 small can Mandarin oranges drained

Slivered or sliced almonds (may also use chopped peanuts)

Chinese Rice Noodles (the fried kind, in a can)

Ginger-Lime Dressing

1/4 c. teriyaki sauce

1/4 c. fresh squeezed lime juice

2 T. Sweet Thai Chili sauce

1/4 c. olive oil

1 T. sesame oil

1 "inch" of fresh ginger finely grated (I keep ginger in the freezer in a Ziploc bag always to use in recipes or to make ginger tea for uneasy tummies or sore throats, then just peel and grate in its frozen state. Works great!)

1 T. honey or agave nectar

dash salt or to taste

Put all ingredients in a jar or plastic container with lid and shake, shake, shake!

Pour over salads. Serve salads with crunchy garlic toast. Recipe below.

Crunchy Garlic Toast

Use slices of almost any bread you have on hand from leftover hamburger or hot dog buns to french bread or a hearty wheat, or even those cute little sandwich rounds work well. Squiggle bread with a little olive oil AND a little butter. (Oil adds the crunch and butter adds great flavor.) Broil until toasted, Cut a fresh garlic clove in half and rub over the top of the toasted bread. This is such a simple technique and makes the best garlic bread -- super fast!