Chinese Chicken Salad

    Now that the weather is getting warmer I've been looking for some recipes that don't require me to be cooking in the kitchen for long periods of time or that are piping hot when it's 80 degrees outside.  I found a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad that caught my eye.  The salad itself looked really good but I was very uncertain about the dressing.  The ingredients didn't sound as if they'd come together to make a tasty dressing.

     The salad was great.  A fresh salad of lettuce, cilantro, green onions, and peppers topped with bright Mandarin oranges, crunchy chow mein noodles, and chicken.  I loved the combination of greens, chicken, citrus, and crunch.  It really worked.  The dressing was surprisingly light and delicious as well!  It was a citrus ginger dressing with hints of sesame.  This salad was really delicious.  I ate it for three meals in a row I enjoyed it so much.  My husband thought it was a great easy and light meal as well.

Chinese Chicken Salad (adapted from Foodista )
1 pound chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. ground ginger
1 head iceberg lettuce
3 green onion, sliced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. Mandarin oranges
1 c. chow mein noodles

For the dressing:
4 T. rice vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. sugar
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. ground ginger

1.  In a large skillet heat olive oil.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and ginger.  Saute 5-6 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through.

2.  Remove chicken from pan and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, or shred.  Set aside to cool.

3.  In a large salad bowl combine lettuce, cilantro, green onions, and green peppers.  Mix to combine.  Set aside.

4.  In a small bowl combine rice vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, and oils.  Mix well.  Add in ginger.  Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

5.  On large plates put the lettuce mixture.  Top with 1/2 c. chicken, 5-6 Mandarin oranges, and a handful of chow mein noodles.  Sprinkle with dressing.

**I made a double recipe of the dressing because it turned out being really tasty and I wanted more then the recipe made.  I also used it to make a Chinese chicken wrap.**