Chinese Chicken Salad

5 Stars...Everyone loved it and why not it contained the kids favorite condiment soy sauce.  My kids really loved the addition of sugar to the lettuce.  The usually are lettuce phobic.  Thirty five minutes from start to finish makes this recipe family friendly.

Another Food and Wine Magazine winner.  Direct link to recipe on their web page Chinese Chicken Salad from Joanne Chang.

Chinese Chicken Salad  
from Food and Wine Magazine
adapted

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2  tablespoon Tabasco 
One 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
One 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken—meat shredded
3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup unsalted toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

One small head of romaine, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 oranges, peeled with a knife and cut into sections
Lime wedges, for serving


~ In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with 1/4 cup of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the soy sauce, sesame oil, Tabasco, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken, scallions, celery, pine nuts and cilantro and toss until coated

~In another bowl, toss the romaine with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar and the olive oil. Spread the romaine in 4 shallow bowls. Top with the chicken salad and the oranges and serve with lime wedges.

*** changes for next time

• do not add the chicken to the dressing - top the lettuce with it and then place dressing on top of it.  I think the vinegar in the sauce broke down the chicken causing it to get a bit mushy.
• add bean thread noodles/ cellophane noodles to top