Asian Toasted Sesame Chicken Salad

I am notoriously set in my ways.  I order the same thing every time I go to a restaurant because I'm afraid to try something new.  It's just too easy to sit in my comfort zone and watch other people discover new things.  Well, one of the things that seems to sabotage me on any new diet or lifestyle is getting bored because I'm eating the same things meal after meal.  It's just too easy to pick out the one or two good recipes I like and forget the rest because the ingredients are "weird" or I don't have those ingredients on hand so I never try the recipe to begin with.


This time around, to avoid the "three meal rut" as I call it, I actually opened my recipe books and websites and created my shopping list around meals I wanted to try...before I even got started!  Wow....what a difference that has made in trying new recipes and "opening my horizons".

In an attempt to get out of my lunchtime comfort zone of turkey sandwiches or light chicken cesear salad, I found this recipe for Asian Toasted Sesame Chicken Salad.  I wasn't sure about the mandarin oranges (I love them...but wasn't sure if I'd love them in a salad) or the chow mein noodles, but I decided to give it a try.  I am so happy I did!  It was quick and easy, and both the hubby and I loved it...when a couple of the cops at dinner asked my hubby what yummy thing the wife made him, I knew I did OK to pique the interest of that tough, take out eating crowd. :)

Asian Toasted Sesame Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 bag salad mix or head of lettuce (your choice...I like romaine)
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges
1 pkg. Butterball Everyday Grilled chicken strips (pre-cooked 6 oz)
2 Tbsp Kraft Lite Asian Toasted Sesame dressing & marinade*
1/4 cup crispy chow mein noodles

Directions

Combine all ingredients except noodles in a salad bowl and toss to coat.  Garnish with chow mein noodles. Serve and enjoy! :)

*I bought the wrong salad dressing when I went shopping because I wasn't paying attention, so the dressing pictured is the regular dressing.  It has 90 calories for 2 tablespoons...not horrible, but you will definitely shave some calories (a.k.a. fat calories) off if you use the Lite dressing...and the lite tastes pretty darn close to the regular, so it will still taste as good.  :)