Epiphany Recipes: Grapevine Pantry's Oriental Salad

This is the next in an ongoing series of tasty recipes from the parish of Epiphany.

Karen’s note: This is my favorite oriental salad. The Courier Journal published this Grapevine Pantry recipe in 1994 and I've been making it ever since. Use fresh salad greens out of your garden or use the ingredients suggested. This makes a large platter of salad, so invite some friends to lunch.

Grapevine Pantry's Oriental Salad

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup teriyaki marinade and sauce
• 3 Tablespoons butter, margarine or vegetable oil
• 1 large head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 pound fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 small head red cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 red pepper, sliced into rings
• 1 15-ounce can mandarin orange segments

(Karen's note: Save juice from oranges for dressing)

• 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1 5-ounce can chow mein noodles

Poppy seed dressing (recipe follows)

Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips and marinate in teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, heat butter in large skillet.
Add chicken strips and cook until done, 12 to 15 minutes.
Set aside.

While chicken is cooking, clean and prepare lettuce, spinach, red cabbage,
mushrooms, red onion and red pepper.
Layer in a large salad bowl (or I use large platter) or distribute among serving plates.
Top with mandarin orange segments, almonds, chow mein noodles and cooked chicken.
Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Grapevine's Poppy Seed Dressing

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups vegetable oil (Karen's note: Use 1 cup oil and 1 cup reserved juices from mandarin oranges)
• 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

Combine vinegar, sugar and mustard in a container or electric blender.
Process on low while gradually adding oil.
After thoroughly blending, add poppy seeds.
Stir until mixed completely.

About the cook:
Karen Portelli is the Cook and Housekeeper for Epiphany House. She is a scratch cook for her family and friends for the past 30 years prior to accepting this position at Epiphany. She cooks for the staff and volunteers as she would for her family... feeding them a diet of fresh & healthy simple foods.