Asian Chicken Mandarin Chopped Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

COME FOR LUNCH-STAY FOR THE DAY

Asian Chicken Mandarin Chopped Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing and Salted Caramel Almond Cake

Yes, I do realize the chopped salad kit comes with a prepared dressing but homemade is so much tastier. Plus the taste is much closer to signature salad at the Granite City Restaurant. The dressing is so easy as all ingredients go right in the blender. Recipe serves 4 and is an Ever Ready Special.

Salad Ingredients:

• 3/4 bag of chopped Asian Salad Mix (save enclosed dressing packet for another time)
  
  
  
• 1-1/2 cups snow peas, diced diagonally, broccoli, or thinly sliced English cucumbers
• 1 cup mini sweet red and yellow peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup red onions, diced
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken 
• 1 small can of Mandarin oranges, drained, reserve juice  
• Peanuts, coarsely chopped
• Crispy tortilla strips (found in salad mix) or Asian chow mein noodles
  

Thai Peanut Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup reserved juice from drained Mandarin oranges 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled, minced about 1 tablespoon or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
• Dash of salt 
• Optional-Sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes

Salad and Dressing Directions:

• Mix the salad ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix dressing ingredients in a blender. Use a spatula to remove all the dressing from the blender. Blend with salad ingredients.

Salted Caramel Almond Cake

Cook's Notes: A light and moist cake, soaked with caramel sauce. What's not to like. A slice of pure bliss!

Recipe adapted from closetcooking.com 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce(I used an ice cream topping product)  
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon each almond and vanilla extract 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup almonds slices or slivers
• 1/3 toasted coconut  
• 1/3-1/2 cup melted caramel sauce. 
• 1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt (optional but adds just the right amount of piece de resistance to top off the caramel sauce flavor.)

Directions:

• Mix toasted coconut and almonds together.
• Cream the butter and sugar, mix in the caramel sauce and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add in extracts and mix well.
• Mix flours, baking powder, and salt before mixing into the wet ingredients.
• Pour into a greased 9-inch baking pan and sprinkle on the almonds and coconut before baking in a preheated 350 oven until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes.
• When you remove the cake from the oven, pierce it many times with a thin knife or large toothpick, pour on the caramel sauce, and let it soak in while the cake cools. Optionally sprinkle on some flaked salt for a salted caramel version!