Asian Sesame Salad with Chicken

I went to Panera last week with my middle daughter and ordered a small Asian Sesame Chicken Salad--yum!  We made a homemade version for dinner last night and we all loved it--except for my one salad-despising daughter who opted for a peanut butter sandwich and a side of peas instead...

This is a great meal for a quick dinner or lunch. There is a lot of crunch with the wontons and almonds and the dressing is flavorful, light and tangy and super easy to make, so let the kids make dinner tonight!


Ingredients (8 salads):

Chopped romaine lettuce, about 12 cups
1 large carrot, jullienned or grated
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup crunchy wonton strips (found in the produce department or the salad dressing aisle near the croutons)
1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 pound sliced chicken breast from the deli (we opted for the rotisserie flavor)

Dressing:
1/2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola or corn oil)
1/4 cup sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Chop greens into bite-size pieces.
2. Toast the sliced almonds (put the almonds in a baking dish and put them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden, OR put them in a dry skillet and toast over medium-high heat until they begin to turn golden).
3. Cut the deli chicken breast into bite sized pieces.
4. Prepare the dressing:  Mix the water, vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, onion powder, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Shake in a sealed container until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
5. Assemble the salads:  put a large handful of lettuce in each bowl (about 1 1/2 cups), top with a sprinkling of carrots,  a tablespoon of toasted almonds, a teaspoon of sesame seeds (if desired) and 1/4 cup of sliced chicken.  Shake the dressing to re-mix, then drizzle 1 tablespoons of dressing over the salad.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoons or so of wonton strips on top.  Serve and enjoy!

Note:
-Obviously, use whatever salad ingredients you like in addition to or instead of those above.  Add chopped tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, cabbage, sliced red onion, chopped scallions--whatever!
-When we order pizza, I always ask for the little free packets of crushed red pepper (and parmesan cheese) and I'm usually given a handful.  They are perfect for recipes like this when you only need a little.  I also add a couple of packets to soups/stews. They are also great to save up for camping--add a packet or two to scrambled eggs or burgers.