I love all kinds of food, but there are some days that I actually crave salad.  This is another one of my favorite ways to use leftover chicken and one of my favorite salads of all time.  This makes a wonderful, quick lunch.  If you don’t have leftover grilled chicken, it takes no time to grill one or two breasts.  When I only need enough for one or two people, I like to use my sandwich maker.  A George Foreman grill would work just fine as well.  Just drizzle the chicken breast with a little olive oil, throw on some seasonings, grill, and it’s ready to go.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast
• 2 handfuls of fresh spring mix greens
• a sprinkle of dried cranberries
• a handful of honey glazed pecans (recipe linked below)
• a sprinkle of feta cheese
• about 10 Mandarin orange slices (canned, in their own juice)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Mandarin orange juice (I just take mine from the canned oranges)
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil
• a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

• Add orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and black pepper to a small mason jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well-combined.  If you don’t have a one, you can use a small plastic container.  Just be sure the lid fits well.  Store in the fridge until ready to use.  This makes enough for one salad.
• Slice chicken on the bias and place on top of mixed greens.  Sprinkle cranberries, pecans, and feta on top.  Shake the dressing, and pour evenly over top of everything.  You can use the Mandarin oranges as a decorative garnish (like pictured) if desired or you can just place as many as you like on top of the salad.