Not Top Chef, But Close Enough

Part of my Trying To Be A Responsible Humanoid is cutting down on gas (doing a LOT of walking both for health reasons and not wasting fuel) and combining meals with my mom when she and I decide to eat dinner together. That extra mouth to feed (read: the 8 year old nephew) isn’t really hurting me except that he’s so fussy that my sister gave my mother a list of foods that he’s sure to eat.

All the boys get along great because I have learned, years ago, to tune them out when they’re playing loudly and I can’t stand one more second of them arguing about who is the best character from Star Wars. While letting them swim today I was reading my novel and only heard them start to get loud with each other when their voices intimated that they were name-calling.

“Wookie!”

“EWOK!”

Last night, while my boys and my nephew ate pizza, the people in the room with taste (read: the adults) enjoyed this salad:

We first had it at a little restaurant named the Plaid Rooster and it was delightful. The last time she was there my mom grabbed a menu and we shopped off the list.

Ingredients:

a spring mix of greens

grilled chicken marinated in pineapple juice and mandarin orange juice

chunks of pineapple

mandarin oranges

red onion

fresh strawberries

sliced almonds

sunflower seeds

creamy poppyseed dressing (we got store bought T. Marzetti’s Poppyseed Dressing but if you must have something homemade because you’re that ambitious, try this one)

12 Responses to “Not Top Chef, But Close Enough”

  1. mp says:

    OK..I will try a version of this..I don’t care for the idea of chicken & poppyseed dressing..
    I don’t like pineapples either but i love the rest of the things you have in here. I’ve done a similar one w/ baby spinach..but the greens sound yummy too.
    Poppyseed dressing is the best..even the fat free stuff is good.

    mps last blog post..I hate Bruce Springsteen and other confessions

  2. TLC says:

    Oh I know what we are having for lunch (breakfast?) tomorrow! That sounds absolutely wonderful. I make a spinach salad with strawberries, red onions and carmelized walnuts. Add raspberry viniagrette and eat with a shovel.

    T.

    TLCs last blog post..A Burning Question or What Autism Stole

  3. Sounds great. What time should I be there for the next serving?

    White Hot Magiks last blog post..Wildfire

  4. Tracee Sioux says:

    Seriously everything I put that poppyseed dressing on is fan-freaking tastic!

    Tracee Siouxs last blog post..I Ran for Electoral College

  5. Fabiola says:

    What a wonderful recipe!!
    I will take note and tried it when I move to my new house!!

    Fabiola

    Fabiolas last blog post..Gardens and Backyards

  6. Daisy says:

    Yum. Sounds citrus-y! Yes, that is totally a real word. At least it is now.

    Daisys last blog post..coffee du jour — a vacation diary in caffeine doses

  7. Susan says:

    Sound so yummy! I’d eat it but my fussy husband and daughter probably wouldn’t. I’m definitely going to try this out though. Thanks for the recipe.

    Susans last blog post..Chicago trip details

  8. Sugar says:

    I love the poppyseed dressing. I’m sure it tastes super fantastic with that salad! Pizza… pish posh… they don’t KNOW what they missed!

    Sugars last blog post..Tattoos

  9. Jonathan says:

    Pretty salad. Makes me hungry.

    (Sans chicken, of course).

    Jonathans last blog post..“Crashing”

  10. KYLE JOHN says:

    So…I’m definitely going to make this salad for my mom on Sunday. Something light and refreshing should i say…and we all know Erin needs that

    BTW…HEY BLOGGERS! I’m the oldest nephew from MochaMomma’s oldest sister…read on bloggers…read on…Wisdom from MochaMomma is just as good and if not better than wisdom from the Oprah goddess herself lol

    Much love…PEACE!

  11. Rachel says:

    Cute comment by Kyle!

    Looks like a great recipe. So, I’m assuming you drain the can and use just that amount of juice for the marinade?

    Rachels last blog post..Triathlons are won on the bike

  12. Anali says:

    The salad looks really good and I think I’m going to try and make the dressing too!


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