By Back in Oak Lawn. Memorial Day weekend and Steve grilled, which he does with a kind of mechanical precision — he preheats the grill for exactly eight minutes, uses the same fork, flips once and only once. He made burgers and brats. Patty made potato salad and her pasta salad with the tri-color rotini and the Italian dressing and the black olives. Matt came from Springfield with Danielle. It was the first time the whole family had been together since Thanksgiving and it was loud and easy and good.
Danielle is good for Matt — she laughs at all his jokes, which are mostly terrible, and she argues with him about the Cubs in a way that you can tell is also flirting. They have been together for three years and I still feel like I am just getting to know her. She asked me about my program and actually listened to the answer, which not everyone does when you say you are going into special education. Most people say "Oh, that must be hard." She said "What kind of classroom do you want?" That is a good question.
I want a self-contained classroom, I told her. I want the kids who need the most support. I want to be the person who learns twelve different ways to explain one concept until the one that works clicks into place. She nodded like that made perfect sense. I think I like Danielle very much.
Patty let me help in the kitchen, which she does not always. I made the coleslaw — a real one, not from a bag, with cabbage I shredded myself and a dressing of mayo and apple cider vinegar and a little sugar and celery seed. Everyone ate it. Steve had two helpings. Babcia Rose said "A little more vinegar next time." From Babcia Rose, that is practically a standing ovation.
That coleslaw earned me Babcia Rose’s version of a compliment, and honestly, that’s all the motivation I need to keep experimenting with fresh, from-scratch sides. If you’re putting together a spread like ours — burgers, brats, all of it — this Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad is the kind of dish that holds its own next to a potato salad and still manages to surprise people. It’s bright and a little unexpected, which is exactly the energy I want to bring to the table next time around.
Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min + 1 hr chilling | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 oz rotini or bowtie pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups baby spinach or shredded napa cabbage
- For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside to cool completely.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, and black pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Toast the almonds. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds for 2—3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Combine the salad. In a large bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, chicken, mandarin oranges, carrots, green onions, cranberries, and spinach or cabbage.
- Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Add the toasted almonds and fold in carefully so they don’t break apart too much.
- Chill before serving. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors come together. Toss once more before serving and top with any reserved almonds or green onion for garnish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 17g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 37g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 340mg