Citrus Chicken Chopped Salad

Here's a refreshing main dish salad for a hot summer day.

It's been cool and rainy here in the Fraser Valley so far but when the sun shines again

this simple salad will be on the menu.

As with most chopped salads you can change the ingredient and dressing combinations

according what you have in your fridge.

For the salad:

• one small head romaine or leafy lettuce
• 2 cooked chicken breasts or a deli roasted chicken cut into chunks
• 2 avocados cubed
• 1-2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 large English cucumber chopped or 2 mini cucumbers slices
• 2 large navel oranges, peeled and cut into segments

For the dressing*:

• 1.4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I used a grapefruit flavoured balsamic but you can substitute white wine vinegar for the balsamic)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 teaspoons. honey or to taste
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Layer a large platter with torn lettuce.
2. Peel and cube avocados, sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
3. Chop Cucumbers.
4. Arrange rows of vegetables, oranges, dried cranberries and chicken as shown above.
5. Mix dressing in a shaker or bottle with a tightly fitting lid and shake until blended.
6. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.

*A bottled golden Italian dressing or Mom's Salad Dressing would also be good on this salad.