The last gasp of summer

This morning, I walked the dog in a thick, cold, drizzly fog; this afternoon, the sun is shining and the temperature gauge has risen more than 20 degrees. Fall is decidedly strange that way. Since the weather has yet to adopt a more wintery hue for at least part of the day, I thought I would post one last salady entrée recipe. I know some of you live in colder climes, but this one is well worth a try - just crank the heating up, put on a sweater and pour a glass of something fortified to warm you up.

Asian Chicken Salad
From Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool
Serves 4-6 as an entrée

1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
6 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp hot Chinese mustard
4 TBSP minced fresh ginger
4 green/spring onions, thinly sliced
3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" strips (about 1.8lbs)
2 cups bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
6 cups finely shredded savoy cabbage (about 1 head)
2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large measuring jug/pitcher, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, oil, mustard, ginger and green onions. Pour half of this dressing into a large bowl.
3. Add chicken to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes, and up to 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the sprouts, cabbage and red bell pepper. Toss with the remaining dressing (may not need all of it, so don't pour it all in in one go!). Set aside for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, take the chicken and put it on a baking tray, coated with oil spray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink. Cool slightly.
6. Top the cabbage mixture with the chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.