Lemon Asian Chicken Rotelle Salad

Yesterday evening we went to an outdoor concert. The Other Williams found this great pasta salad recipe. She cooked the chicken the night before and when we got home yesterday she just warmed it up and we threw the salad together. It was DELICIOUS! We used whole wheat pasta and I didn't add the onions or olives to mine. There is defiantly room to add or take away with this salad. The lemon dressing was divine and what pulled the whole salad together. The warm spices (note: it's not spicey hot) and the juicey dark meat chicken legs were a nice added flavor to this dish. This was a great picnic salad and would be great for tailgating, picnicking, or parties.


Serves: 3-4

Asian Chicken Marinade:
1/8 cup orange juice
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 & ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 tsp of honey
2 Skinless Chicken leg quarters (You could also use chicken breast)

Salad:
2 cups rotelle pasta
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Marinated Asian Chicken quarters; cooked, shredded
1 large tomato, diced
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
1 scallion (optional), thinly sliced
8 kalamata olives (optional), pitted and quartered

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the first five ingredients in a bowl. Put into a large zip-close bag and add the chicken quarters. Seal and turn bag to coat the chicken. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, 2-6 hours.

2. Bake or grill chicken until thermometer registers 180 degrees or until center isn’t pink and juices run clear; varies between 25-40 minutes.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions.

4. Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, oil, and lemon zest into a small bowl.

5. Transfer the strained pasta to a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken and the remaining ingredients. Before serving pour lemon mixture over salad and gently toss.

Recipe modified from Weight Watchers magazine June 2006.