Harvest Chicken Salad

Doesn't that look great?!?  It tastes delicious!!  I made this to take to a 4th of July celebration this evening.  Cannot wait to eat it!  And it is relatively healthy too.  Would you like the recipe?

Dressing:

2 oranges

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp agave nectar*

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small garlic clove, pressed

Salad:

1 6oz package baby spinach leaves

2 cups diced, seasoned chicken

1 cup diced celery

2 medium Red Delicious apples

1/2 cup chopped red onion

3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup toasted pecan halves

For dressing, zest one orange to measure 2 tsp zest.  Juice oranges to measure 1/2 cup juice.  Combine orange zest, mayo, agave nectar, salt, pepper and garlic. *You can use 2 tsp sugar instead of agave nectar.  Whisk until smooth.  Add orange juice, while whisking continuosly, in a thin, steady stream.  Set dressing aside.

For salad, place spinach in bottom of large serving bowl.  Dice chicken and celery.  Chop onion and cut apples into small pieces.  Layer chicken, celery, apples, onion, cranberries and pecans over spinach.  To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat.  Yield: 12 servings

The original recipe I adapted this from called for roasted chicken.  I grilled some chicken breasts that I seasoned with garlic-infused canola oil, salt, pepper, and Lawry seasoned salt.  You can really do whatever you want, or if you are a vegetarian, just leave out the chicken.  It'll still taste great!