Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

This is what we had for dinner tonight...

I thought it was fabulous!  Salad is my kind of thing!  My husband Jason enjoys a good salad as well as the next manly man, but he doesn't really think strawberries and onions on a bed of fresh spinach mesh too well.  But even he seemed to enjoy this pretty little salad.

Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

Submitted by Kathy Rairigh to Taste of Home Magazine

3 Tbsp. thawed limeade concentrate
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 Tbsp. canola oil

Dressing:
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Cup canola oil

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Salad
1 package (6 ounce) fresh baby spinach

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 small red onion

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (I cooked mine on the stove with a bit of butter and sugar for about five minutes to make them a bit sweeter...they were so good!)

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine limeade concentrate and pepper.  Add the chicken, seal the bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Drain and discard the marinade.  In a skillet, saute chicken in oil until it is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, mustard and salt.  While processing, gradually add oil in a steady pattern.  Stir in poppy seeds.  I made the dressing ahead of time and put it in the fridge.  It just needed to be mixed up a bit before dinner but it was great!

Divide spinach among four salad plates, to with strawberries, peas, onion and chicken.  Drizzle each serving with 2 Tbsp. dressing and sprinkle with pecans.  Serve immediately.  Refrigerate leftover dressing.