Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Grami made this really yummy teriyaki chicken salad when we were all at her house last summer and I loved it so much that I found myself craving it. But when I asked her for the recipe later, she couldn't find where she had put it. So I had to do a search online to find something similar and what I found is almost as good. Nothing beats Grami's, though. I think she cooks with more love than I do. :)

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Teriyaki Vinaigrette

2/3 - 1 cup olive oil or canola oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce (less if you prefer a milder taste)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until dressing is smooth and creamy looking.

Pasta

16 oz bow tie pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled

Mix half the dressing with the pasta and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Salad

1 bag (5-10 oz) fresh spinach
6 oz craisins
2 cans (8 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
6 oz honey roasted peanuts (Grami used sliced almonds, so I did)
2 cups cold shredded chicken tossed with 2-3 tbsp teriyaki sauce

*note: the recipe I found also called for parsley, water chestnuts and green onions...I omitted these. The unadulterated version of the recipe I used is here. I also found a similar recipe with a slightly different construction here.

Toss all ingredients together with pasta and add remaining dressing to taste.