Chicken-Spinach-Rice Salad

This is another simple meal or side dish - great in the summertime, easy-to-multiply recipe, always a hit at parties. My beloved likes it better the second day, my brother-in-law actually heats up the leftovers (if you have any) in the microwave.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 bottle Italian dressing (non-creamy), with 1 cup reserved (a bit more is ok)

*12-16 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin pieces (or the equivalent in breasts, but the tenderloin pieces are quicker)

* 1 bunch fresh spinach, well rinsed and allowed to dry, rolled and chopped in long strips (ok to cheat and use a bag of prepared salad-style, too)

* 2-3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced

* 2 cups cooked rice (use any kind you like, the original recipe calls for plain white, but I was out once and used a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild instead - MUCH tastier!)

* 1 Tb. sugar

*1.5 Tb. soy sauce

Optional add-ins: 3-4 slices crumbled bacon, 1-2 thinly chopped green onions, crumbly bleu or feta on top

PREPARATION:

After reserving dressing, pour the rest over chicken and bake, covered, in 9x13 pan until done (30 min. or so at 375*F if fresh, 40 min. if frozen).

While chicken is baking, prepare rice, set aside in a large salad or mixing bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature (or at least not nuclear-hot, anyway). Then chop up spinach (long, thin strips look best) and celery (and green onion/bacon if you so desire) and set aside.

When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, drain off excess dressing and slice into bite-size strips

Pour sugar and soy sauce into reserved dressing and stir briskly with fork. When well-mixed, stir into rice. You should have enough dressing to make rice appear rather shiny and sticky, but not at all runny or soupy.

Fold in remaining ingredients in order: chicken - drippings/a little extra dressing is fine, celery and optional ingredients, then spinach.*

Mix well, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to ensure it is well-chilled. Easily serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Top with crumbly bleu, feta, bacon crumbles if desired.

*Depending on your preference when it comes to the spinach, you may also wait to fold in the spinach until just before serving. We like it a bit wilted, which the warm rice does nicely, so I do it all at once.

Enjoy!