Dad is my substitute teacher. Not literally, obviously, he’s not a teacher. We live in the Detroit area so he naturally worked for one of the Big Three and now he makes lights, which is pretty cool. But he fills in for Mom when she’s unavailable.
This is mostly due to illness or injury. Sometimes, however rare it may be, Mom, like all moms, needs a little time to herself. I’m sure by now she thought she’d have a little more of it than she does, but things don’t always go according to plan.
When Mom is unable to fulfill her motherly duties, which are pretty fun these days, typically, Dad steps in.
I’m sure sometimes he doesn’t want to. He’s tired and worked all week and the mall typically isn’t any guy’s idea of a great weekend plan. But he is always there to save the day.
It’s funny that often I’m not thrilled about this change of plans in the beginning, but the days with Dad usually end up being fun and very memorable, standing out from other memories. I can’t explain this, but it is true.
Going to look a Barbies for upwards of an hour to choose the best one when I was a kid is a bit of a blur. But from the time in sixth grade, we went to Neiman Marcus for the first time and picked up my first pair of Gucci sunglasses to the shoes I told you about the other day, thinking of the days makes me smile.
Even better is that they still happen. Last year we spent a day in Detroit, touring Ford Field, grabbing a coffee, and splurging on a coat … for him. This year we went shopping and he said I just had to pick out something to buy (oh, the burden) and then we went to Books on the Lake.
While I make memories with Mom all the time, it’s nice to have some one on one time with Dad now and then. Like Mom, I appreciate and celebrate him every day and not just on Father’s Day.
For a semi-healthy, Father’s Day treat, I made a Chinese Chicken Salad. I had leftover ingredients from the Asian Lasagna I made and wanted to use them up with a bit more of a healthy twist. Greens and vegetables are served on a bed of baked eggroll wrapper crackers and topped with chicken and a sesame dressing.
Dad loved it and hopefully there will be many more meals and days to love.
PrintChinese Chicken Salad #SundaySupper
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 16 eggroll wrappers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head Boston Bibb lettuce
- 4 sliced mushrooms
- ½ can of baby corn
- ½ can of water chestnuts
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- ¼ cup PF Chang’s Sesame Sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place 8 eggroll wrappers on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, spread it evenly over the wrappers and top with 8 more wrappers. Drizzle with more oil and spread it out. Bake about 10 minutes. Check them often. They burn easily. Not that I would know from experience 😉
- Break the wrappers into shards once cool and arrange them around two plates. Extras may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature. Tear lettuce and divide among two plates. Top with mushrooms, corn, and water chestnuts.
- Arrange the chicken on top. In a small bowl, stir together the sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over the salads immediately before serving. Undressed salads may be stored, covered with plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Dress right before serving.
Notes
Recipe is easily multiplied
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Don’t forget to check out the other Sunday Supper dishes!
Sunday Supper Father’s Day Menu Ideas
SIDES DAD WILL LOVE
- Best Dark and Stormy by Cricket’s Confections
- Spanish Cheese Plate by Caroline’s Cooking
MAINS FOR THE MAIN MAN
- Blue Cheese Bacon Burger with Crispy Onions Strings by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- Chicken Fajita Burgers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Chili Cheese Omelet by Food Lust People Love
- Chinese Chicken Salad by Pies and Plots
- Cider Braised Pork Belly Tacos by Gourmet Everyday
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches by Soulfully Made
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Pesto by Cooking Chat
- Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger (The JCB) by This is How I Cook
- Korean BBQ Steak Bowls by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Out of a Can Chili by Bottom Left of the Mitten
- Pork Chops With Brandied Cherries by Mysavoryspoon
DAD’S FAVORITE DESSERTS
- Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Brownies by Desserts Required
- Chocolate Tofu Cupcakes by NinjaBaker.com
- Devil’s Food Strawberry Shortcake by The Freshman Cook
- Simple Fudgy Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Snickery Springform Cookie by What Smells So Good?
The Best Recipes You Need Now for Father’s Day by Sunday Supper Movement
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Liz says
Such lovely memories of times with your dad! I bet he enjoyed them as much as you did. And I know I’d enjoy this scrumptious salad!
cheri says
Sounds like you have a wonderful relationship with both of your parents. So nice to make this salad for your dad, love everything about it and I even have some egg roll wrappers to make this myself;)
The Ninja Baker says
Your parents truly sound like gems, Laura. Your salad is a wonderful way to celebrate Father’s Day. Very brilliant of you too gift your dad with baked won tons topped with Chinese chicken salad goodies. Truly, your photos make me want to dig in!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Yummy! This is probably my new favourite salad recipe, Laura!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
I must admit, it’s the eggroll wrappers that have me sold. I love the idea of the crunchiness from them with your chicken salad!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
Love the baked egg roll wrapper idea! This sounds like such a great new version of Chinese chicken salad. Bet Dad was happy!
Teri @ The Freshman Cook says
Love this salad, and how clever to use the egg roll wrappers as a base! Your salad looks fantastic and tasty!
Omar says
OMG! it looks so delicious!
Bu aren’t you using a good tool to generate recipe cards for your recipes?
Here is a good one with nice features: http://www.recipesgenerator.com
All That I'm Eating says
Great idea for an easy Sunday supper – I’ll need to try this when I have leftover chicken.