Tortellini Salad

Adapted from my good Friend Karen Rule. I LOVE this salad! She served it very elegantly on a beautiful butter lettuce leaf. We don't get that far...it just gets consumed! Her recipe calls for chicken but we have omitted that in ours (you can add it if you would like a more hearty dish)

Tortellini Salad:

4 whole Chicken Breasts cooked, chopped in 1 inch pieces (Completely Optional!)

1 Pkg of Costco Cheese Tortellini (comes in the double pack I used one side save the other for Tortellini casserole! Or toss in the freezer!) Cook the lowest time (8 min), pour into strainer then I pour the liquid out of the marinated artichoke hearts over the pasta and stir. Let it sit there for a few min then pour into your large salad bowl to cool.

Add;

1 C. red grapes halved

1 C. green grapes Halved

2 C. baby spinach leaves rough chopped

1/2 C. Snow peas halved (0ptional, I don't use these anymore)

1 lg. Celery Heart with leaves chopped fine (about 1/2 Cup is all my kids like)

1 6 ounce jar of Artichoke hearts chopped

1 English Cucumber chopped

2 Kiwi peeled, sliced,

Reserve One can of Mandarin Oranges till time to serve.

Dressing:

1 1/3 C. Mayonnaise

1 C. grated parmesan Cheese

2/3 C. fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Note: the Parmesan is usually salty enough for me so I just grind some fresh pepper into the dressing and it's enough