Romaine Salad with Chicken, Apricots and Mint

Ingredients:	1/2 cup dried apricots 1 cup hot water 2 cups loosely packed mint leaves 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest 1/2 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons honey 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard 4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces 6 fresh apricots or plums, pitted and cut into wedges 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, roughly chopped 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Directions:	Preheat grill. To prepare marinade and dressing: Soak dried apricots in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer apricots to a food processor. Add 2 cups mint, orange zest, orange juice, honey, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. With the motor running, gradually drizzle in oil. Reserve 1 cup for the dressing. To prepare salad: Transfer the remaining marinade to a large sealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Lightly oil the grill rack (hold a piece of oil-soaked paper towel with tongs and rub it over the grate). Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes per side. (Discard the marinade.) Meanwhile, combine lettuce, apricot (or plum) wedges and chopped mint in a large bowl. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Slice the chicken and arrange over the salads. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.