avocado and romaine salad with lime vinaigrette

 

Ingredients

juice of 1-2 limes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of cumin
1 lb. baby romaine leaves
3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco/blanco or feta cheese
3 tablespoons toasted pepitas
1 ripe avocado, sliced

Instructions

1. Place lime juice in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne. Toss romaine in dressing.
2. Lightly fold in cheese, pepitas, and top with avocado slices.

*Adapted from SpryLiving.com

southwestern cobb salad

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Green Goddess Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bunch chives, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)

2 green onions, white and green parts, cut into thick chunks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Black Bean Salsa:

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Yellow Pepper Salsa:

1 yellow pepper, seeded, and diced

1 tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 can large olives, coarsely chopped

1/2 sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced

Avocado Salsa:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4-5 large eggs

6-8 slices thick-cut bacon (I used turkey bacon - it was delicious)

1 medium head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

1. For the chicken marinade, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes. Place the chicken breasts in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

2. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients together in a blender. Process until smooth. Thin with additional buttermilk (adding it one teaspoon at a time), if desired. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

3. Heat a grill to medium-high heat (an indoor grill pan or skillet could be used also). Grill the chicken until it is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Cool the chicken completely then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

4. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Let the eggs sit for 13 minutes then rinse them under cold water until they are completely cooled. Peel and coarsely chop the eggs. Set aside.

5. Cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. Drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble and set aside.

6. In a medium bowl, combine the yellow pepper, tomatoe, olives, and 1/2 of the sweet onion. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

7. In another bowl, combine the black beans, 1/4 cup cilantro and onion. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

8. In another bowl (don't worry, we are almost done with the excess of bowls), combine the avocado, 1/4 cup cilantro, juice of 2 limes, cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

9. On a large platter (or large bowl), arrange the romaine lettuce. Arrange the chicken in a strip down the middle of the romaine. On either side, make piled strips of the eggs, bacon, yellow pepper mixture, black bean mixture and avocado mixture. Drizzle with dressing or serve it on the side. The easiest way to serve this on a platter is with a pair of tongs. If using a large bowl, gently toss to combine all the ingredients before serving.

* by MelsKitchenCafe.com

buffalo chicken salad

If you like buffalo chicken salads, but are weary of all the calories, try this healhier version. Instead of fried chicken, I bake the chicken with panko crumbs. The salad dressing recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, they revamped the otherwise calorie loaded creamy dressing. Give it a try you won't notice the missing calories- lots of flavor!

Ingredients

For the dressing:
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper

For the salad:
2 chicken breasts, cut into tender-sized pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
dash of milk
2 cups panko crumbs
Franks hot sauce
lettuce, romaine or mixed greens works
4 celery sticks, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 package of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, diced
blue cheese, for serving

Instructions

For the dressing:
1. Mash the blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork in a bowl until the mixture resembles cottage cheese with small curds. Stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.

For the salad:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Set up to batter the chicken. Pour panko crumbs and flour on separate plates. Beat the egg in a medium sized bowl and add a dash of milk. Take 1 chicken tender and dredge in flour, shake off excess flour. Coat in egg mixture, shake off excess egg. Then coat with panko. Place on half sheet fit with a cooling rack. Repeat the battering process with all the pieces of chicken. Cook in the oven until chicken is done, about 10-15 minutes (internal temperature should be 160), the chicken will be crispy on the outside and slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Assemble your salad. Toss together the lettuce, onion, celery, carrots, cucumber and tomatoes.
4. When the chicken has cooled, place 1 tender at a time in a medium sized bowl. Pour hot sauce over the chicken. Using kitchen tongs turn the tender until it is completely coated with hot sauce. Repeat this process with all other pieces.
5. Finish the salad with the buffalo chicken pieces and homemade dressing. Top with extra blue cheese.