Monday, June 15, 2015

Mexican Chopped Salad- my version

Well, I absolutely enjoyed tonight's dinner, which means I'm going to be crazy and post it here!
(I know, it's been a few months...but I'm not sure we've tried very many new things that we've liked in that time, so you really aren't missing out...)

Tonight's dinner was totally inspired by THIS recipe which I found on Pinterest. However, I changed it up.
...mostly because I wasn't interested in finding out if I'm allergic to raw zucchini or jicama...wimp? maybe...but allergic reactions to food are not nearly as fun as they sound.
So here's what we did:

Salad:
  • 1/2 head chopped ice burg lettuce (in separate bowl) 
  • 1 thick chicken breast, cubed and browned in pan with olive oil, black pepper, cumin and granulated garlic
  • 3/4 cup sliced frozen bell peppers, chopped 
  • 1 red onion, minced
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 fresh corn-off-the-cob
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 avocado, chopped
Dressing: 
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • fresh cilantro
I started by getting the corn boiling, and the chicken browned. My husband and I chopped up all the ingredients and put it all in a bowl. I mixed up the dressing with a fork, and my husband poured into our mini chopper/food processor. He added cilantro to taste, and we have no idea how much, haha... Then he poured it all over the salad ingredients. I chopped up the lettuce and we kept it separate. To serve, we "made little nests"! I put a serving of lettuce on the bottom of each wide bowl, then a big scoop of the salad. 
I was surprised how much I liked it, how much the lettuce added to the dish, and how nicely it filled me up! I added the chicken to make it more of a meal but considering it was only one chicken breast, it was just a nice addition. 

Tortilla chips would have been a nice touch, my husband even suggested Cool Ranch Doritos crumbled over the top. My son added cheese, which works well with all things Mexican. But I really enjoyed it exactly as it was. And aside from the corn and chicken, which you could easily grill, it wasn't a lot of 'cooking' involved, making it perfect for these hot summer days!

*I ate it for two dinners and two lunches in a row, the family had it both nights for dinner. They all liked it much better with Cool Ranch Doritos crumbled into it, haha! I liked it just as it was!