Rating: 💋 💋 😘
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you guys found some fun ways to celebrate in your homes this year.
This week, we're talking salad. Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I love salads. Mix up your favorite veggies, a fun protein, some yummy dressing, add a nice piece of bread on the side, and you're all set for a delicious, easy meal. I recently whipped up this Chicken Fajita Salad and was very pleased with it, so I wanted to share it with you all. It makes a great week night dinner or lunch, and it is super quick, fresh, and light - perfect for a sunny summer evening!
Chicken Fajita Salad Recipe:
Serves: 4 Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 medium lime
- 1/8 cup EVOO + a drizzle for cooking
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder (or more, to taste)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz frozen chicken breast strips or 12 oz fresh chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 8 oz romaine or arugula
- 2 avocadoes, thinly sliced
- Fresh bread or pita
Prepare:
- Juice the lime into a small bowl. Add EVOO, honey, chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. You can add more chipotle powder and red pepper flakes, if you like. Mix thoroughly.
- In a large, nonstick skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute. Frozen chicken will need 3-5 minutes to heat through. If using fresh chicken, heat until cooked through, about 6-10 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the onions and peppers to the chicken. Cook for about ten minutes, until the veggies are soft and beginning to char.
- While veggies and chicken cook, add your greens of choice to a large bowl with avocado slices and dressing. Pour the chicken, onions, and peppers from the skillet into the bowl. Toss to coat with dressing.
- Serve warm with fresh bread or pita on the side.
Edit: I made this for my parents recently and added 1/2 cup of freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese. It was a great way to add a mild flavor twist to the dish. My dad also thinks shaved almonds could be a fun new addition, so get creative with it!
I am all about adding in the extra spice, and I loved the smoky sweet dressing, which went so well with the sweet, creamy avocado and chicken. I favor arugula, which amps up the flavor in the dish, but I recommend romaine as well for a nice, neutral base for the salad. Mixing up the pepper colors is key, and blistering them in the pan takes them up so many notches. It really brings out the flavors and adds a depth to the dish that I love. I like having some bread on hand to mop up leftover dressing when eating salads. Pita went so well with this dish because it also worked as a scoop, which was especially delicious with the avocado. Another fun variation is wrapping this salad into the pita entirely and turning it into a sandwich.
I confess, my presentation skills were not really gorgeous with this dish. Salads can be tricky like that, so it is something I will have to work on.
Anyway, eating this salad on a balmy night with the windows open and the birds singing outside took me to a level of bliss. This salad tastes like summer, and a good bit of sunshine is a great way to find some hope for the future. Instant serotonin, baby.
The description of the wine and the description of my life seem to be the same. This sauvignon blanc was perfect wine for dinner because it was flavorful and fresh without any overpowering taste. This makes it a chameleon wine that can go well with a variety of dishes - chicken, fish., salad, pasta, sandwiches, etc. Also, the name amused Shannon and me greatly.
These days, I am keeping myself busy by brushing up on my Italian and, since I have always wanted to learn it, I am starting to study German too. I think it is going fairly well. I have always loved languages. I have also started doing a headstand practice. Currently, my head is still raised and my feet are still on the floor. My arm muscles leave a little something to be desired, so I am still at the building blocks stage. It could take a whiiiiiiiile, but hey. I've got the time. One day I will be able to balance on my head. I have absolutely no idea what I will use that talent for, but still pretty cool.
I hope you guys are finding fun new ways to keep amused, and are keeping safe, healthy, and well fed. Talk to you next week!
XX,
MK
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