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Grilled Chicken Santa Fe Salad

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Summer is definitely sizzling across the country. It is too hot to heat up the kitchen and who wants to go wait in line at a restaurant when you can make a delicious, summer meal at home?

This Grilled Chicken Santa Fe Salad has been a go to for our family this summer. You can add and adjust the ingredients to make your own “favorite” salad. The dressing is a winner and I keep a jar in the frig for salads and dipping vegetables. If you want to zip it up a bit, substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise.

A better idea to beat the heat would be to grill several chicken breasts early in the week. Season as directed and then plan a meal or two using the prepared chicken. While the salad is always a winner, you can also slice the spiced up chicken and make quesadillas, chicken tacos or tostadas. Add a bowl of ice cold watermelon or sliced peaches and your dinner will definitely be a winner.

Grilled Chicken Santa Fe Salad

Makes 6 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
Nonstick cooking spray
Chili powder and ground cumin for sprinkling
Salt and pepper to taste
8 cups romaine lettuce
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears of corn or 1 ½ cups frozen corn
Crushed baked tortilla chip scoops for garnish, if desired

Dressing:
⅓ cup reduced fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Early in the day or before preparing the chicken, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving the salad.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium high or allow coals to burn down to white ash. Spray the chicken breast with nonstick spray on both sides and sprinkle generously with desired amount of chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Grill the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 165⁰F. Remove chicken to serving platter and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest 5 minutes. Slice chicken into thin strips.

Tear or chop the romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Add the red pepper, green onions, cherry tomatoes and black beans. Spray a medium skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium high heat. Add the corn to cook, making sure that you do not over cook the corn. Add to the salad and toss gently. Drizzle with the prepared dressing. Place the grilled chicken on top and if desired, sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips. Serve immediately.

Tip: Sprinkle with shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese. Feel free to add a diced avocado when the chicken is added.

 

Summer Cooking! Blueberry Yogurt Coffee Cake and Chipotle Chicken Tacos on Better Kansas City, KCTV 5

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Summer is here and that means we need recipes perfect for a fun day in the sun. Maybe you want to make the perfect picnic cake or maybe a dessert that features summer’s finest sounds too good to pass up. Either way, this Blueberry Yogurt Coffee Cake is the ticket.

And, what can you serve for dinner when you need a quick, buy easy meal the whole family will love? How about Chipotle Chicken Tacos, made in your Instant Pot.

It was so fun to be on Better Kansas City, on KCTV 5 in Kansas City. We each prepared a recipe and we are eager to share those recipes with you. [Read more…]

It’s cooking class time!

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Fun. Laughter. Eating lots of really good food. Learning new skills. All of those things happen in one of our cooking classes.

Was learning to cook a part of your New Year’s resolutions? Maybe you want to add some new ideas to your everyday dinners. Maybe it is time to plan a fun evening out with your friends and not just say “we should have.” Do you want to turn off the TV, get out and do something new? If your answer was yes to any of these, then a cooking class has got to be on your horizon. [Read more…]