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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.

 

Crisp Cucumber Poppy Seed Salad

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Summer is lingering on just a bit longer, especially if the thermometer here in the Midwest has anything to say about it. I am still enjoying cucumbers from the CSA that Hen House provided long after the CSA has ended.

My mom always marinated cucumbers in vinegar, water and onion. Growing up I grew extremely fond of this combination. Recently I tasted a cucumber salad that was laden with poppy seeds and was very tart to the taste. It was delicious too! I came home and immediately began working on my version of this seasonal treat. Traditional Midwestern cucumbers will work fine but I actually prefer the variety of cucumber known as English. [Read more…]

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

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Where did the summer go? It raced by! We had lots of fun times, and made great memories, but I sure wasn’t ready for it to fade away.

But, the calendar page turned and September is here. Back to school treats and fall cooking (think chili, apple pie, and pumpkin bread) awaits and those great flavors that help ease the pain of saying “see ya later” to warm, summer days.

I was thrilled that the Hen House Market CSA included a butternut squash last week.  Apples from this week’s CSA were the ideal addition to this salad, too.  You bet this salad is absolutely perfect this time of year and it is one of my favorites.

The end of the summer also means the end of the CSA. What fun it has been to eat local and explore such fresh produce, local meats, bread and other goodies. Thank you Hen House Market for sharing local food with us! It was great!

Now—on to the salad. It makes plenty—so it is perfect for that last cookout when friends come over. I often keep some salad undressed and put some of the dressing separate in a separate container. The salad stays fresh and I can enjoy it for lunch the next day. It is chocked full of goodness and healthy ingredients so it is the perfect lunch.

Try it—I bet you will soon be a fan of Butternut squash too.

One more thing. Do you ever shy away from Butternut because it looks hard to cut? Follow the tip at the end of the recipe and after a minute or two in the microwave oven, it will be so much easier to cut.

Enjoy!!!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

1 butternut squash, (about 1-1/2-pounds) peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch
cubes (about 4 cups)
6 tablespoons olive, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5 to 6 cups torn mixed greens or romaine
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 apples or pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/3 cup candied pecans or walnut halves

Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the squash cubes in a zip-top bag. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, rosemary, salt and pepper. Seal and shake bag to coat evenly. Pour squash onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until squash is tender when pricked with a fork, stirring once midway through cooking. Set aside.

In a small, 8-ounce jar with tight fitting lid, combine remaining ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, shallots, Dijon, salt and pepper. Seal and shake until combined and emulsified.

Place the greens in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture. Add the red onion, sliced apples or pears, and cranberries and toss to combine. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Garnish with candied pecans.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tips:

To make peeling the butternut squash easier, prick the squash with the tip of a sharp knife in several places. Microwave on High (100% power) for 1 to 2 minutes, then allow to stand for 3 minutes. Use a sharp, heavy knife and first slice off the stem. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut in half and scoop out seeds. Cut into cubes.

If desired, substitute flavored olive oil or balsamic vinegar in this recipe. For example, use rosemary flavored olive oil for the olive oil and substitute cranberry pear balsamic vinegar for the balsamic vinegar.  This salad is also great with crisp, crumbled bacon in it.

Candied pecans? Pick up a bag at the grocery stores, but they are also easy to make. Here is my favorite recipe.

 

This post has been sponsored by Hen House. More information on their CSA can be found here. All opinions expressed in this post are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible.

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Tomato and Cucumber Salad

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Is there anyone who doesn’t eat seasonally in the summer? Burgers out on the grill with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers are standard fare at this house all summer long. You, too? And, one of my favorite summer recipes is this Tomato and Cucumber Salad.

The CSA at Hen House this week was filled with all kinds of summer goodies! I zeroed in on the ground beef, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions right away! [Read more…]