chopped bbq chicken salad with honey mustard vinaigrette

Hi friends! Apologies for the inconsistent, sparse posting lately... since we got back from our vacation last week, our air conditioning went out and we've basically been nomads. Our house is literally mid-90s inside. What in the world. But! The weather's cooling down a bit and it's supposed to get fixed by the end of the week, so... yeah. Fingers crossed for that!

Since turning on the oven is 100% not an option at this point, this is the only type of meal that is remotely acceptable to make. I used rotisserie chicken because... see above paragraph. Everything else is just chopping and tossing. It's easy and delicious!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go stick my head in the freezer. 

Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (adapted from How Sweet Eats)

serves 4

for the salad, you'll need:

1 lb. cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 large head of romaine, chopped

2 ears sweet corn, kernels removed

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

a handful of croutons

1 avocado, pitted and chopped

lime wedges, for serving

for the vinaigrette, you'll need:

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

dash of cayenne

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

First, make the vinaigrette by combining all of the ingredients in a jar. Close the lid, shake it like crazy, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, pour the BBQ sauce over the chicken breasts and stir to coat. In a separate large bowl, toss the romaine, corn, bell pepper, bacon, cheese, and croutons to combine. Dress with the desired amount of dressing and toss again. Fold in the avocado and chicken. Serve with lime wedges and additional dressing, if desired.

Pin It

avocado kale caesar salad

This is totally my new favorite meal. Like, I ate it for lunch every single day last week favorite.

Let's talk about this dressing, because that's what makes this really special. It's the easiest and least freaky Caesar dressing you'll ever make, since there's no raw egg or anchovies involved. Wait, does that still make it Caesar dressing? Don't care. It tastes AMAZING. 

Avocado Kale Caesar Salad (dressing slightly adapted from Absolutely Avocados)

4 servings, with extra dressing

for the dressing, you'll need:

1 avocado, halved and pitted

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

for the salad, you'll need:

9-10 cups baby kale

2 cups croutons

To make the dressing: place the avocado flesh, olive oil, Parmesan, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic cloves, Worcestershire, red pepper, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Place the kale and croutons in a large bowl. Add the dressing a bit at a time until it's dressed just to your liking. Sprinkle with extra Parm and black pepper if desired.

Yum, so good! P.S. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Pin It

easy vegan posole

The weather is finally starting to feel like fall here in Dallas, so let's make some soup!

My favorite soup is, hands down, posole. It's spicy, comforting, and oh so delicious. It traditionally includes pork, but when I saw this fabulous vegan version, I knew I had to give it a try. And not only was it easy peasy to make, it was also insanely flavorful and great!

This reheats like a dream, so it was perfect for us to enjoy for dinner and then take for lunch the next day. Definitely give this one a try!

Easy Vegan Posole (adapted from It's All Good)
serves 4

you'll need:
6 tomatillos, roughly chopped (papery layers and stems discarded)
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped (or leave some seeds in for more heat)
olive oil
kosher salt
4 cups vegetable stock
3 sprigs cilantro
1 (28 oz.) can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced, for garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss the tomatillos, onions, and jalapenos in olive oil and a bit of salt on a sheet pan or large baking dish. Roast in the oven until they're just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender along with 1 cup of stock and puree until completely smooth (be careful when blending hot ingredients!). Transfer the mixture to a large pot with the remaining stock, cilantro, and hominy. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt as necessary.

Remove the cilantro sprigs. Divide soup into bowls and garnish with avocado and lime juice. Enjoy!!

Pin It

creamy avocado and corn quinoa salad

As promised... more corn!

With the official start of school next week, I'm going back to packing my lunch every day. While this can sometimes get a little monotonous, it's salads like this one that get my through the whole week without boring me one bit.

In fact, I've been making this salad all summer long and haven't tired of it yet. The creaminess comes from a dressing of avocado and lime, and the raw corn and green onions give it a great crunch. With a little cheese and quinoa to bulk it up, this is a pretty perfect meal all around.

This is a fantastic meal on its own, and we've also enjoyed it as a side for dinner with tequila-lime chicken - also great!

Creamy Avocado and Corn Quinoa Salad (adapted from What's Gaby Cooking)
makes 4-6 servings

you'll need:
1 cup cooked red quinoa
4 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups if you're using frozen)
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 avocado
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, corn, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, half of the lime juice, feta, chili powder, and pepper jack.

Remove the avocado from the skin and discard the seed. Place the flesh of the avocado in a blender with the remaining lime juice. Blend until smooth. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out to the consistency of mayonnaise.

Pour the avocado dressing into the bowl and toss until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. If desired, garnish with a bit more feta and cilantro. Enjoy!

Pin It

hatch chile beef enchiladas with avocado salsa

I have always either been a student or a teacher, so my years really feel like they begin again in August. Since I'm a huge nerd and have always loved school (hence never really leaving), this time of year is always super exciting for me. A fresh start, renewed enthusiasm, brand new faces... and can't forget the joy of school supplies shopping. Who doesn't love new school supplies?!

This time of year is also exciting for me because I can finally get my favorite Hatch chiles again! Here in Texas, we're only able to get these from early August to the beginning of September usually. My favorite local grocery store even holds a Hatch Chile Festival every year in their honor! If you've never had Hatch chiles, you must try them if you can find them!

I used my first Hatches to make these enchiladas. These were a major hit around here. My husband has requested that I make these as often as possible! Super tender BBQ beef made in the crockpot and the easiest tomatillo-avocado sauce poured over the top makes these out of this world delicious.

Hatch Chile Beef Enchiladas with Avocado Salsa
makes 12 enchiladas

you'll need:
1 lb. shredded beef (for meals like this I use this simple method; you can also cheat and pick it up from your local BBQ restaurant!)
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 Hatch chiles, seeded and chopped (If you can't find Hatch, substitute 2 seeded and chopped jalapenos)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups freshly shredded pepper jack cheese (I found a Hatch chile jack at Whole Foods - delicious!)
1 (16 oz.) jar of tomatillo salsa
1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
12 tortillas (I used homemade flour tortillas - just make sure you use good quality!)
handful of chopped cilantro, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and green onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add beef and cheese to the bowl and toss to combine everything together.

To a blender, add tomatillo salsa, avocado, and lime juice. Blend until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Pour a bit of the salsa into the bottom of a baking dish (I used two 8x8 dishes for this recipe) - just enough for a light layer over the bottom. Now, assemble the enchiladas by placing a bit of the beef/pepper/cheese mixture, then rolling them tightly. Place seam side down into dish. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and tortillas.

Once all the enchiladas are assembled, evenly pour the remaining avocado salsa over the top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with chopped cilantro and whatever else you like - and enjoy!!

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win the cutest tea towel from Sunday Drive Designs! Giveaway ends this Friday!

Pin It