Putting together big salads for dinner is a great way to be creative with ingredients while minimizing any chance of leftovers! I wanted to include protein and lots of vegetables, but wanted to keep the flavors big & interesting so it wasn’t just an ordinary salad. It’s just a few basic ingredients – chicken, peppers, corn – that I’ve grilled & seasoned to spice things up. The dressing is a simple puree in the food processor that makes clean up pretty easy as well. After a nice weekend, and looking forward to a short work-week, it was a stress-free and tasty dinner for Sunday night. Any big Labor Day plans for you? Lets Share!
Mexican Chicken Salad
1 red pepper
2 ears of corn
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup mesclun mix
1 – 2 cups grilled chicken
2 tortillas
1/2 cup Mexican cheese
3/4 avocado
Dressing
1/4 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro, packed
2 limes, zest and juice
1 tablespoon Parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1 – 2 tablespoons jalapeno
1 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt, pepper
Slice red peppers into strips and shuck the corn. Grill vegetables at medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, rotating the vegetables so each side gets slightly browned. Remove from grill, cut the corn kernels off of the cob and chop the peppers. Place vegetables in a large mixing bowl and top with juice and zest of one lime and 1/4 cup Parmesan, gently mix well to coat vegetables. Add iceberg lettuce, mesclun mix, and grilled chicken. Set aside.
Place tortillas with Mexican cheese on grill pan at medium heat, 3-4 minutes on each side, allowing cheese to melt through.
While the tortillas are on the grill, place 1/4 avocado, cilantro, zest and juice of 2 limes, Parmesan, garlic, jalapeno, and salt/pepper in a food processor and pulse until blended, slowly stream in the vegetable oil.
Toss the dressing with the salad until well coated. Remove quesadilla from grill pan, cut into wedges, and top with slices of remaining avocado. Plate the salad with a side of quesadilla. Enjoy!
By Emily Welsh
