Chopped Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

Chopped Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup shredded mozzarella

Process the garlic, vinegar, egg yolk, sugar and mustard in a food processor. Stream in the oil with the processor running. Salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and mozzarella with the prepared dressing. Serve.

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BLT Wedge Salad

BLT Wedge Salad

6 slices of bacon, cut into ½ “ pieces
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 head of Iceberg lettuce
18 grape tomatoes, halved

In a small skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, vinegar, pepper and garlic salt. Cut the lettuce into 6 wedges. Place the wedges on serving plates, top each with the bacon, tomatoes and dressing, serve.

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Oven Baked Shrimp Po-Boys

Miss F could eat her weight in fried shrimp. I am tempted to take her to Red Lobster for their endless shrimp special just to see how many she could eat, but the problem would be that she would probably reject the shrimp they serve there. She always hates kids' menu shrimp because "there is more fried part than actual shrimp." I agree. The main issue with frying shrimp at home is that the fried shrimp smell lingers for quite a bit. I had never served a po-boy to Miss F before, but she was a huge fan! She didn't have a single topping, just shrimp and bread, but she loved it. I had all the toppings (and all the shrimp!) These po-boys are generous with the shrimp, a half pound on each sandwich. Feel free to convert the recipe to serve four half sandwiches if you are serving them alongside something else.

Oven Baked Shrimp Po-Boys

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon relish
hot sauce

¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 pound shrimp
2 sub rolls
1 tomato, sliced
½ cup chopped lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish and hot sauce to taste. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, salt and cayenne pepper. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. In a third shallow bowl, add the Panko. Grease a sheet pan with cooking spray. Peel and devein the shrimp. Dredge the shrimp in the flour, then dip in the egg-milk mixture and finally toss in the Panko. Place the shrimp on the prepared pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until shrimp is starting to brown.

Split each roll; top with half of the lettuce, then half of the tomato and half of the shrimp. Drizzle each with the sauce and serve.

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ABCLT Chopped Salad

In the summertime, I could eat a salad every night for dinner. I do get picky about proteins in my salad, I always prefer them to be warm, cold meats just don't do it for me. I made this salad the first night back from our amazing vacation to Fiji and New Zealand. I didn't have high culinary expectations for either location, but I was pleasantly surprised by both...especially Fiji.   This salad is a take on one of my most favorite sandwiches, the ABCLT.  C was happy to trade his tomatoes for my croutons and Miss F was with my parents, so there was minimal whining about having a salad for dinner.

ABCLT Chopped Salad

4 slices bacon, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
¾ cup croutons
½ to ¾ cup ranch dressing (I like Confections of a Foodie Bride’s recipe)

Heat the bacon in skillet over medium low heat, cook until crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the skillet. Add the chicken and pepper, sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and croutons. Pour ½ cup of the ranch dressing and toss well to coat. Add more dressing if necessary. Divide among for plates and serve.

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Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Miss F spent five blissful days at "Camp Grammy and Grandad", which meant that we could have salad as an entrée without any whining. Or so I thought.  As soon as I plated the salad, C asked what we were having as an entrée...um, salad?  This salad is summer on a plate.   Fresh corn, avocado, tomatoes, bell pepper...all sweet and delicious.  I appeased C with the crushed tortilla chips and cheese, I could have lived without both.  The salad recipe is my own, but the chicken cooking technique comes from The Kitchn.  It is so incredibly easy and cooks chicken perfectly every time.

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

1 avocado
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon butter
2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut from the ear
Juice from ½ lime

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese
½ cup crushed tortilla chips

Place the avocado, vinegar, water, sugar and salt into a food processor. Process until smooth. Stream in the oil and process until emulsified; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the chicken with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish. Cover the chicken with a sheet of parchment paper, tucking it around the chicken. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes or so. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. When cool, cut into bite sized pieces.

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and lime juice, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until corn is tender.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, corn, lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, cheese and tortilla chip pieces. Pour over half of the avocado dressing and toss well to coat, adding more dressing as necessary. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

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Shredded Beef Torta

One of the first things I ever ordered at my favorite late night college hangout (aka La Tapatia) was a torta. Pechuga de Pollo torta with NO beans. Emphasis on the "NO." I am no fan of beans and even after 20 years of living in Texas, I still cannot stomach them.  I also learned that if I omitted the Pechuga part of the order, I would get a not as delicious shredded chicken instead of a chicken breast.  I love making bolillos and having tortas at home.  I usually have chicken or pulled pork, but I was in the mood for a shredded beef torta.  And Kroger had roasts on sale for under $2 a pound.  And the shredded beef torta was born.  And it is delicious.  Messy, but delicious.

Shredded Beef Tortas
Makes 6 tortas

1 recipe southwest shredded beef
6 Bolillos from this recipe or purchased
12 leaves of green lettuce
2 avocados, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 recipe best ever queso or queso of your choosing

Prepare the southwest shredded beef in the crockpot. Slice the bolillos lengthwise and then cross wise. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each bottom half of the bolillo. Top each with avocado and tomato slices, then add a generous helping of the shredded beef. Top the beef with a spoonful of queso. Serve.

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