Tag Archives: Salads/Dressings

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

June 15, 2020

I’ve shared a Cobb salad before – with a spiced chicken rub and honey mustard ranch dressing- and I still LOVE that one. Today’s Cobb Salad is a classic, simpler version. The buttermilk marinade is the secret to super juicy grilled chicken. You can add extra spices to the marinade but it’s great with just the garlic and a pinch of cayenne. I’m not big on blue cheese so I use goat cheese crumbles instead. Avocado is a must. And grilled corn off the cob is a great addition… you’re already heating up the grill so why not throw some fresh corn on with the chicken?! My husband usually complains if I serve a salad as a main dish, but not this one! It’s so protein-packed, it’ll satisfy anyone.

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

INGREDIENTS

Grilled Chicken:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I slice them in half for easy grilling)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Salad:
3 medium hearts romaine lettuce, chopped (sometimes I use a combo of romaine and spring mix)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 
1 cup cherry or regular tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (or blue cheese, feta, cheddar etc.)

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil like grape-seed or canola 
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt)
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or gallon-size resealable bag. Whisk together the buttermilk, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using), and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken, coat well. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium or medium-high and grill the chicken (discard remaining marinade) for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees.
  3. Remove the chicken from the grill and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  4. In a large bowl add the chopped lettuce. Top with bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocados and cheese.
  5. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until combined (or whisk together in a small bowl).
  6. Drizzle the salad with about 2/3 of the dressing and toss lightly. Add more dressing to taste, if desired.
  7. Serve the grilled chicken topped with the salad (or serve it alongside). You can also chop up the chicken and toss with the other salad ingredients.

Salad adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, Marinade adapted from Fine Cooking

Grilled Chicken, Peach, and Mozzarella Salad

May 25, 2020

Since it’s Memorial Day, which means the unofficial start of summer, I’m sharing something extra fresh and summery, perfect for grilling season! I actually posted this recipe on Instagram sometime last year but had never shared it on the site. It comes from our former next-door neighbors and friends the Mattsons. We rented a home north of Seattle for the first 3 years we lived here and they were the best part of that home/neighborhood. We’ve both since moved and we miss them so much! This salad was one of the delicious meals they made when we had cookouts in their backyard.

I usually just grill chicken with some salt and pepper but you could make extra dressing and marinate the chicken in that before grilling for even more flavor. The corn can go on the grill at the same time. Grilled corn is one of the best summer treats! (I remove the husks, rub them in some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill, turning occasionally until the outside gets nice charred marks and the corn is tender-crisp.) Toss with fresh greens, ripe peaches (which you can also grill, but they get a little mushy that way), tiny mozzarella balls, pistachios, avocado, and a sweet and tangy orange balsamic dressing.

Grilled Chicken, Peach, and Mozzarella Salad

INGREDIENTS

chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled
fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
mini fresh mozzarella balls (often called pearls)
unsalted pistachios, toasted
avocado, pitted and diced
fresh sweet corn, grilled and cut off the cob
mixed greens (I used red leaf lettuce, romaine/green leaf/butter lettuce would all be good)

Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/2 navel or cara cara orange, juiced
1 tsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. pure Maple syrup (can use honey)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all ingredients until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Place salad ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with dressing, toss and serve.

Recipe from the Mattson Family

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Salad

May 16, 2020

roasted beet goat cheese salad

My kids might hate zucchini (in healthy forms, anyway) but they have a thing for beets. Our love for beet salad started when we ordered it at an Italian restaurant and realized how amazing roasted beets are paired with goat cheese! Now I make my own version at home- beets tossed with a sweet honey-orange vinaigrette, goat cheese crumbles, and toasted pistachios- and we can’t get enough!

I usually buy the pre-roasted beets (Love Beets or Trader Joe’s brand) because they’re so convenient, but by all means, you can roast your own beets: Place them in some foil, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil up and bake in a 400 F oven for 40-60 minutes until they are easily pierced with a knife. Let them cool before peeling off the skin. Whichever way you go just BE CAREFUL when you handle the beets- they are a mess and can stain clothing!

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Salad

INGREDIENTS

4-6 roasted beets OR 16 oz. packaged roasted beets, diced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tsp. honey, to taste
1/2 tsp. stone ground mustard (this is my favorite, you can sub Dijon but it’s stronger so I’d use 1/4 tsp.)
salt and dash of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
~1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
~1/4 cup toasted pistachios

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the orange juice, olive oil, honey, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  2. Place the beets in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Toss to coat. Add the goat cheese and pistachios and gently stir to combine. 

Serves 4.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

May 2, 2020

Have you ever had elote (Mexican street corn)? We discovered it in on a trip to San Diego several years ago and now get it from a taco truck at our city famers market. Elote is fresh corn, usually served on a stick piping hot and coated in sour cream/mayo, cotija cheese and seasoned with lime, garlic and/or chili powder and salt. It’s delicious. And messy. (See picture below. If you can’t tell, Gwen is a fan.)

This salad is elote in a bowl. Just as tasty and a bit less mess. It’s great with freshly picked summer corn but adaptable to frozen. I use pre-roasted frozen corn (found at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods) which makes it even easier and something we can enjoy year-round. It’s great for a picnic or bbq or pairs with just about any Mexican dish. We had it with beef taco salad– amazing on the side or thrown right on top!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 cups corn (about 5 ears), cut from the cob (or frozen corn- Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have roasted frozen corn and it’s delicious)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (or pickled jalapeno, to taste)
4 Tbsp. lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut the corn off the cob. I used 5 ears to get about 4 cups. You can also use canned corn or frozen corn. If using frozen, no need to thaw it out.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and stir it around. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the corn starts to char, which is why we’re using high heat. If using frozen corn, you will need a couple minutes extra to get the right charred bits. (If you’re using pre-roasted corn like I did, just warm it in the skillet, no need to char it further.)
  3. Transfer the corn to a large bowl and let it cool for a couple minutes.
    To the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything together until well combined. Adjust lime juice and salt and pepper as necessary. Garnish with additional cheese and cilantro, if preferred, and serve.

Adapted from Jo Cooks

Beef Taco Salad

April 30, 2020

I can’t think of much to write today so I’m going to state the obvious: we love Mexican food. We have tacos/quesadillas/burritos/enchiladas/etc. several times a week and are always wanting more! This is my go-to recipe for taco salad- no packet of seasoning needed. The beef (or ground turkey or chicken if you prefer) is saucy and spiced just right. Throw it on a salad with all of your favorite taco ingredients (avocado and crushed tortillas chips are my must-haves) and dig in! If you want to make a homemade tortilla bowl to serve your salads in follow this link to the original post. Happy eating!

Beef Taco Salad

INGREDIENTS

Beef Taco Meat:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 small or 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chili powder (this would also be really good with ancho chili powder)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef (I usually use 85-90% lean)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or just use water and add an extra pinch of salt)
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. packed light brown sugar
cayenne pepper, to taste (optional- I like to add some if I’m using a mild chili powder)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:
romaine lettuce, shredded
canned black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
tomatoes, diced
green onions, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro, chopped
lime, sliced
Mexican cheese, shredded
avocado, pitted and sliced
sour cream or Mexican crema
salsa or pico de gallo
tortilla chips or tortilla (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes; mixture will be saucy. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper  to taste and cayenne, if using.
  2. Combine salad ingredients in serving bowls, topping with the taco meat. Serve with tortilla chips and/or a warm tortilla, if using. 

Serves 4. 

Adapted from Love and Olive Oil, originally from America’s Test Kitchen