I got this cookbook as a wedding present 5 years ago. I've used it a couple of times mainly for the main dishes. It's got a TON of yummy looking desserts (which I haven't made yet). Since Justin will be coming home today I've decided to make a light salad since he's been eating out the past couple of days.
We are going to have GRILLED CHICKEN and MANGO SALAD.
It's got 4 parts to it: Chicken, Dressing, Salad and the Salsa. When I looked at the ingredients I noticed that I had most of them so I didn't have to buy a whole bunch at the store. I think that most of this stuff is pretty standard to have in a home. Now please keep in mind that these ingredients have been cut down to make two serving sizes at the most, Justin and myself. Our kid wouldn't have anything to do with this meal. She's a cheese/bread/cracker/pizza/fruit/mashed potato/milk/water kind of kid. We're lucky enough if she eats a cheese burger or chicken nuggets.
Chicken:
2 big boneless/skinless check breasts
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
Dressing:
1/2 pkg of buttermilk ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salsa:
1/2 can white corn
1/2 can black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped red and green bell peppers
1/2 avocado, peeled, cubed
1/2 medium tomato, chopped/cubed
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup of monterey jack cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Salad:
2 cups of crisp corn chips
3 cups green leaf lettuce, cute into bit sized pieces
So obviously you'll need marinade the chicken. Best way is to put it in a plastic bag and add the teriyaki sauce and shake it around for a little bit. Seal the bag and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. While waiting on that combine all of the ingredients for the dressing, stir and the refrigerate it. Do the same for the salsa mix and then combine the salsa mix and dressings together.
For best results with the chicken you should grill it. I like my chicken a little on crispy side so I cook it a little longer than normal but I would advise you to cook yours how you want it. Once the chicken is done cut it up into little 1/2 inch cubes.
When it's time to serve combine the salsa mixture and corn chips; toss carefully. Place 1 cup of lettuce on each plate. Top with 1/4 of salsa/dressing mixture and then add the chicken on top.
I haven't cooked any of this yet because it's not even close to dinner time here but this is my plan. After dinner I plan on updating this with my thoughts, rates, ect.
So.... I'm terrible at grilling. :/ That part didn't go over so well. I couldn't figure out how to work Justin's grill so I ended up baking the chicken instead. Which was ok, but it didn't have the "grill" taste to it. Over all though we both really like the meal. The flavoring was good. It was sweet and tart at the same time. I enjoyed the mango in the salad! I'm sure to use this recipe again.
Scale of 1-10 (with 1 being terrible and 10 being extremely yummy)----------- 7
