Southwestern Chicken Salad

My kids ate salad last night!

They don't usually do that. Like EVER. I was prepared to offer them wraps instead, but they both said they'd do salads. I was shocked, and then I promptly made them these tasty salads. And THEY ATE THEM! This is an easy meal, kind of a "semi-homemade"one - quick and easy, and you can customize it to each person's liking, without too much work.

Southwestern Chicken Salad

2 tbsp. olive oil + 1 tbsp.
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning (your favorite, or make your own)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (don't use the bottled stuff, ok?)
1/2 c. Ranch dressing (we used a yogurt-based one, for lower fat)
2 tbsp. salsa (your favorite kind) - maybe a little more
Torn lettuce - enough for 1-2 c. per person (I used a bagged mix)
Tortilla chips (your favorite brand)
Black beans (optional)
1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced (optional)
1 c. corn (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. Shredded cheddar or Jack cheese

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Place in a gallon-sized freezer bag, and add oil, garlic powder, taco seasoning, and the lemon juice. Marinate at least 20 minutes (or freeze, and then thaw in the fridge). Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet, and add chicken. Cook thoroughly, and then set aside.

In a small bowl, mix Ranch dressing and salsa, set aside. On 4 plates (or one for each person eating), crunch up a handful of tortilla chips. Add about 1-2 c. of shredded lettuce on top of the chips, and then add chicken, black beans, tomatoes, corn, cheese, and drizzle with dressing. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

Layered Mexican Trifle Salad

So this is awesome. It's a lot of work, but it is awesome. Feeds a crowd, looks cool, tastes great. What more can you ask for? I first had this at a party, and then tracked down the recipe - I believe it was originally from Pampered Chef. You can mix it up, but I really like this combo. It's easy to double or whatever is needed, based on the serving dish. The one pictured was MASSIVE, and was basically a triple batch - so much work, and at the last minute! Layered Mexican Trifle Salad I ngredients: Beans: drain, rinse and mix together 1 15 oz. can pinto beans and 1 15 oz. can black beans 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (I've also used fresh) 1 large tomato, diced (I usually use several Roma tomatoes) 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ripe avocadoes, diced and mashed with the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced (red or white) 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded 2 cups cheddar or jack cheese, shredded

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli! I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME). If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and choppe

Another Take on Comfort Food

Sometimes there's nothing you can do but cook. I've had the displeasure of seeing 2 young moms in our school community recieve cancer diagnoses in the last 18 months. If you're like me, when someone you know is hurting, you want to help, but lots of times, there's not much you can do. If you can cook, you can take away some of the stress of getting the family fed and bring a meal or two. In fact, even if you can't cook, you can pick up a meal at a restaurant or a bag of groceries, or even a gift card for a local restaurant. I think it comes naturally to some - the church and school communities I grew up in always loved with food - church potlucks, school spaghetti dinners, and of course lots of meals for people who needed them. But not everyone has done this before, so it might be overwhelming. As in my "feeding a crowd" blurb, there are a few things to keep in mind. Don't try to impress - don't try new recipes. Find out if you're

A Cooking Baker

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