Yo quiero Taco Salad!

We were suppose to have taco night on Saturday night but went out instead. Today I was going to make a Prime Rib for easter but eating out and too much chocolate meant we weren't really in the mood for a big dinner. I was in the need for a feed of veggies. I get like that sometimes if I feel like I haven't been eating right. So I decided to make a taco salad. I had some chicken breast which I sprinkled chili powder and cumin on and let sit in the fridge for 1/2 - 1 hour. I was going to use Ranch dressing and rely on the chicken for the mexican flavour but decided that just wouldn't be enough so I tinkered around. The result was fantastic! (Sorry had to go get a mini -reeses cup... damn easter bunny...)


So here is just the dressing. I'll share what I used to construct the salad in a minute.

Tex Mex Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Light Ranch Dressing
2 Tbsp Salsa, your favorite
(this makes enough for 2 big size main course salads)
That's it. Yup! Mix or blend. That's it.

Like I said, I sprinkled the chicken breast with chili powder and cumin. Then I sauteed them in a pan.

My salad consisted of Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, orange pepper, red and green onion. Just whatever I had in the house.

I also grated some cheddar cheese.

I tossed the salad ingredients with the dressing and some of the cheese.

I did take some flour tortillas and slice them into strips. I put them in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes to brown and crisp them up.

I piled the mixed salad on some plates, sliced the chicken breast and put it on top, placed some of the crispy tortillas on top of it and sprinkled with some more cheese.

It was a huge hit around here. I'll be pulling out this dressing recipe again and again for taco salads all summer! (it's snowing and really cold here, still but I was in the mood for a salad gosh darnnit so I was having one!)

And you can use whatever meat or salad ingredients equal mexican taste for you. Want to make it more hearty, add a some drained and rinsed black beans. Want to vegetarian? Use the meatless mex ground soya mix or just add more beans!