Practicing for Summer

I'm not going to lie, the past couple of days here have been BEAUTIFUL! It was wonderful to go outside and feel the sun on my face without having to bundle up in a big, chunky coat. I also discovered how much my little boy likes to play outside.

He would have sat and played in the rocks all afternoon if i would have let him. We also spent one afternoon drawing all over the backyard sidewalk with chalk. He LOVED this, and ended up covered in more chalk than the sidewalk. I have just loved watching this boy grow and learn, everyday brings something new and exciting for him. Sometimes it would be nice if we, as adults could go through life with the same anticipation and enthusiasm as a toddler.....perhaps minus the tantrums and yogurt smeared faces. Although, I bet we could all admit a little foot stomping and crying sometimes feels very appropriate.....

In honor of the rock-digging weather, I was in the mood for a good, tasty salad. So naturally I went to my beloved Pinterest and scoured recipes that I had previously pinned for the perfect solution. Low and behold dinner was formed! CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACO SALAD.

I really enjoyed the salad, and I might even say that it tasted better the next day for lunch. It seemed the flavors had time to meld together better. The one thing I did differently was I mixed the dressing in separately for each serving, that way the leftovers didn't get all limp and soggy. We also topped it off with some cheese and tortilla chips. You can never go wrong with throwing those on top. :)

Next time I think I would add a little more chipotle peppers andlime juice to bump up the flavor a bit and might also toss in some cottage cheese like I did with my leftovers.  Wait, before you grimace and snub your nose at the cottage cheese addition.... it actually added a really great creamy texture, not to mention extra calcium and protein too! But my favorite thing about the salad was how not only healthy it was but it was really really substantially filling.  Definitely a stand-alone salad  because of all the protein and healthy fats.  You can really add whatever you want to adjust it to your liking....I think it would be super tasty with some chopped red bell peppers and olives--yum!

So on your next sunny day or if you need to bring a touch of sunshine to a rainy one....chop up yourself a big bowl of this salad for dinner and go play in some rocks...guaranteed to brighten any day!

Photo: Nutmeg Notebook

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad:
source: Nutmeg Notebook via Pinterest


Dressing:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained ( I used frozen corn because I think it tastes better than canned).

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.