Salad:
Blackened Chicken, leftover grilled, or deli roast chicken
Romaine lettuce
Your choice of ingredients: Avocado, red onion, tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs, cheese, black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro (remember the grocery salad bar can be your friend!)
Blue Cheese Dressing (below)
Jalapeno Cornbread Croutons (below)
Southwestern Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
4 oz blue cheese
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons vinegar (I used a white balsamic that was a bit sweet – if you use something else, maybe add a pinch of sugar – ½ tsp)
1 Tbsp dried tarragon (wish I had fresh)
½ tsp salt
½ cup olive oil
Directions
Add all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil to blender and process until smooth.
With motor running add olive oil in a thin stream and process for about 30 seconds.
*This is a thinner dressing than the one in the cookbook (pg) since it doesn’t have mayo or sour cream. It was perfect for the salad. You could also use a bottled dressing.
Jalapeno Cornbread Croutons
Make your own version of cornbread or use any mix, adding 2 Tbsp of jarred jalapeno peppers, chopped. (Optional: add ¼ cup cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese.) Bake in a slightly larger pan than the recipe requires for a flatter bread (see photo). Cool and slice into ½ inch squares for croutons. Toss in 2 Tbsp melted butter and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes until crisp and browned.