One of the things I’m still craving after our McDonald’s Blogher trip over last summer is Southwestern Chicken Salads. The Chicago on campus McDonald’s had the best McDonald’s food I’ve ever had. It was practically five star compared to our local McDonald’s or any other McDonald’s I’ve ever been to (not that we frequent McDonald’s that much). My son even asks regularly to go to Chicago McDonald’s. Notice I didn’t say the McDonald’s down the street. I understand how passionate the big wigs were we talked to were about their restaurant because they only eat at the best.
So to fulfill my cravings for the perfect Southwestern Chicken salad, that would require either moving to Chicago or a very expensive plane ticket every time I got a craving, I decided to make my own Sante Fe chicken salad version. I used mostly fresh ingredients, and I’m happy to say that my salad is even better than the Chicago McDonald’s Southwestern Chicken salad. I did use canned corns and black beans to save time. I even found a can that already had the corn and black beans mixed together. I added lots of spices to the chicken in the form of a rub before grilling it, and made a delicious dressing. This dressing really makes this salad. It has honey, lime, sour cream and lots of delicious spices.
Yield: Serves 4
Salad
1 bag mixed salad greens (10 oz)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans and corn, or 1/2 can Mexi-corn and 1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in fillets
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
olive oil
Dressing
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon grated onion
the juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1. Combine all ingredients for salad in a large bowl, or on salad plates. For chicken, combine all spices in a little bowl, and sprinkle on both sides of chicken breasts. Preheat grill or skillet, Drizzle or brush with olive oil and cook until done.
2. For dressing, combine all ingredients, except olive oil in a large bowl. Whisk well. Drizzle in olive oil very slowly while whisking. Continue to whisk and drizzle slowly until all oil is incorporated.
