Chicken Fiesta Salad

In our continual attempts to try to eat healthier, my husband and I are trying to eat more salads.  But for him to really be on board with that, I need to keep them somewhat interesting and tasty!  He loved this Fiesta Salad.  I know you all probably don't really need a recipe for salad, but I always find it helpful to see salad recipes to inspire me!  So, I thought I would share.

Chicken Fiesta Salad

Mixed greens

Chicken, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken.)

Easy Corn Black Bean Salsa

Carrot, shredded

Cheese, shredded 

Black olives, sliced

Ranch (We like Wishbone Ranch and Chipotle Ranch.  They are egg-free and gluten-free.)

In a large bowl, combined desired amount of each ingredient, omit some, add others, depending on your tastes.  I find that if you add a little dressing and mix it into the salad, then you can get away with using a lot less dressing.

Cowboy Caviar

I love recipes like this one because you can really make it into whatever you like.  You can add or take away ingredients that don't suit your tastes or adjust simply based on what you have available.  My sister makes this often for her family.  She sent me her recipe but I have misplaced it.  So, I looked up several similar recipes online for inspiration.

This is a great summertime dish to share with friends!  Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you may also like Avocado Salsa (EF, DF, GF).

Cowboy Caviar 

Inspired by:  I Wash You Dry

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

2 roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 small purple onion, diced

¼ c cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime 

Garlic salt, to taste

2 avocados, diced

Drain and rinse black beans.  Set aside.  Drain corn.  Mix all ingredients, except avocados until well combined.  Gently fold in avocados.  Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Mexican Stromboli

Here is a quick easy dinner.  I got this recipe from my Mom a really long time ago.  I am not sure either of us knows where we got it.  So, I am not able to give credit where credit is due.  I hope you and your family enjoy it!

Mexican Stromboli

1 lb ground beef

1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ c salsa

2 10 oz packages of refrigerated pizza dough

2 c shredded cheddar or cheddar jack cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 375^o.  In a large skillet cook ground beef and drain.  Stir in beans and salsa.  Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered about 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.  Set aside.  Lightly spray a two baking sheets with cooking spray.  Roll out one pizza dough on each baking sheet.  Spoon half of the meat mixture on each and top with half of the cheese.  Fold dough over and seal.  Put seam side down on the pan.  Prick the tops with a fork.  Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until light brown.

Dairy-free notes:  Pillsbury brand pizza dough is dairy-free.  If you omit the cheese, you will have a great egg-free, dairy-free dinner option.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have a great recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup that is a little time consuming.  To cut back on the preparation time, I started looking for a version that uses a rotisserie chicken or precooked cooked chicken from my freezer, like the recipe for Shredded Chicken {slow-cooker} found on my blog.  I found this recipe for Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup online and was pleasantly surprised by the result.  Delicious!! 

I made it pretty much the same as written.  I reduced the vegetable oil to just one tablespoon and cooked the onion in the oil first, until translucent, prior to adding any other ingredients.  I also used reduced fat cream cheese.

If you like this recipe, please try Taco Soup (EF, GF) or Chicken Taco Chili {Slow-cooker}.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup - Click the link for the recipe.

Gluten-free notes:  This recipe could easily be made gluten-free.  Check the ingredients on the corn tortillas and chicken stock/broth to make sure they are gluten-free.  Rotisserie chickens could be tricky for a gluten allergy, so use my recipe for Shredded Chicken {slow-cooker}.

Avocado Salsa

Our family loves avocado.  The ingredients in this salsa are similar to most guacamole recipes.  But chopping it up as a salsa makes it easier for the kids to pick out the parts they like best.  I actually like to eat this as a small side salad, while my husband likes to spoon it on top of his favorite Mexican dishes.  It would also make a delicious appetizer served with tortilla chips.

 

Avocado Salsa

2 medium avocados, chopped

¼ - ½ red onion*, chopped

8-9 oz strawberry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, chopped

2 T cilantro, chopped

½ t garlic powder

½ t seasoned salt

¼ t freshly ground black pepper

1 T lime juice (optional)

Mix all ingredients.  Stir and serve immediately.  If you will not be serving immediately, mix in 1 T of lime juice.  This will keep the avocado from browning as quickly.  Serves 6-8

* My husband and I really enjoy onion.  The salsa in this picture was made with half of a red onion.  If you do not like a lot of onion, start with one-forth of an onion.