Tantalizing Thursday

Welcome back in to Tantalizing Thursday, the tastiest day of the week! Following the reasoning that shorts, t-shirts, and swimsuits are the wardrobe of the season, I am including another fabulous summer staple as a main course, the salad. A mere garden salad is not enough to be considered a meal, however, so proteins and “extras” must be present to fit the bill. This salad is a filling, flavorful, and, depending on your tolerance, healthful salad perfect for weeknight dining.

The Cobb Salad
Recipe copied from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
6 slices bacon
3 eggs
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
3 green onions, chopped
1 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch-style salad dressing


Directions
1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring water to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. Divide shredded lettuce among individual plates.
4. Evenly divide and arrange chicken, eggs, tomatoes, blue cheese, bacon, avocado and green onions in a row on top of the lettuce.
5. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and enjoy.


Like with any recipe I publish, I feel strongly that it is simply a guide, not a law. Substitute what works for you and your family, omit what you abhor, and add what you love. For this recipe I recommend turkey bacon if you are cutting out pork fat (but what a shame if you are!). To up the “green” quotient try Romaine lettuce instead of the water-based iceberg. If chicken cooking isn’t your thing, buy a prepared marinated rotisserie chicken at your local grocer or Costco. They are scrumptious, easy, and yield several meals depending on the size of your family (and the meals). If seeding tomatoes is beneath you, eat seeds! I adore bleu cheese crumbles, but if you prefer feta or another cheese, try that instead. Avocado is sublime, but many are deterred by their ripeness or lack thereof. A ripe avocado should yield to the touch in the skin, but not be too squishy. If yours is hard, simply drop it in a brown paper sack for a day or so. Split the avocado in half length-wise and go around the entire orb. Twist the two sides apart leaving one side clean and one with the giant pit or stone. Using a teaspoon, gently remove the fleshy green fruit from the skin. On the other side, use your knife blade to cut into the pit to grasp it and gently pull it away from the flesh. If it resists, simply and carefully cut the pit out or use the spoon to scoop it out of the center, then repeat the process for this half to remove the flesh from the skin. Simply slice the flesh into sections. Onions, especially this green variety, add a depth of flavor without overpowering the dish. Lastly, use any dressing, bottled or homemade, that appeals to you. Remember, the dressing carries a ton of calories, so use something flavorful that needs less. I am a huge proponent of red wine or Balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

By eating salads, vegetables, lean meats or proteins, and less saturated fat, our bodies work better, feel better, and look better. This is a hard lesson for me to remember when time is of the essence and the convenience foods beckon from the freezer. Yet, I love eating this way, especially when the weather is warm and I am not overly famished like in winter.

I would love to read if you tried this recipe and what you thought about it. Recipe sharing is always encouraged on this site as well. Please use the search feature to look through all of the Tantalizing Thursday blogs on Chief 187 Chatter for more delicious fare. I hope you can join me tomorrow for the Friday Music Blog, the popular week ender at this site.