Southwestern Salad

You know we've had too much rain 

• when your  phone alarm goes off in middle of the night letting you know there is a flood advisory
• you scan the Internet looking into ark rental 

• the mosquitoes are at Happy Hour getting bigger by the minute

a neighbor is proactive and 'netting ' her children

but in between the showers and dodging the mosquitoes I did manage to grill the chicken for this dish though a store bought rotisserie chicken would have been so much easier.

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Cook's notes: The picture was taken outside but the meal had to be eaten inside to enjoy it.
The smokiness of grilled chicken was a great addition to this dish. Both white and dark meat work well for this dish. The ingredients in the salad were healthy choices. But it was the ice cream with Kahlua sauce that was the calorie buster. 
You can save a lot of calories by serving frozen yogurt at 159 calories compared to 216 calories in ice-cream. 
This salad serves 4
Ingredients:

• 4 large pieces of chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch chunks  
• 3 cups slightly crushed corn chips
• 1/2 cup diced red or green onion
• 1 cup red and yellow peppers, sliced in strips
• 2 cups thinly sliced yellow or green zucchini  
• 2 cups grape  tomatoes, halved
• 11 oz. can Steamcrisp Mexicorn (found on grocery shelf or use frozen corn thawed)  
• 1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce 
• Pepper Jack cheese, cubed

Directions:

• On a large piece of foil place chicken pieces and peppers and onions. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on peppers and onions, grill for about 20-25 minutes, turn occasionally 
• In a large bowl; add chopped Romaine lettuce, drained corn and beans, tomatoes, cubed Pepper Jack cheese, grilled chicken pieces, raw zucchini, cooked onions and peppers, mix well
• To serve; add salad ingredients on a plate, top with a handful crushed corn chips and top with avocado dressing

Avocado Dressing
Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, chopped
• 6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
• 2 TB. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1 TB. parsley flakes
• 1 clove, minced or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/3-1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

• In a blender or food processor combine yogurt, avocado chunks, spices and minced garlic 
• Pulse several times to incorporate
• Add 1/3 cup olive oil for a thicker dressing or 1/2 cup olive oil for a thinner dressing
• Salt and pepper to taste, milk can also be added to thin out dressing just before serving
• Refrigerate dressing several hours to meld flavors