I have no idea why, but I have been SO tired the past 2 days. Yesterday was warm, sunny, and beautiful and we showed up to the park, me with a blanket in tow to snooze on, but we happened upon half of the girls’ elementary school friends. Reading and nap time turned into social hour+ with a friend, but I wasn’t sad about it.
But this morning, despite having coached Piper into letting mommy sleep (often effective), she was crawling in my bed long before she was welcome to do so. She not-so-quietly whispered that I could sleep, she would “just lay there”. Except she flopped around and pulled my hair, kneed my shins, and robbed me of my morning snooze.
Mark is getting ready to take Shea to Taekwondo and Piper to watch and I am totally heading for bed. I can’t remember the last time I napped, but my body is telling me I need it.
The Variety Show is over (more on that soon) and I would’ve blogged sooner, however…my laptop was a casualty in the show. Unbeknown to me, there is a tiny little micro-crack through the screen. I have no idea when it happened but it was during the show preparations late last week, and I was just SURE it was a virus that was causing my screen to go CRAZY. I was able to disable the touch screen and so now I have a broken laptop, but at least it’s functioning.
I’m excited for a normal week ahead and back to some basics on the menu. Sometimes I like to get creative in the kitchen and try new things. My family would insist that it is MOST of the time that I’m changing it up in the kitchen…but, I’m happy to bring things back to the basics, too.
In fact, on Valentine’s Day this year – this was the meal Mark requested. Nothing fancy, nothing new. There’s something so satisfying about a salad that is jam-packed with color, texture, and flavor, right?! A little Tex-Mex take on a chopped salad is perfectly every-day, making it completely swoon-worthy and appropriate for any day, even Valentine’s Day.
Tex-Mex Chicken Chopped Salads
A classic and a forever favorite -- crisp romaine with seasoned ranch and all the fixings!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup light ranch dressing
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 oz tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mist a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and place chicken breasts in the dish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons taco seasoning.
- Bake chicken for 18-22 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Thinly slice or chop, as preferred.
- Meanwhile, mix together the ranch with the remaining taco seasoning until well-combined; set aside.
- Place chopped romaine in a large bowl and drizzle with two- thirds of the dressing; toss well. Add the tomato, corn, green onions, beans, and cheese; drizzle with remaining dressing and gently toss.
- Distribute salad to each plate and top with prepared chicken, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Life in the Lofthouse
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1/4 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 19.8gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 960mgCarbohydrates: 45.3gFiber: 11.5gSugar: 7.5gProtein: 37.3g
Looking for more BOMB salads? I gotcha covered…
- Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Miso Dressing
- Crispy Italian Chicken and Bacon Salads with Tahini Pesto Dressing and Sourdough Croutons
- Kale and Brussels Sprout Ceasar Salad
- Harvest Cobb Salads
- Chopped Italian Salad
- Kale Salad with Peanut Dijon Dressing
- Pear, Apple, and Bacon Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
Weekly Menu: March 6th – 10th
- Sunday: Street Corn Nachos
- Monday: Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Tuesday: beef taco salads with guacamole
- Wednesday: Grilled Paprika Shrimp Quesadillas
- Thursday: out for a friend’s birthday!
Be well,
