Homemade Southwest Chicken Salad

So I love southwest salads in restaurants but don't love the price of having to go out to eat to get them.  So, this is my newest version of a southwest chicken salad with homemade tortilla strips and homemade guacamole.  Pretty yummy......

Chicken (from a Taste of Homes cook book)

4 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
4 tbls lime juice
4 chicken breasts
olive oil for cooking

Mix seasonings together.  Rub mixture into chicken.  Brown chicken on both sides in skillet with olive oil.  Pour lime juice over chicken.  Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes until chicken no longer pink in the middle.

Tortilla Strips
1/2 package flour tortillas
olive oil
coarse salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut tortillas in half and then in strips.  Place in jelly roll sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to coat (you may have do this this step again).  Bake20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, until brown and crispy.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocados, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can Rotel, drained

Mix all together and refrigerate 30 minutes. 

Salad 
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
iceberg lettuce, chopped
Mexican blend cheese
sour cream
salsa

In microwave, cook black beans in bowl with water until tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain.  Top lettuce with corn and black beans, cheese, chicken, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips.  Or mix salsa with ranch dressing to make a mexi-ranch dressing.

Rainy Day Bobby Flay California Burger

So, I had all of the fixings for a yummy burger courtesy my secret crush Bobby Flay.  The plan was to have Dan grill, but the weather did not cooperate.  However, I made these inside tonight and they were YUMMY.  It is all about the avocado spread (aka guacamole).  For the original recipe click here, I tweaked a few things.

Burgers
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb lean ground beef
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices cheddar cheese
tomato, sliced
watercress

Avocado Relish
2 avocados, chopped
1/2 diced small onion
juice of 1 lime (taste after put in half)
salt and pepper to taste
(the recipe calls for 1 minced jalapeno which I didn't think my 2 year would appreciate and 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro which I HATE with a passion)

Mix turkey burger and lean ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
Shape into a uniform patty, no more than 3/4 inch thick (don't overwork the meat). Make a depression in the center with your thumb so the burger won't bulge; the indent will rise as the patty cooks. Preheat a grill or cast-iron grill pan to high. Brush the burger with canola oil.  Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, turning once (7 minutes for medium-rare). Avoid pressing with a spatula! Add cheese for the last minute of cooking. (since I was inside, I browned the patties in a skillet with corn oil, then baked in oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Mix remaining ingredients together for avocado spread.  Top burger with avocado relish, watercress, and tomato slice. Serve on toasted buns. 

Photograph by Steve Giralt