I must start by apologizing for not giving my blog the TLC it deserves. The past couple weeks have flown by, Tom and I started those Insanity workouts, and holy psycho it’s Insane. At first I was sure it would be the death of me, but I’m starting to enjoy it? Maybe enjoy isn’t the verb to be used, I sure do love the shape my physique is taking on and how strong my mind and body feels, so you could say, I am enjoying the fruits of my labor. I find myself craving hearty and healthy foods, and this is one of my favorites! Have I mentioned I love black beans? Add some sweet, charred corn and salty, crumbly cheese and you’ve got the recipe for perfection. I was in the mood for a taco salad-ish creation and this is what I came up with. Feel free to take out what you don’t like or add the things you love. Recipes should always be a jumping off point, cooking for me is about making what YOU love, so have fun with it!
Recipe…
Honeywest Lime Chop with Chicken
Serves 4
For the Honey-Lime Dressing…
- 1/4 cup of honey
- Juice of 3-4 limes
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil and whisk together.
Now slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking. Taste. I started by adding only 3 limes but when I tasted it I decided it needed more lime and a pinch more salt. Add whatever you feel it needs, and voila, you’re done.
Now prep your chicken…
Salt all of your chicken right when you get home from the store, even if you’re not using it all right then, it will be more tender and keep better in the refrigerator. I used 3 small chicken breasts cutlets because it was only Tom and I. For a four person serving I would use 4 large chicken breast cutlets. I like the quicker cooking time of cutlets on a grill pan.
Pour 1-2 tbsp of the dressing on each cutlet. Toss to coat thoroughly and replace in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour.
And for the salad you will need…
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- Half of a bunch of cilantro (or more if you’re OBSESSED with cilantro like I am)
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 ears of corn, grilled and cut off the cob
- 1/2 of an avocado, diced
- 1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 of a package of Cotija cheese
I brushed my corn with a small amount of butter and grilled it on a grill pan until it had a good amount of color.
Run your knife down the cob as close to the core as you can get to separate the kernels from the cob. I did it in the bowl that I assembled the salad in so all that lovely corn juice didn’t go to waste.
Layer in your ingredients and you can let it sit until you are ready for it.
Theres no importance to how you layer it. I was letting my beans drain for a bit so they ended up on top.
I cut a lime in half and dip the cut sides into some cumin and threw them on the grill pan with the chicken, they were really yummy squeezed on the chicken….
Because the cutlets had so much marinade on them i didn’t add any extra oil to the pan and they came out perfect. They should take about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is firm. If you push on the chicken and it gives easily it’s probably not cooked all the way through.
While your chicken is cooking you can crumble your cotija. It falls apart perfectly when you scrape at it with a fork. Tom and I love this stuff, he actually suggested a bowl of it soaked in the dressing for dessert, apparently those were his two favorite ingredients.
Let your chicken rest for about 5 minutes before chopping. This will let the juices redistribute and help keep them moist.
Meanwhile add a few tbsp of dressing to your salad and toss, add more as you toss, you want it to be lightly dressed. I used about a quarter of a cup of dressing altogether.
Plate your salad and add some crumbled cheese on top.
Add chicken and squeeze some lime on top!
Enjoy♥
