Fajita Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

Today is week six for the salad makers. Time really does fly!

Kim posted the salad recipe this week. Like many of us she was torn (no pun intended) when selecting the salad for the group to make. She went back and forth and finally ended up with this Fajita salad from Cooking Light. Mind you, the other salads she was considering look delicious and I know that we'll be making them as well.

We had the salad for dinner last night. I made a few changes (imagine . .. me failing to follow a recipe). First, there was no way that 2 T of cilantro in the sauce/dressing was enough for us so I used 4 T. Then when I was shopping I was unable to find canned pinto beans (and too lazy to soak and cook dried ones) so I used kidney beans. I used whole chicken breasts, rubbed them with the spice mixture, and grilled them. Once they had rested post-grilling I sliced them thinly and added them to the salad. I sliced the pepper and onion in thick slices and grilled them as well.

This was a hit! I wasn't too sure about the sauce/dressing because with the balsamic vinegar it turned a rather unappetizing colour but after an hour or so in the fridge the flavours came together nicely and I was able to ignore the brownish colour.

Fajita Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into thin strips
Cooking spray
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced green bell pepper rings
1 cup sliced red onion, separated into rings
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, cut into 8 wedges

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add chicken mixture; sauté 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Set aside.

Divide lettuce and next 6 ingredients (lettuce through tomato) among 4 bowls; top with chicken mixture. Serve with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 serving salad, 3 ounces chicken, and 1/3 cup sauce)

CALORIES 520 (38% from fat); FAT 21.9g (sat 6g,mono 6.8g,poly 6g); IRON 5.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 360mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.7g; SODIUM 1061mg; PROTEIN 3.6g; FIBER 6.6g


Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

This recipe goes with Fajita Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced

Combine all ingredients, and stir well with a whisk. Cover sauce, and chill.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups (serving size: 1/3 cup)

CALORIES 113 (65% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.4g,poly 4.2g); IRON 0.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.6g; SODIUM 254mg; PROTEIN 3.2g; FIBER 0.1g

Comments

[Deborah]

Jerry, I was wondering about what the Balsamic might do to the appearance, too. So, I think I'm going to use white balsalmic.

[Jerry]

Good plan - of course, the fact that I added 2 extra tablespoons of chopped cilantro helpd with the colour as well. ;-)

[nancyhol]

I agree, it was yummy! Deborah has a good idea using the white balsamic.

[Cindy Ruth]

I would probably change the balsamic next time to a regular vinegar. I was a little put off by the color also, but I didn't like the sweetness it imparted. But overall, it was a great salad.

[Deborah]

As it turned out, Jerry, I left the vinegar out altogether. Oops.

[Jerry]

One of the things I appreciate about the salads vs say baking is the flexibility that you have. You can play with the recipe a bit more and not have to worry about a disaster.

[María I.]

I really enjoyed this salad. It was so easy to put together. I like cilantro so much that I never measure it.

[Marcia]

I wondered about the balsamic, and it did turn the dressing a bit tea-like, but the flavor was excellent. FYI, Jerry, David appreciated your thumbs up on the tortilla strips, not that we did them this time.

[Annie]

I agree with you about appreciating the flexibility of all these salads! Next time, I will double the cilantro too.

[Jerry]

I'm with you on the cilantro Maria - just dumping it in seems to work well. I can never figure out what it is that turns some folks off.

I agree Marcia - colour was off but the taste - mmmmm

Heck Annie - let's try tripling it! LOL

[Eat Smart Age Smart]

Thanks for the mouth-watering recipe. I believe a salad a day keep a doctor away. I do actually eat two salads a day - well, almost every day. Unless I’m rushed or pressed for time, I will always include one salad during lunch and one at dinner time.

[Jerry]

I tend to eat far more salads when the weather gets better and we can get fresh ingredients again!