I was to have a friend over for lunch today, but as it is "that time of year" one of her children ended up leaving school before lunch today with a stomach virus. I decided to go ahead and enjoy the meal, praying for her son's health all the while. I missed my friend today.
Menu:
- Lime-Tequila Chicken Salad
- Pear Salad EXTREME
- Fresh Cut Veggies (You are on your own for this one. If you need help, just buy your veggies all ready cleaned and cut from the salad bar at your local grocery.)
Lime-Tequila Chicken Salad
First start with Chicken that is left over from yesterday's dinner of grilled Lime-Tequila Chicken....easy enough, right? Here is the marinade:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
juice of two fresh limes, with a bit of zest grated into the liquid
1-2 oz tequila (depends on your tastebuds)
2 cloves garlic, finely grated into the marinade
1 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
2+ Tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
This marinade works for about 4 boneless chicken breast pieces cut into thirds, lengthwise. We find this size best for grilling because leftovers are easy to make into sandwiches or salads.
Now that we have a few pieces of left over Lime Tequila Chicken....
Chop that chicken.
Add cranberries, almonds, finely chopped red onion, finely chopped celery to taste
Spices: More Cumin!!! Fresh ground salt and peper (to tastse)
Add light mayonaise and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
There you have it. Easy, breezy.
Now, you ask about the Pear Salad EXTREME??
Thinly slice a red pear into a small skillet with 1-2 tablespoons melted butter (mmmmmm!!!!) Add a handful of walnuts. Let this stay on a medium fire, stirring often, while you gather your dinner ingredients, make a phone call, or do a bit of laundry. Once the pear is nice and caramelized, put it into a pretty salad dish and top with a few crumbles of goat cheese. (I suppose Blue Cheese would work there, too!)
There you have it! That's one of my Lunch with a Friend go-to meals. Enjoy!
