dinner

Southwest salad

Southwest Salad with the Mexi-Flexy Dressing

So this recipe has little to do with fish, it’s just that it uses this awesome-sauce as the fantastical star ingredient. We throw in chicken when we have it leftover.  You could also use leftover steak, fish or no meat at all. I keep handy some frozen corn and frozen black beans to throw in for the bean protein, an extra southwest-y punch and…. okay, I like the corn color. I pre-cook a bag of dry beans in my pressure cooker and keep it frozen for occasions like this. You could also use canned beans, rinsed and drained and kept frozen the same way. Or be bean-less… whatev’s.

I’m sorry. I just can’t bring myself to measure and track ingredients info for a salad. Too. Much.

Southwest Salad with Spicy-Tangy-Mexi-Flexy-Dressing/Sauce

Spinach, romaine, butter lettuce, or (if you really must) iceberg

leftover chicken or steak, sliced bite-size

bell pepper, diced

avocado, diced

tomatoes, diced

corn, handful from the freezer

black beans, handful from the freezer

purple onion, diced

cheddar cheese, grated

crunched up tortilla chips

a splash of spicy-tangy-mexi-flexy-dressing/sauce

If you’re gobbling this up ASAP, run the frozen corn and beans under some tap water briefly to take the freeze off quickly. The key to a good salad, in my humble opinion (besides freshness… durrr), is that you chop veggies finely and tear the green leaves up nicely, too. You want as much of each of the veggies as you can get into every bite.

Now, eat up, amigos (said in my best southern gringo voice)!

Southwest salad

Spicy-Tangy-Mexi-Flexy-Dressing/Sauce

We love this dressing… it’s sweet and spicy with a little tang. I’ve been making it for a few years now and I’ve finally taking the initiative to write the recipe down just for you! Whoo hooo! There’s no telling how many different ingredients I’ve added or omitted over the years. Don’t have one thing? Don’t fret. Add more of something else or just roll with what you have.

This makes a over a cup and a half so we always have plenty for a couple of salads, use it for fish taco sauce, if we’re planning ahead I add some tequila to it make it a marinate for fish tacos. It’s good as a dipping sauce when you add a little Greek yogurt or sour cream. This stuff is just so flexible and tasty! Keep it in a jar in the fridge and see how many ways you can use it.

Tangy-spicy-Mexi-Flexy Dressing The team of ingredients used to make some kick-ass dressing.

Southwest Salad Dressing

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon hot sauce (we love Louisiana)

1 teaspoon dice japelepenos

* 2 teaspoons chipotle seasoning

* 1/2 cup (or so) verde salsa (or your favorite salsa will do)

* 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Mix in all the ingredients in a small bowl (at least a 2 cup measuring cup works for me). If you have an emulsifier, run it on low until everything is pureed and mixed well. Store in a jar and serve over salads, use as a marinade and add as a taco sauce.

Awesome-sauce... pre-emulsifier. Awesome-sauce… pre-emulsifier.

I’ll post more on other ways to use this yummy goodness later!

* Some optional…these take the dressing a little further in flavor and body, but aren’t required to achieve kick-ass-ness.