Cobb Salad Mix-ins

While the weather has cooled from melt-your-face-off hot, we are still facing crazy heat. And who wants to eat—or cook!—a hot meal in these conditions?! Yea. Me either.

I’ve never been a salad for dinner kind of gal and I’m certainly not married to a salad for dinner kind of guy. (Nor does it seem we’re raising salad for dinner kind of boys.) But these salads are different. Hearty and full of veggies AND protein, these salads make quick dinners that’ll fill you up without making you feel stuffed, the last feeling in the world you want to endure in this weather.

I can’t get enough of this Asian Noodle Salad. It requires a little bit of cooking (making a box of pasta), but ends up a cold (translation: super refreshing) pasta dish and salad, all rolled into one surprisingly light dinner. This recipe yields a huge amount of food that can easily serve 6 (and quite possibly 8+) people. You can make less by reducing the amount of pasta. I’ve even seen this recipe adapted without any pasta at all. A veggie-only version would be awesome with grilled chicken or fish.

Everybody loves a good caesar salad, but authentic caesar dressing (made with raw eggs) is not practical for feeding the kiddos. This Eggless Caesar with Smoked Black Pepper Chicken is the solution. Just as tasty as the “real” thing, but lighter and kid-friendly. Pungent smoked black pepper is so delicious, it’s all you need to give plain chicken breasts (or shrimp!) tons of flavor. Throw them on the grill or in the broiler and you’re done.

My all time favorite salad-for-dinner, though, is this gorgeous cobb salad (pictured here). It might seem like it’ll take a lot of time to get all of the components together, but it doesn’t have to. Hard boil the eggs while you’re eating breakfast in the morning and keep them in the fridge all day. Then, when you get home from work or the playground, throw the chicken on the grill or in the broiler and the bacon in a pan (or in the oven). While the meat is cooking, make the dressing (which can also be made up to a week ahead of time) and cut up the veg. Throw everything together and you’ve got a seriously complete meal. The best part? It’s easily customizable. Kids don’t eat bacon? Keep that out of their portions. Dad not into hard boiled eggs? No problem! Rather seafood than chicken? Grill up some shrimp. Easy peasy.

Do you have a favorite summer salad main entree? Chime in! As always, enjoy. And stay cool.

Cobb Salad, barely adapted from Saveur
serves 4-6

FOR THE DRESSING:
3/4 c canola oil
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1/4 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

FOR THE SALAD:
6 strips bacon
4 chicken cutlets (or 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
1 head romain lettuce, chopped
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I used Roquefort)
3 hard boiled eggs, quartered
2 medium tomatoes, chopped into 1/2″ cubes
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 Tbsp minced chives

1. Make the dressing: Combine the canola oil, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, sugar and garlic in a blender. Purée the ingredients to make a smooth dressing and season with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside (or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week).

2. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet; set aside on paper towels. In the meantime, season chicken with salt and pepper and saute in the bacon fat. Once chicken is cooked through, cut into 1/2″ strips and roughly chop bacon.

3. Toss lettuce, bacon, chicken and all other remaining ingredients in a bowl with dressing, salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped chives.

*Note: Set aside and mash some avocado for eaters as young as 6 months. Slighter older children can also enjoy the blue cheese (if it’s pasteurized), eggs (just yolks or, if your child does not have an egg allergy, the whites, too) and chicken. You can puree some of these things together or, if your little one is an accomplished finger food eater, give them small pieces plain or drizzled with dressing.

*****
Kids change the way we cook, but they don’t have to change how well we eat. Get more family-friendly recipes, tips and techniques to satisfy your own hunger and inspire healthy hungers in your children on Stacie’s blog, One Hungry Mama.

Similar Posts: