About the Chef

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Oregon, United States
My name is Alexia. I have lived in NE Oregon for most of my life, and love it here because it's where my family is. I have 3 younger sisters, 3 younger brothers, and a million cousins. I live with my husband and our three boys, and our dog Norman. My family is Greek/ Cajun/ Mexican, so food is very important to us;-) I love cooking and creating new recipes, my kids, my family, wine, painting, and everything retro! I am a dialysis technician. I love my job and my patients. I am currently studying to be a nurse. I love school, and so far it has been good to me... Dean's List or Honor Roll each term! Between work, school, my husband, our kids and all of their activities and adventures, I don't have a ton of time to blog. I love sharing recipes, so I make time for it when I can. You can follow me on Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration (thanks to those of you that have pinned my recipes!): pinterest.com/lexisamom .

Friday, August 9, 2013

Chicken Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

This is such a great summer salad. I never make it because Kevin hates cilantro (ridiculous, huh?) I guess this will be one for me to enjoy with my sisterwife.

I bought a whole chicken and had it cut into smaller pieces so it would bake faster. I used lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper for the marinade and baked it on 365 for about 30 minutes. I just pulled that apart and used it on the salad. You could use grilled chicken breasts or no meat, and this recipe would still work.

For the salad, toss together:

Lettuce
cherry tomatoes
Red onion
Grilled corn, shaved from the cob
Red or orange bell pepper (I roasted mine in the oven for five minutes- yum!)
Avocado,  diced
Tortilla strips
Salsa for garnish

Dressing:

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1-2 whole chipotle peppers (canned in the ethnic foods section of the store. I have also used a small can of jalapenos in addotion, depending on how spicy and tangy you want the flavor)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 clove garlic
Juice and zest of 3 limes
Pinch (less than 1/8 tsp) cumin
Salt and pepper (I used cayenne pepper for a kick)
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

Combine everything except the oil in the fiid processor and blend u til smooth. Slowly add the oil while on high. Cover, chill, and use within 5 days.
Coat the salad in this dressing. If serving later, keep the dressing separate from the salad to avoid it getting mushy.

And of course, you should pair this with white sangria;-) Delicious!

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