Cajun Chicken Salad

This salad is absolutely the best chicken salad ever to cross my lips. It started with our monthly Penzeys ad arriving in the mail. Kevin snatched it and hovered over every page. Then he announced that we simply had to go to Penzeys to buy some Cajun seasoning. Without checking the store hours, we arrived half an hour before they opened, and fiddled around in Uptown for a bit.

When we got home we started cooking. And cooking. And cooking. In all, we had three different Cajun spiced meals in three days. Was it extreme? Just really, really tasty.

Something about the chicken being coated with seasoning and pan-fried makes them incredibly tender and juicy. There is just enough of a kick of flavor to keep it interesting and make you want to dig in for another bite. And then another one.

Cajun Chicken Breasts with Salad

3 4-6 oz chicken breasts (or whatever)

2 T Cajun seasoning

2 T oil

Wash chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with a thick layer of Cajun seasoning. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Adjust the heat down a bit if the chicken is browning too quickly or up if it isn't sizzling. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.

Salad:

1 head romaine lettuce

1 head leaf lettuce

1/2 tomato, diced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1 T Italian seasoning or salad dressing base

1 T water

1/4 C red wine vinegar or regular white vinegar

1/3 - 1/2 C olive oil.

Whisk everything together

Carmalized Cauliflower with Salsa Verde

It's been a long time since I put up a recipe. I know because Mom called to ask if I had fallen off the face of the earth. Maybe. I've been cooking, just not posting. Which is too bad because this roasted cauliflower is F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C. and I haven't been meaning to deprive you of it.

I know what you're thinking. Roasted cauliflower? That sounds gross. That's what I thought, too, but after polishing off half a head, I had definitely changed my mind. Kevin even enjoyed it, and he hardly ever eats the food I cook.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 medium cauliflower

2-3 T olive oil

salt to taste

Salsa Verde

1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed

3 T finely chopped cilantro leaves

2 medium cloves garlic, minced with a pinch of salt

3 T fresh lime juice

4 T olive oil

salt to taste

Prepare the salsa verde first. In a medium bowl, whisk together the jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Add a pinch or two of salt to taste. Set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the cauliflower. Place it stem side down on a cutting board. Slice it vertically, top to bottom, in 1/4 inch slices. Most of it will be in crumbles and a few slices will stay intact. Put it into a large bowl and drizzle 2 T of oil on it. Use your hands to toss to coat the cauliflower. Add an extra T of oil if necessary to coat it all.

Spread it in a single layer on a sheet pan or two, you don't want it too crowded or it will steam instead of roast. Salt lightly.

Bake until it is tender, golden, and slightly brown in spots, around 20-30 minutes. Turn once with a spatula. Salt lightly again.

Serve hot or warm, with the salsa on the side for drizzling.