08/27/2007

Recipe of the Week

Margarita Grilled Chicken Salad

Kim Willhide, of Marion, Ind., sent in today's recipe. She has family who live in the Lake Ann area and has been checking out the Record-Eagle food Web site.

"I was amazed at all of the wonderful recipes and I haven't even made it through all of them yet,” she writes.

The one she submitted comes from a magazine. She made a few adjustments to it and said it is "absolutely delicious.”

"I have made it several times and everyone loves it,” she writes. "It is very simple and tasty.

"I prepare the chicken when I am fixing another meal on the grill and then throw the rest of it together another day. The chicken will keep several days.”

Margarita Grilled Chicken Salad

• 2 boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 fresh tomato, sliced or cut in bite-size pieces
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Cilantro leaves for garnish

Marinade:

• 1&1/2 c. bottled margarita mix (non-alcoholic)
• Grated rind from one lime
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/2 t. ground cumin
• Salt and pepper

Dressing mix:

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
• Juice from 1/2 lime (save the other half to squeeze over avocados)
• 2 T. chopped red onion
• 2 T. chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper

Mix margarita mix, lime rind, minced garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Add chicken and marinate approximately one hour. Grill or smoke the chicken until cooked. Cool and coarsely chop if you are ready to make the salad. If not, wrap and refrigerate chicken breasts until ready to continue, then chop it up.

Make dressing by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, lime juice, onion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Whisk ingredients together. Stir in chicken.

To serve, layer tomatoes, then chicken salad and top with sliced avocado. Squeeze the other half lime over the avocado to keep it from turning brown. Top each serving with a sprig of cilantro. This amount makes approximately two large servings, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Kim likes to make the servings in the morning, chill and then have them for lunch.

Editor's note: Last week's Recipe of the Week for Bread Pudding omitted the cooking time. It should be baked at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.

Enjoy cooking? How would you like a new apron? We'll send a Record-Eagle "We've got you covered” apron to readers whose recipes are printed here. If you have a recipe, send it, along with your name, mailing address, phone number and details on the recipe and the reactions it gets to: Recipe of the Week, Record-Eagle, P.O. Box 632, Traverse City, MI 49685; fax (231) 946-8632; e-mail kgibbons@record-eagle.com.