Mediterranean Chicken Salad

As you know, we have been home from Cabo for a couple of weeks now. In fact, today is two weeks exactly since our return home. Of course I’ve been cooking the whole time we’ve been home too, but I wanted to share our Cabo experiences first, before sharing my own cooking once again.

As usual at this time of year, our weather is predictably unpredictable. It’s been cool since we returned home, but we have also had two major snow storms too. Currently, everything is beneath a thick white blanket of snow, once more. It is still snowing at the moment too, but only. On our of our cooler days, but not on one of our snowy days, I made a Mediterranean chicken salad with a spinach, basil, cilantro pesto sauce.

Spinach, Basil, Cilantro Pesto

3 cups spinach, stems removed

1 cup cilantro, stems removd

1 cup basil

1/2 cup toasted almonds

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

1/3 cup Parmigiano cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

3 TBSP basil olive oil, optional

Mix everything together in the food processor until smooth, then set aside until ready to use.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

3-4 tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup mixed olives, sliced

1-1 1/2 cups grilled or sauteed zucchini, crookneck squash, mushrooms, and onions

1 1/2-2 lbs cooked or frilled chicken slices

1/3 cup toasted almonds

Feta cheese crumbles, optional

As you all know, I have so much fun recreating from my leftovers, and this salad was no exception. I used my leftover vegetables and my leftover Costco rotisserie chicken for my salad. I know. You are all shocked! Me using up my leftovers. Who would have “thunk” it?  :) This time the recipe actually “followed” what I already had in my refrigerator, which made this a perfect salad to make. 

We all had a slightly different version of the salad, and that’s OK. 

I made the spinach, basil and cilantro pesto for the salad, but I had some leftover tomato-jalapeno vinaigrette too, Ranchero Steak Salad that I added to mine as well. Combining the two dressings really made all the flavors of the salad come to life. I love it when everything just comes together perfectly. :)

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ’Til next time.