Spinach Fruit Salad

In a recent effort to eat healthier and cleaner, I have really focused on eating more fruits and veggies. While I haven't cut out all processed foods (still need my Dr Pepper!), I have felt much healthier and energetic. This salad is easy and fast, great for either lunch or dinner.

Spinach Fruit Salad

Spinach I buy prewashed baby spinach

Rotisserie Chicken I buy this from costco, then portion it out into quart freezer bags to make preparations easier.

Strawberries, sliced I do about 4-6 per plate. 

Grapes, halved 8-10 per plate

Mandarin oranges, 1 can drained

Dressing- On this salad, I love the Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing. My husband eats ranch on it (yuck!), but use whatever dressing you think would pair well with the fruit. There's a lot of acidity with the fruit, using a creamy dressing will balance the dish to make it nice and tasty!

Cobb Salad

I really love a good Cobb salad. I have 2 favorites that I absolutely love! The first I found is at the Brown Derby restaurant inside MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. I got the recipe from them, but was disappointed when I tried to replicate it. It turned it to be a difficult recipe and it didn't taste the same. This instigated my search for an easier but just as delicious recipe. 

Now, this second cobb I found is at a local SLC restaurant called Citrus Grill. The two salads can't be compared because they are so different, but I found a good vinaigrette that is so close to the dressing at Citrus Grill. 

To be completely transparent, I didn't create this dressing, I found it on the website Our Best Bites.

Here is my version of the Cobb Salad.

Makes 4 servings- Divide ingredients evenly on 4 plates

Salad:

Green leaf lettuce, chopped 

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, chopped If you love avocados like I do, get a giant Haas avocado

8 slices of bacon, chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, sliced

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

*Tips for easier/faster cooking:
- Hard boil eggs the fool proof way- place eggs in a muffin tin, bake for 30 minutes at 325 F. Take out of the oven and place in a bowl of ice water for 10 min.
- I buy my rotisserie chicken from Costco. I chop and divide it into quart size freezer bags and freeze.
- I buy precooked bacon from Costco. Place it on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Cook until crispy, about 1 min. (Are you sensing a trend? I LOVE Costco!) 

Dressing: (from Our Best Bites, go here for the recipe)

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

-1/4 c. fresh lime juice- I would suggest slightly less. If you use too much it will ruin the flavor
-1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
-4-5 cloves garlic
-1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt- I've used table salt and kosher salt, they taste the same
-2 tsp. sugar
-1 c. canola oil
-1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed- Again, don't use more than this or the flavor will be too strong. Unless you love cilantro, like really love it, then go for it!

In a blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. 

*If you have leftovers, keep the dressing separate and bury the avocados in the middle of the salad. (They'll stay green that way.) Eat the salad within a day or two.