Our weather seems to finally at least be settling into spring/summer temperatures. As the summer comes, I tend to find myself not wanting to cook as much, or at least not in a very elaborate way. Fresh fruits and vegetables, paired with some sort of lean, light protein usually appeals most. Perhaps it's the heat of the summer weighing me down or the abundance of fresh, lovely produce calling my name. In any case, while I could easily eat a quarter (ok, probably a half..) of a watermelon, some fresh tomato slices with basil and goat cheese, and maybe a slice of fresh bread and call it a day, husband doesn't typically consider that a "real" meal.
I wanted to offer him something both filling and somehow still light. Enter the cobb salad. I'm sad to say I had not given this salad much thought or attention throughout my life. When juxtaposed with fresh spring mix, strawberries, and candied pecans, it always seems silly to choose the more "traditional" cobb. I was wrong, friends. So, so wrong. We had this cobb salad TWICE in one week. Husband loved it. I loved it. You'll love it.
Cobb Salad
makes enough for 2 large entree salads; dressing adapted from Smitten Kitchen
*I've included what we used in ours, but please feel free to let your imagination go wild and include whatever fresh seasonal loveliness you have on hand (cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, etc.)
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 slices of bacon
1/2 avocado
1/4-1/3 cup shredded chicken (I used leftover from a previous dinner and recommend you do too!)
~2 heaping Tbs soft goat cheese
1 - 1 1/2 large romaine hearts (depending on how much you want per plate/person)
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil**
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
juice from half a lemon (about 1/2 Tbs)
scant 1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp Worcestershire
drip or two of maple syrup
1/4 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Cook your bacon until it's crispy. Remove the bacon and allow to drain a bit on a paper towel. See the note below for what to do with that lovely bacon grease!
While the bacon is cooking, chop your romaine. Place half on each plate. Chop your eggs. Place 1 chopped egg on each bed of lettuce (mixing it all over or, for the more traditional presentation, keeping all the eggs in a single "line" like in the picture above). Chop your avocado. Add half to each bed of lettuce. Add your shredded chicken, half to each plate. Crumple the desired amount of goat cheese over each lettuce mound. When bacon is cooked and slightly cooled, chop or crumple and add to the ever-growing mound of goodness.
Make your dressing. Drizzle desired amount over each salad. Devour. Think how you could do this again and again with so many different, awesome combos. (Spinach, blue cheese, strawberries, avocado, bacon...; salmon, feta, blueberries, sprouts...vegetarian twist with black beans, lentils, extra veggies...)
**I like to reserve the bacon grease from cooking my bacon, pour it into a measuring cup, and then fill the rest of the quarter cup with olive oil; gives a nice little punch to the dressing!
Cobb Salad
makes enough for 2 large entree salads; dressing adapted from Smitten Kitchen
*I've included what we used in ours, but please feel free to let your imagination go wild and include whatever fresh seasonal loveliness you have on hand (cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, etc.)
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 slices of bacon
1/2 avocado
1/4-1/3 cup shredded chicken (I used leftover from a previous dinner and recommend you do too!)
~2 heaping Tbs soft goat cheese
1 - 1 1/2 large romaine hearts (depending on how much you want per plate/person)
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil**
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
juice from half a lemon (about 1/2 Tbs)
scant 1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp Worcestershire
drip or two of maple syrup
1/4 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Cook your bacon until it's crispy. Remove the bacon and allow to drain a bit on a paper towel. See the note below for what to do with that lovely bacon grease!
While the bacon is cooking, chop your romaine. Place half on each plate. Chop your eggs. Place 1 chopped egg on each bed of lettuce (mixing it all over or, for the more traditional presentation, keeping all the eggs in a single "line" like in the picture above). Chop your avocado. Add half to each bed of lettuce. Add your shredded chicken, half to each plate. Crumple the desired amount of goat cheese over each lettuce mound. When bacon is cooked and slightly cooled, chop or crumple and add to the ever-growing mound of goodness.
Make your dressing. Drizzle desired amount over each salad. Devour. Think how you could do this again and again with so many different, awesome combos. (Spinach, blue cheese, strawberries, avocado, bacon...; salmon, feta, blueberries, sprouts...vegetarian twist with black beans, lentils, extra veggies...)
**I like to reserve the bacon grease from cooking my bacon, pour it into a measuring cup, and then fill the rest of the quarter cup with olive oil; gives a nice little punch to the dressing!