Jana: Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad

We're not big salad eaters around here. Even Rob who is a healthy eater, usually passes up a salad. But the promise of an avocado salad topping seemed enticing enough for me. I had some Azteca salad shells in the fridge just waiting to be used (if and when we make salads in this house, they are always served in these crispy bowls). And, I have to be honest, I savor the crispy shells more than I enjoy the green stuff inside.

Usually we make a more citrus salad (with apples and walnuts), but the addition of the avocados seemed to make for a more southwestern style tonight. I marinaded the chicken slices with our favorite Kroger-brand tequila lime marinade (although you can get the brand name Lawry's here), and then sprinkled with a little chili powder to add a bit of spice.

On the veggie side, I sliced up some red peppers and fresh cilantro to accompany the fresh spinach leaves. To top it off, I added avocados slices and sprinkled a couple of shakes of lime juice over the top. What a pretty combination of colors. My grandma always taught me that a colorful meal is a healthy one--yay for healthy!

The reviews:
Rob wasn't convinced. I think he was a little put out about it being a "salad." And, he had different expectations of how the avocados should be used. But, he's not an "iron chef sister," so tonight he just had to eat and enjoy.

I have to admit the combination was a bit bland--I probably should have added a hint of cayenne, used a spicier marinade, or maybe mixed some onions with mashed avocados. Let's just say, I wouldn't serve it this way for company. But as I said previously, the avocados and salad shells made it all ok for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed my salad.

Despite the near miss, this meal inspires me for the summer lunches of June and July. Note to self--> A couple of minutes of chopping, a couple of minutes of cooking, and voila... I have enough fixin's for a couple of salads.