Chicken Taco Salad

I'm not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but around here, in Northern California, it's officially spring!  We've had 70 degree weather all week, and from the looks of the weather reports it's going to be close to 80 this weekend.  This Chicken Taco Salad is a great way to lighten things up after a long winter.  My favorite part about it is the salad dressing!  I promise, you won't be disappointed if you give this one a try!

Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg of taco seasoning
1 lime
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 hearts of romaine shredded
1 can of sliced black olives
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup of roasted corn (I buy frozen from Trader Joe's)
1 large tomato diced
1 avocado diced
1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 jalapeno seeded and diced (optional if you like spice)

 Directions:
Start by slicing your chicken breasts in half, turning them into 4 thin breast steaks, with a very sharp knife. Then place the chicken in a large ziptop bag and add the taco seasoning, juice of the lime and olive oil. Allow to marinade for at least 1/2 an hour.  Tip: If I know I'm making this the next day I do this step the night before and allow to marinade over night.

When you are ready to cook your chicken, either on an outdoor grill, or a grill pan, cook on high heat for about 4 minutes on each side.  I like to get those charred grill marks on the meat, as I feel it really gives it great flavor.  When your chicken is done, set aside and allow to cool slightly while you assemble the rest of the salad.

In a large bowl add your shredded romaine lettuce, drained black beans, corn, tomato and cheese, then toss. Slice your grilled chicken breast into bite sized pieces and top the salad with the chicken and avocado. Serve with your favorite dressing, or try my recipe for Salsa Ranch below!

Ingredients for Salsa Ranch:
1 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 tbs of ranch seasoning

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a jar or large measuring cup.  Depending on how thick you like your dressing you can add more buttermilk to thin or sour cream to thicken.  Enjoy!

Can you say yumm???