Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Cobb Salad

This week for dinner, I've been having Cobb Salad, which I threw together on kind of whim when I noticed that I had all the ingredients for it in my fridge after my weekly shopping trip (and particularly wanted to use up some bacon I had on hand). As I was preparing the first serving, I put the remaining amount of what I'd chopped into a tupperware container so that I'd have two more servings that could easily be added to lettuce, then adding freshly chopped tomato, avocado and blue cheese. There is a bit of prep work that goes into this, which is why it's nice to reserve two more servings to have on hand for two easy dinners without a lot of clean-up during the week. Also I had prepared the chicken for the Three Bean Salad as well, so I didn't deal with that part of the recipe.

As a side note, the chicken breasts I bought this week were huge (and a little frightening), so if you're finding very tiny chicken breasts, firstly good for you, and secondly you might increase how many you use for this recipe.

Cobb Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
makes three servings

Red leaf lettuce (at least 12 large leafs)
1 large chicken breast, seasoned
2 tomatoes
2 eggs
1/2 red onion
1 avocado
3 oz. blue cheese
2 slices bacon

Balsamic Vinaigrette

3 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. grainy dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. yellow french mustard
1 clove garlic, grated
salt
pepper

In a sauté pan or skillet, cook seasoned chicken breast on both sides over medium heat until cooked through (approx 15 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Put 2 eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Place uncovered over high heat until water comes to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce to low heat, and cook for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, immediately drain and put in cold water.

While eggs are cooking, you can begin preparing the bacon. As bacon and eggs are cooking, chop onions, 1/2 tomato, and 1/4 avocado. Place lettuce on a plate and add ingredients. Remaining onions go into a tupperware container. When the chicken had cooled, chop and place about 1/3 on plate; remaining goes with onions in tupperware. When bacon is finished and has drained for about a minute on paper towels, chop, adding 1/3 to plate and remaining to tupperware. Once eggs have cooled entirely, peel, chop and add about 1/3 of chopped eggs to plate, and remaining to tupperware. (When preparing the salad the following nights, chop tomato and avocado then.) Add about 1 oz. of blue cheese, or less depending on preferences.

To make dressing, combine ingredients in a small glass bowl or measuring glass. Use about 1/3 on tonight's salad, the rest can be reserved in fridge for two following nights.


Costs
Chicken $1.66
Blue cheese $7.99 (for a glass container with blue cheese cubes marinated in peppercorns and olive oil)
Tomato $4.11 (for 3 total)
Red onion $.60
Eggs $1.89 (for 6)
Avocado $1.99

Total: $18.24

Cost per meal $6.08

Nutritional information per serving: 432 calories (246 fat calories), 28g total fat, 10g saturated fat, 11g carbohydrate, 4g dietary fiber, 4g sugars, 35g protein, 125% vitamin A, 29% vitamin C, 21% calcium, 14% iron. Also a very good source of niacin (54%) and selenium (55%), and a good source of protein, vitamin A and vitamin K (141%).

No comments: