Homemade Taco Shell Salad

This is one of those meals that was extra fun to make because I took several ideas from different places and kinda smushed them all together into one thing. The idea for a nice salad served in a cute little taco shell cup originally came about when I was thumbing through my latest issue of Cooking Light and saw a recipe for a shrimp salad. I had chicken to use up, so I decided to go with that instead. The recipe also used premade taco salad bowls, but I thought it might be fun to make my own. How hard could it be, I figured? Plus, I had just bought myself some ramekins, and I wanted to break them in. Sure, it would have been nice to break them in by actually baking a little cake or souffle in them, but this would do!

More on making the actual taco bowls later, though. For my salad, I just used what I had on hand (as usual). I tossed together some romaine lettuce, fresh radishes, and red onion. In the same issue of Cooking Light that I had found the taco salad in (the August issue), there was an advertisement for Kashi and they had a couple recipes in the ad. The chicken recipe they had listed really caught my eye, so I decided to use their ideas for a chicken marinade and a vinaigrette.

I sliced up my chicken into long strips, then marinated them for 30 minutes in a mixture of lime juice, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once they were done marinating, I cooked them on my indoor grill pan for roughly 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. While that was cooking, I made the vinaigrette.

Oh, this vinaigrette. It was so easy, so fresh, and yet it just created so much flavor. We thought it was amazing. I had to alter it slightly; it's not exactly the original version. That is mostly because the original is a poblano spinach vinaigrette, and I had no poblanos! I did, however, have serrano peppers, so I used them instead. It made the dressing spicy, but that was fine with us. If you read this blog somewhat occasionally, you've probably caught on by now that we love our spicy food!

Now, for the taco bowls. I admit I was sort of winging it, and I didn't really figure out how to do it properly until I had already made most of them. I'll tell you what I did, both right and wrong, so hopefully you won't make the same mistakes if you ever try this!

With the help of my 4 year-old son, I would take a flour tortilla, squish it down into a ceramic ramekin, and then spray it with nonstick cooking spray. A little sprinkle of salt and pepper, and they were ready for the oven (the above picture shows this method). I baked them at 350 degrees for around 12 minutes.

Well, this did work...sorta. What happened was this: at 12 minutes, the tops of the shells were crisp and slightly browned. The insides, however, were still very soft. This may have to do with the fact that my son really sprayed these a lot, so they may have been too wet. The other issue these had was that they were a little too scrunched up, so they were pretty hard to fill up with the salad. Oops.

Then I tried them a different way, and it worked much better! I flipped the ramekins over, so they bottoms were facing up. I sprayed the ramekins with cooking spray, as well as the flour tortillas. Then, I molded the tortillas to the ramekins, and they adhered pretty well because of the spray. While they baked, they maintained that nice shape, and once they were finished they were crispy throughout (though maybe they could have used an extra 4-5 minutes in the oven this way). The finished product picture below shows the bowls made the second (and much smarter!) way.

This was a fun experiment, and the meal turned out scrumptious. The salad was light and yummy, the vinaigrette was a welcome pop of flavor, and topping everything off with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of fresh salsa never hurt anything! It was a blast to eat, and I'm always grateful when I can make something that my picky son can enjoy!

The original inspiration for the taco bowl salad (titled Chipotle-Rubbed Shrimp Taco Salad) can be found here. You can find the full recipe for the Cilantro Lime Chicken on Kashi's website, here. I've included it below, since I did change it slightly.

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad
adapted from Chef Keith Snow's recipe for Kashi and from Cooking Light
makes about 4 servings

Ingredients
For the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
pinch black pepper

For the vinaigrette:
2 serrano peppers, roasted and skin removed
1 cup fresh spinach, steamed for 2 minutes and squeezed to remove excess liquid
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 of a red onion, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 heaping Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
pinch kosher salt
pinch black pepper

For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 flour tortillas
nonstick cooking spray
salt and pepper, to taste
salsa, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish

Directions
Assemble the marinade: 1. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Combine marinade with the chicken in a shallow dish or sealable ziploc bag, coating chicken thoroughly. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Make the vinaigrette: 1. Combine all ingredients in a blender (I used my immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use. The leftover dressing can be refrigerated (and is great on just about anything).

Make the taco bowls: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Turn 4 ramekins or heatproof bowls over so the bottoms face up, and place them on a baking sheet. Spray each with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Take each of your 4 tortillas and, one at a time, arrange them on a ramekin or bowl so that they are draped over them. Spray the tops of the tortillas with cooking spray and sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-17 minutres, until crispy and lightly browned all over.

Assemble the salad: 1. Preheat a grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high. Spray with cooking spray. Cook the chicken strips for approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
2. Meanwhile, toss together the romaine lettuce, radishes, and red onion. Divide the salad among the taco bowls, add some chicken strips to each, and drizzle with as much vinaigrette as desired. Garnish salads with sour cream and salsa, and serve.

Grilled Veggie Pasta

I am happy to say that this is the recipe that finally got me over my aversion to zucchini and squash. I started making this dish last summer, when veggies were plentiful and I didn't know quite what to do with them all.

Here at our house we're huge fans of Penzey's Spices, and we are fortunate enough to have a retail location about 35 minutes from home. They have a mail-order catalog which we subscribe to as well, and each issue comes full of recipes created both by home cooks and by Penzey's to showcase their products. This meal was designed to highlight the aromatic flavors of their Pasta Sprinkle and their Freshly Ground Pepper, and it accomplishes just that.

The dish is very simple, and it is very adaptable to what you have on hand in your own home. You start out by grilling an array of vegetables, cooking up a pot of pasta, and then combining everything with plenty of fresh pepper, garlic powder, Pasta Sprinkle, olive oil, and vinegar. It's unbelievably fresh, flavorful, and satisfying despite the fact that it's completely vegetarian. We made this by sauteeing the veggies in a skillet whenever we made it last summer, but now I actually own an indoor grill pan. I used the grill pan for this dish and we thought it made a huge difference! Besides giving those veggies the festive grill marks, I was able to cook the veggies until they were tender but held their shape and were still quite crisp. Since I don't like my zucchini mushy, I loved this cooking method.

I do wish the pictures were a bit more colorful for you; I just used the veggies I had here at home, and there was a lot of green and yellow going on! This dish would be great, I'm sure, with just about any grilled vegetable you can think of, but I usually use a combination of onions, bell peppers, and zucchini/squash. The original recipe, which I have provided below, suggests other veggies that would be yummy, as well. I threw in two jalapenos this time, and I loved the added kick they provided. Garden-fresh jalapenos taste so much better than their storebought counterparts! I'm being spoiled by my in-laws!

No matter what veggies you try, just make sure you try this sometime before summer's over. If I may be so bold, I declare that satisfaction will be guaranteed. And even if it doesn't work out, it'll still help you use up that summer produce!

Grilled Veggie Pasta

adapted from Penzey's Spices (Harvest 2009 issue, p. 40)

makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 lb. dry pasta (any shape)
2 lbs. fresh garden vegetables - your choice of any of the following:
-1 small green zucchini
-1 small yellow zucchini
-1 large red onion (I had yellow)
-1 red bell pepper
-1 yellow bell pepper (I had green)
-1 small eggplant
-1 (6-ounce) package whole button mushrooms (optional, but they add great flavor)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1-2 Tbsp. Pasta Sprinkle (a combination of basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic)
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided
1/2-1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar (I use up to 1/4 cup)

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta, and preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan to medium-high. Wash and dry all veggies, then cut in pieces large enough to rest on the grill without falling through the grating. Place veggies in a single layer on a pan and coat with the 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Toss to coat both sides well.

2. When the water comes up to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse very briefly. Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with the remaining olive oil, along with 1 Tbsp. of the Pasta Sprinkle and the remaining granulated garlic. Cover and set aside while the veggies are grilling.

3. Grill the veggies in a single layer, in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan or grill. Cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, then turn them. Cook for another 2-4 minutes (depending on which veggies you're using and how large the pieces are), until the vegetables are tender but still firm enough to have a crunch. Remove vegetables to the pasta bowl and add the remaining Pasta Sprinkle, pepper, garlic, and salt (if using). Toss everything together, add the vinegar, then toss again. Divide into shallow bowls and serve.

Grilled Spring Onion Skewers

Here is proof that simplicity can sometimes be the greatest thing. Behold, the mighty spring onion. These came from the garden of my in-laws, and they are amazing. They're big, beautiful, and they can pack quite a punch. Not too long ago we were given a big bag full of them, and immediately I thought of an Ellie Krieger recipe I had seen in The Food You Crave.

Her recipe takes a bunch of scallions, with the topmost green parts cut off, and threads them onto skewers after coating them in a bit of olive oil. Easy, right? I added some salt and pepper for added flavor. Then, you simply grill them on an outdoor grill or a grill pan, turning them every so often, until they are soft and slightly charred. I think this makes a fantastic, unique vegetable side dish to nearly any grilled meat, and looks pretty on a plate, as well.

Since my spring onions were way bigger than regular old scallions are, I should probably have cooked them a lot longer than I did. I believe mine were grilled for 15 minutes, and they could have gone for at least another 10. They were delicious, but not grilling them quite long enough had the effect of not completely mellowing out that strong onion flavor. They were still pretty potent! However, I'm very happy to have discovered this easy side dish, and I'm sure I'll be using this technique a lot more often. It's just too simple not to!

Grilled Spring Onion Skewers

adapted from The Food You Crave

makes 4 skewers

Ingredients

4 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes (I used my metal skewers)

20 scallions (I had about 16 large spring onions)

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste (Ellie's recipe does not have this)

Directions

1. Preheat the grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat.

2. Cut the roots and tops off of the onions so you have the bulb plus 1 inch of green left. Reserve your tops for another use.

3. Make a few slices into the green part of the onion so it splays out a little. Thread 5 scallions onto each of the skewers, brush with the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill over medium heat until they are softened and develop char marks, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice. (If you are using spring onions, this could take about 25 minutes.)

Grilled Lime-Soy Chicken with Miso-Mixed Vegetable Salad

This is one of those meals that just makes you feel good after you eat it. It's so fresh, so clean and healthy, that it can truly leave you feeling satisfied but not overly so. It's plenty filling, but you don't feel kinda gross afterwards, like you ate too much. Once again, Cooking Light Magazine has provided the inspiration (and most of the recipe) for a home run meal at our house.

The chicken was actually tuna in the original version I found in my June issue of Cooking Light. Since I am still not brave enough to try tuna (yet!), I decided that this meal would be just as good with chicken instead. I can't speak for the tuna dish, but I can tell you that the chicken was a huge success. A quick marinade of lime juice, soy sauce, oil, honey, ginger, cayenne pepper, and garlic is thrown together with the chicken. About 20 minutes later, simply discard the marinade and toss the chicken on the grill. How easy is that?

You can easily make the side dish while the chicken is marinating. It can be served at room temperature, so it's fine if it has to sit for a bit. The crisp veggies soak up the simple dressing, yet somehow they retain their shape and texture. The flavors are delicate, yet everything comes together so beautifully in this salad. I highly recommend this as a side dish to almost anything with an Asian flair. It can be made in a flash and it's so yummy!

The original version of this recipe, made with tuna, can be found here. I modified this so the chicken was the protein, of course, and I also omitted the noodles that are served with the tuna. Feel free to make them, though; they sound delicious. We didn't make them because we had a huge lunch the day we made this and we were going for a lighter dinner.

Grilled Lime-Soy Chicken with Miso-Mixed Vegetable Salad
adapted from Cooking Light
makes about 2 servings

Ingredients
For the chicken:
8 tsp. fresh lime juice
8 tsp. less-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. canola oil
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. fresh peeled ginger, minced
dash of cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1-inch thick

For the vegetable salad:
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/4 cup radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. red miso (original recipe used white miso)
1 tsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. dark sesame oil

Directions
1. Combine the first seven chicken ingredients in a small bowl. Pour lime juice mixture into a ziplock bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and marinate at room temperature 20 minutes, turning bag once.
2. Meanwhile, make the vegetable salad. Steam the sugar snap peas 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender; rinse with cold water, then drain. Combine the peas with the radishes and bell pepper. Toss with the vinegar, miso, and the oils; mix everything well. Set aside.
3. Back to the chicken: remove the chicken from the bag and discard marinade. Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Coat grill with cooking spray. Cook chicken for at least 5 minutes per side, until fully cooked. Serve alongside vegetable salad.