Feeding a family is easy when you have ready-to-eat chicken — whether leftovers from a whole roasted bird or cooked and cubed chicken from the grocery store.
In no time at all, Deanna Yates of Kakaako assembles a delicious salad by opening a few staples from her pantry and adding them to cubed chicken.
Do what she does: Use what you have in your fridge or pantry that reminds you of Mexico in a can. Or head to the supermarket, where you’ll find Mexican-style canned corn, as well as many varieties of beans.
Store-bought salsa can serve as the dressing. No salsa in the house? Substitute oil and vinegar or even ranch dressing. You can also add as much heat as you like, from hot sauce to pickled or fresh chilies such as jalapeno or serrano.
Like green onions? Add them. Green chilies? Layer them. Want more texture? Add crunchy corn chips. The combinations are limitless.
MEXICAN CHICKEN SALAD
By Deanna Yates
- 1 head iceberg or romaine lettuce
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
- 1 (11-ounce) can corn
- 1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans
- 1 ripe tomato
- 8 ounces salsa or vinaigrette salad dressing
>> Optional: Pickled jalapeno peppers, sliced raw onion, sliced green onion, cilantro, green chilies, sour cream, corn chips
Wash and break lettuce into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Top with chicken.
Rinse and drain corn and beans; place over chicken.
Chop tomato and add. Top with peppers, onions, cilantro and corn chips as desired.
Serve salsa or salad dressing on the side or toss salad and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional information (using salsa and no optional ingredients): 370 calories, 10 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 115 mg cholesterol, 1,250 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 50 g protein.
”Easy-Kine Cooking” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via instagram at @brightlightcookery. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
