Santa Fe Salad

Ingredients

• 1 avocado ($0.89)
• 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.24)
• 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
• 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
• 2 tbsp lime juice ($0.50)
• 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.20)
• 1/4 cup water ($0.00)
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces ($2.98)
• 1 green bell pepper, diced ($0.89)
• 5 radishes, sliced thin ($0.49)
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed and rinsed ($0.47)
• 1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained ($0.89)
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($0.83)
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo ($0.44)
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips ($0.50)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ($5.69)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.08)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
• 2 tsp paprika ($0.20)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.06)
• 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
• 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
• 1 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
• 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper ($0.05)

Instructions

1. Add the avocado, sour cream, minced garlic, salt, lime juice, and cilantro to a food processor or blender. Puré until smooth. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare
3. Chop romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large salad bowl.
4. Dice bell peppers, slice radishes, thaw frozen corn, and rinse and strain canned black beans. Add this and 1/2 cup of pico de gallo to the large salad bowl on top of chopped romaine lettuce. Cover and keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the chicken.
5. Place the chicken breasts inside a heavy duty food storage bag and flatten with a rolling pin or a tenderizing mallet until the breasts are consistently about 3/4 inch thick. Start in the middle at the thickest part of each breast for more even cooking. This step helps the chicken cook more evenly.
6. Rub
7. Prepare the Santa Fe Chicken seasoning blend by combining chili, paprika, cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
8. Rub chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp olive oil and divide the seasoning blend between the them, making sure to thoroughly coat the entire surface of each chicken breast with seasoning.
9. Cook
10. In a large skillet, add 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is glistening and hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook your chicken for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. While the chicken cooks, do not wiggle or disturb it except for flipping. Remove the chicken from the heat when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Allow chicken to rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before slicing into strips. After resting, the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
11. Toss
12. Fan out the sliced chicken on top of the salad and drizzle creamy avocado dressing over the top. Toss and serve!