Mexican Caesar Salad (With Cilantro Pepita Dressing)

Hello! And Happy Friday to you all! This past week has been so good to me! I hope it has been equally as good to each of you! (There is goodness all around, you just need to be looking in the right direction.)

My Friday's are usually all about being Faux. But I thought I'd change it up a bit today and share one of the most FAB salads ever! A little bit of grilling, a little bit of mixing and measuring. When all is said and done, this dish is nothing short of incredible! An instant favorite! Fresh and refreshing! Enjoy!

Ingredients For Chicken Marinade:

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 2 Lbs)

1/4 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed, (about 3 limes)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions for Chicken:

1.) Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness (about 1/2 in.) Place in shallow dish.

2.) In a small bowl, mix lime juice, chopped garlic, cilantro, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken breasts and turn pieces to evenly coat. Cover and let chill at least 1 hour, (longer is better).

3.) Lay chicken on a grill over medium heat and cook, turning once, about 4 - 6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink. Take off grill, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Marinade adapted from: Food.com

Cilantro Pepita Dressing:

1 Anaheim Chile, Roasted, seeded, and chopped.

3 Tbs roasted pepitas

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 Tbs Cotija Cheese, grated

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbs lime juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, no stems

2 Tbs mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup water, in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Add cilantro in batches to blender until smooth. (I usually add 1 to 2 TBS of additional water during this process.) In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise and 1/4 cup water until smooth and completely blended. Slowly whisk in cilantro mix (everything from blender) until smooth.

Assemble Your Salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped (I use about 1 1/2 cups lettuce per salad)

2 Tbs cilantro pepita dressing (my kid's put it on in globs)

1 chicken breast, prepared as above and sliced

2 Tbs roasted pepitas

1 Tbs Cotija Cheese

1/4 cup tortilla strips

*Serves 4

LESLIE'S NOTES: Cotija Cheese is a hard Mexican cheese. If you can't find it in your area, Parmesan cheese is a great substitute. (Freshly grated. Not the stuff in the green can.) You can also skip the step of roasting the Anaheim Chile by using a 4 oz can of roasted green chiles. The tortilla strips I use are usually found next to the croutons and salad dressings at your local grocery store. If you can't find them, you can always thinly slice and fry a few corn tortillas. (They taste better anyway. I just didn't want to lose you by adding another step).