Fine Cooking Magazine - November/December 2020

Servings: 4

A warm vinaigrette brings the sauté and the greens together, giving the finished dish the dressiness of a composed salad and the simplicity of a one-pot meal.

Ingredients

6 oz. baby romaine, washed and spun dry (about 8 loosely packed cups)
1/4 lb. iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and spun dry (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce), chopped, plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce
3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. fine cornmeal (preferably white)
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 small), cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 ripe avocado, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1-1/2 cups cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 lime, cut into quarters

Nutritional Sample Size based on four servings
Calories (kcal) : 580
Fat Calories (kcal): 340
Fat (g): 38
Saturated Fat (g): 6
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 4.5
Monounsaturated Fat (g): 26
Cholesterol (mg): 80
Sodium (mg): 890
Carbohydrates (g): 30
Fiber (g): 8
Protein (g): 33

Preparation

Toss the romaine, iceberg, and half of the cilantro in a large bowl. In a blender or food processor, purée the chipotle chile and adobo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. With the machine running, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the oil. Transfer to a measuring cup; season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish, mix the flour, cornmeal, chili powder, and cumin with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and then dredge in the flour mixture.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the remaining oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering, about 1 minute. Add half of the chicken strips, evenly spaced, and cook without touching for 2 min. Flip and cook until the strips are just cooked through and firm to the touch, 1 to 2 min. Transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and cook the remaining strips in the same manner.

Discard the fat from the pan and wipe it clean with paper towels. Set the pan over low heat, add the vinaigrette, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, until warmed through, about 1 min. Return the vinaigrette to a liquid measuring cup and whisk to recombine.
Gently toss the greens with about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette or enough to lightly coat. Portion among four plates and top with the chicken, onion, avocado, corn, and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette (you may not need it all) and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the salads.

Start off with Homemade Tortilla Chips and finish the meal with a refreshing Mango-Lime Granita.

(8 ratings) Read Reviews

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Reviews (8 reviews)

Floridafoodie | 10/24/2015
Really good one-dish dinner- seemed healthy. Great with the suggested Mango-lime Granita for dessert. Down-side: long prep time and problems with the dressing. They should have had the sun-dried tomatoes in a tablespoon or cup measurement. My sun-dried tomatoes come already chopped. Dressing did not hold together, and even though I have a quality Breville blender, it did not really puree the tomatoes and chile. But the solids were very tasty and I just incorporated them into the salad an used the remaining oil mixture for the dressing.
bakesalot | 09/16/2011
I gave this four stars for the dressing and the nice combination of ingredients that made for a pretty presentation. One bone to pick: I buy sun-dried tomatoes that are already chopped, so I haven't a clue what quantity makes up one tomato. I had to guess at the amount, but the dressing came out very tasty anyway. Only four stars because I don't think the chicken is very special this way. Next time, I'd omit the breading, marinate it in lime, garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil and do it on a ridged grill pan. Breading wasn't necessary, and the chili powder didn't add much. Plus, since I used a nonstick skillet to fry the chicken, there was a only a negligible amount of bits left in the pan in which to heat up the dressing.

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What We're Cooking Now

Name: Baby Romaine Salad with Spicy Chicken & Warm Chipotle Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 oz. baby romaine, washed and spun dry (about 8 loosely packed cups); 1/4 lb. iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and spun dry (about 2 cups); 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves; 1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce), chopped, plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce; 3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped; 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar; 2 tsp. light brown sugar; 1 tsp. Dijon mustard; 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour; 2 Tbs. fine cornmeal (preferably white); 1 Tbs. chili powder; 1 tsp. ground cumin; 1-1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 small), cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips; 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons; 1 ripe avocado, cut into 3/4-inch dice; 1-1/2 cups cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from about 2 ears); 1 lime, cut into quarters