Fruity Chicken and Bacon Salad...

For salad lovers this is definitely no news for you all but for one who never ate anything "green" this is certainly a burst of excitement. Pull your sit, wear a smile and lets talk about indulging with salads. I really want to get across to my foodies who would frown at the sight of salads not to think about ingesting it. I remember when my mom would make green salad (strictly green veggies) and get excited to serve them as a side for dinner. She would get heartbroken knowing that none of her children even attempted to eat it. This continued until I travelled to America to study and the first food I was served in the cafeteria was chicken salad and of course you know I had to starve for lunch and looked forward to dinner. My best friend made several attempts convincing me to look past the green color and taste it but it was all a failed project.

My saving grace happened on our (I and my BFF) visit to Longhorn Steakhouse where she ordered another salad believing that I would love it and if otherwise she planned to give up on this "salad hookup". Fortunately for us, I loveeeeeeeeedddddddddd it and I never stopped! It was my first experience with "LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT AND TASTE". Thanks to Longhorn Steakhouse for finally winning my heart with salads. Now you would want to know what was different about that salad right? I fell in love with the burst of color and presentation as soon as I saw it. It was like I had a taste of rainbow and afterwards I always prepared my homemade chicken and bacon salad or any other kind "in the rainbow". I also transferred my love for salads to my siblings and any other person I met which is what I plan to do to you NOW......

Total cooking time.

Prep time - 40 mins
My Rainbow...Literally!


 Ingredients: for salad 
  • 3 -5 ripe strawberries
  • Half slice of cucumber
  • 1 medium ripe avocado
  • 1 yellow apple
  • 1 cup of shredded carrots
  • 2 - 3 sweet pepper
  • Half bag of spinach and Romaine hearts (center piece of romaine lettuce)
  • Half cup grapes
  • 5 strips of bacon
  • 1/2 pound of shredded Chicken thigh (I bought an already baked one because I had a guest coming over and didn't want to bake from scratch. If you are comfortable baking yours as some people prefer to know the exact ingredients in every meal, that works perfectly fine.)
Note: You can decide to switch up the fruits I used if you happen not like any of them. For instant, strawberries can be replaced with blue or blackberries, grapes for seedless cherries etc.




Note: Wash the romaine hearts, spinach and place in a colander to drain excess water. Also wash the cucumber, apple,strawberries, grapes, sweet pepper, avocado and place on a clean plate to dry. This would make the process faster because all you would need to do is chop, dice and toss into the serving bowl.... more like a food game :)

Baked bacon:
  • Arrange 5 strips of bacon in a row across a baking pan



  • Bake 360 degrees without turning for 20 -25 minutes(depending on the thickness) until bacon is slightly crisp. Do not overcook as this would pose a greater risk of burning the bacon.
  • Watch closely
  • Drain excess oil using paper towel
  • Place on a clean plate to cool
  • Crush the bacon using your hand to get a perfect bacon bits.


Directions: Salad
  • Place the clean serving bowl on the preparation table
  • Using your hand, cut the romaine hearts into medium pieces and pour into the bowl
  • Add spinach and shredded carrots
  • Slice the cucumber, sweet pepper, apple and strawberries in a circular shape and add to the salad following any form of your choice. I created a circle around the vegetable just because I am so big on presentation but feel free to just toss them in there.
  • Add the grapes and sliced avocados into the salad
  • Place the shredded chicken in the middle or anywhere you wish and sprinkle the bacon bits all over and your rainbow would take shape!!!
  • Every sky needs a rainbow :)



Ingredients: dressing
  • 1/3 cup of honey
  • 2 tablespoon of mayonnaise 
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste (optional).
Direction: dressing
  • In a clean plunge bowl, add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/3 cup of honey, pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Combine these ingredients and mix.
    • The quantity of your salad determines the measurements of the dressing ingredients.


At this point my guest was already waiting to digest my tasty salad and we made it fun by eating at the roof top of my apartment because it was a SUNNY day and we created our RAINBOW.....

You can serve with a glass of orange juice or just water.





I have never guaranteed anyone of how much they would love a food recommended by me as much as I would guarantee this. Try this out and FALL IN LOVE WITH SALADS.


Thank you for visiting today! I am humbled by your love :)


Extras:

Fun facts about salads
  • "Salad comes from the Latin word "herba salta or salted herbs"
  • Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to the Americas
  • Cucumbers have the highest water content among any vegetable.
  • Broccoli and Cauliflower are the only vegetables that are also flowers
  • Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family
  • Lettuce actually started out as a weed around the Mediterranean basin". (Salad planet, 2017. Retrieved from http://saladplanet.com/30-interesting-and-fun-facts-about-salad/. 
Contact Information:
For your catering services, you can reach me through @dishesbyq@gmail.com
Follow my Instagram @dishes_by_q


Food quotes: One cannot think well, sleep well, love well if one has not dined well.
                                                                                                                                     Virginia Woolf



Location: United States

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