raspberry chicken salad with avocado lime dressing

I try to eat a salad everyday.  Because of it, salad and I have this love/hate relationship.  Sometimes, I pack up a gorgeous, artisan treasure to eat on my lunch break.  Other times, it's spinach leaves, carrots, and a bottle of expired dressing.

If you try to eat salad everyday, you want good dressing to go on it.  Dressing can make even spinach leaves and carrots appealing. But, most pre-made dressings (even if they are not expired) have a lot of junk in them... soybean oil, sugar, canola oil, and dairy.  All foods that transform my healthy lunch into a not so great meal. Wah wah. 

So, I turned to homemade dressings but most of the ones I know are vinaigrettes, not creamy dressings.  I needed a good, staple creamy dressing to face five days of greens. I researched recipes (aka looked on pinterest) and found that avocados can make this amazing salad dressing.  And, it is so easy and so good. I put my own spin on this one and it is killer with raspberry chicken salad.  Killer.

Trust me, if you like avocados, you will love this dressing. The spices give it a little kick that flatters the buttery, creamy avocados.  Sweet raspberries, cool cucumbers, and zesty chicken compliment it perfectly. Make it. You won't regret it. 

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chipotle honey chicken with mango salsa

Hola!  Happy August to you.  That last lazy month of summer... I hope you are knee deep in sun screen, a DVR Olympic marathon, or a good novel... and if you are, just keep doing what you are doing.  Stretch out those last few moments.  Really savor them. 

And while you are at it, eat this... 

This recipe will knock your socks off. Chipotle, honey, and garlic blend to create a saucy little marinade.  Let your chicken soak all that deliciousness in for the next couple of hours.  Light your grill and then top it all off with twangy mango salsa. An easy, delicious end of summer meal. We had it with with corn on the cob and sweet potato french fries. 

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chipotle garlic salsa

Salsa is basically a part of my daily routine.  I get home from work about 5:30p and I am RAVENOUS... Everyday, no matter what, even if I had a snack an hour before... So, I change into comfy clothes, start dinner, and break out some chips and salsa to hold me over while the food is simmering.  

This salsa is not for the faint of heart.  The jalapeno and chipotle peppers pack a punch.  But, if you love spicy food, you were meant to make this salsa.  And, I know, four garlic cloves sounds like a lot, but this is chipotle GARLIC salsa... so just do it. My favorite part is that it is super easy to make and lasts for about two weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. 

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