A lot of confusion surrounds the origin of the Caesar salad; but one thing is (probably) certain: It was invented by Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico. So although we’re messing with a classic, we’re doing it Mexican style! We coat massaged kale in a pickled jalapeño-lemon-Caesar dressing, combined with creamy chunks of avocado and juicy diced tomato. Then we top it with spiced, seared chicken and crisp crumbled tortilla chips, for a hearty-yet-light dinner idea.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
1 unit
Avocado
1 unit
Lemon
1 unit
Jalapeño
4 ounce
Kale
1 unit
Tomato
1.5 ounce
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
(Contains Sesame)
10 ounce
Chicken Breast Strips
1 tablespoon
Mexican Spice Blend
1.5 ounce
Caesar Dressing
(Contains Eggs, Milk, Fish)
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains Eggs)
7 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
¼ teaspoon
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve and pit avocado; using a spoon, scoop out avocado from each half, then dice. Quarter lemon. Halve jalapeño lengthwise, removing ribs and seeds for less heat; thinly slice into half-moons. Remove and discard any large stems from kale; chop into bitesize pieces. Finely dice tomato. Gently crush tortilla chips in the bag into bite-size pieces.
• Place avocado in a medium bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice (two squeezes for 4 servings) and a pinch of salt and pepper; toss to combine. • In a small bowl, combine jalapeño, juice from half the lemon, ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4), and a big pinch of salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 45 seconds. Set aside to pickle.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with half the Mexican Spice Blend (you’ll use the rest later) and a big pinch of salt and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a second medium bowl, whisk together dressing, mayonnaise, remaining Mexican Spice Blend, and juice from remaining lemon. Add jalapeño pickling liquid (you’ll use the pickled jalapeño in Step 6) and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in 2 TBSP olive oil (4 TBSP for 4 servings). Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Transfer 2 TBSP spicy Caesar dressing (4 TBSP for 4) to a second small bowl and reserve.
• Place kale in a large bowl; add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage kale until leaves are tender, 1-2 minutes. • Add remaining spicy Caesar dressing and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Roughly chop pickled jalapeño; transfer to bowl with kale. Add avocado, half the chicken, half the tomato, and half the tortilla chips to bowl; toss to combine. • Divide salad between bowls. Top with remaining chicken, remaining tomato, and remaining tortilla chips. Drizzle with reserved spicy Caesar dressing and serve.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.