Cilantro Lime Dressing

Embarrassing confession.  I like McDonald's grilled southwest chicken salad.  No Southwest dressing.  Extra tortilla strips.  A lot.  (blush)  Without the Southwest dressing it's about 300 calories, and it's got lean chicken in a cilantro lime glaze, black beans, corn and greens.  About as healthy as you could get at McDonald's.  Except for the tortilla strips, of course.

Since Sunday was Cinco de Mayo, and since our daughter is Hispanic (and Native American), I was inspired to make a 'fresh-Mex' meal.  I wanted to recreate the cilantro lime glaze from the McDonald's salad and use it as a marinade for grilled chicken.  (Yep, totally embarrassed that I tried to recreate something from McDonald's, but there ya go.)  I found this recipe over at Allrecipes, and though it didn't do well as a marinade (not strong enough) it was AWESOME drizzled over the grilled chicken when it was cut up in a salad.  And so pretty in a mason jar, too.  It's all about how good things look in a mason jar, isn't it?

The recipe I followed called for a whole jalapeno but I used only half of one.  (Because we're total lightweights from Iowa, remember?)  The dressing wasn't a bit spicy, but the jalepeno kept it from being too sweet.

 

Our kids think juicing citrus fruit is fun.  We're easily entertained.

I say 'we' because using my immersion blender is super fun.  I'm excited every time I make something that requires it.  Sad, but true.

Almost time to plant some of this outside, but for now we settle for store-bought cilantro.  So pretty and fresh!   Doesn't it all just look healthy and scrumptious?  The oil and honey in it isn't very healthy, but it LOOKS healthy.  It doesn't taste a lot like the cilantro lime dressing that is on the grilled chicken in McDonald's southwest salad but I guess fine cuisine like that should be saved for the drive through.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Recipe slightly adapted from Allrecipes

1/2 to 1 jalapeno

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

1/4 cup lime juice (about 1.5 limes)

1/3 cup honey

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 packed cilantro leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

Remove the seeds from the jalapeno and chop into large pieces.  In a blender, or the cylinder that comes with your immersion blender, combine the jalapeno with the garlic, ginger, lime juice, honey, vinegar and salt.  Blend well.  Add cilantro leaves and blend again until the leaves are well incorporated.  Drizzle in the olive oil, then blend one last time.  If the dressing sits for any length of time the oil will separate from the other ingredients.  Shake vigorously to reincorporate it.  Enjoy!