Mmmmm Bacon & a Salad for Good Measure (or Suck It, Rachel Ray! Part IV)

 

My husband, godblesshim, grew up on a diet of pure junk.  See, he was raised by a single mom who did what a lot of single moms do - work their asses off and have little time or money to feed their kids well.  It wouldn't have mattered anyway since she's a terrible cook.  She once gave us a meatloaf that weighed 10lbs.  I don't know how she turned a pound of ground beef into a ten-pound behemoth, but suffice to say, that creation was absolutely inedible.  Being a Southerner, she loves buffets, and those were probably the most well-rounded meals my husband got as a kid.  He remembers being fed Pepsi (which he drank out of the 2-liter bottle) and cold plain hot dogs for lunch when he was a toddler - turned him off hot dogs for years.  White trash, much?  ;)  


Anyway, when he finally got his own money, he still opted for crap like Hawaiian rolls and chicken wings, despite the fact that he worked at a grocery store.  When we met, he ate a Spicy Chicken from Wendy's at least once, if not twice, a day.  Obviously, his palate was a little difficult to work with when we started living together.  True, he does think I'm an awesome cook, but he's not comparing it to much.  I had to find ways to make balanced meals more tasty for him.  


Salads are particularly challenging.  I love salad - grew up eating all kinds of veggies, and when I moved out, I got creative.  My husband, on the other hand, thinks plain lettuce is a salad, and powers through it with a grimace like a little kid eating lima beans.  Then I remembered a recipe I got from my mom - BLT Chicken Salad.  With most guys, put bacon on it and they'll eat it right up.  David requests this at least once a month now.


BLT Chicken Salad
*makes 2 large dinner salads or 4 lunch-sized salads

*1 pound bacon (technically, you only need about a 1/2# but you might as well cook the whole thing because, let's face it, everyone will snack on a few pieces before dinner)
*4 Market Day Chick'nsteaks or 1 pack of Perdue Fit & Easy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Filets (basically, it amounts to 1 unsplit large boneless chicken breast)
*2 tsp Italian Seasoning
*1 tsp garlic powder
*salt & pepper
*1 head romaine lettuce
*2 tomatoes (I like roma/plum)
*2 scallions, greens only, chopped OR bunch of chives, minced


Dressing
*2 tbs Mayo (I used light mayo)
*2 tbs basil paste (I get the stuff in tubes in the produce aisle) OR 1 tsp dried basil OR 2 tsp fresh basil, minced  *Fresh or tubed basil ALWAYS tastes better
*juice of 1/2 lemon
*1/4 tsp dijon mustard (optional)


1.  Cook the bacon.  I prefer to cut the raw bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and use a stock pot because it seems easier to cook with less splattering and more even cooking without having to watch as carefully.  If you cook whole strips in a skillet, make sure to pull each one apart to ensure even cooking.  In the end, you'll need to break everything up in pieces to mix in the dressing anyway.


2. Rinse and dry chicken.  Sprinkle garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning evenly on each side of breasts.  Preheat a skillet over medium heat.  Use Pam or butter to keep the chicken from sticking.


3.  Cook chicken.  Depending on the thickness, it can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes per side.  After you flip, cover the skillet with a lid to keep some of the moisture in & lower the heat a little - trust me on that.


4.  By now, the bacon should be done.  Remove to a paper towel covered plate with slotted spoon to drain and cool.  Chicken should be done shortly thereafter.  Put the chicken on a plate, let cool for about 10 minutes and dice.


5.  For the dressing, mix mayo, basil, and lemon juice together until well combined.  Add diced chicken and roughly 1/2 # cooked bacon.  Stir to coat.


6.  Prepare your greens, drop a few spoonfuls of chicken/bacon mix on top, sprinkle scallions or chives to garnish and throw on some croutons.  Voila!


*For the chicken, sometimes I use cajun seasoning or a combo or chili paste & garlic instead of the italian seasoning, omitting the dijon in the dressing.  Dowhutchulike.






PS - Don't be surprised if any odorous whizzpopping is oddly reminiscent of a Waffle House grease trap.  Prepare yourself.