BBQ Chopped Salad

I love BBQ chopped salad!  Every time I go to BJ's, I order it.  Cheesecake Factory has it .. and I am in love!!  I knew it would be relatively easy to make -- but I do have one picky child who has a slight aversion to vegetables.  If SHE will eat this, then I know I have a winner!!

I searched the internet to find a relatively easy recipe, and from there, just created my own salad.

Ingredients

1 head of iceberg lettuce

1/2 of a jicama

1 can of corn (drained)

1 can of black beans (drained)

2 roma tomatoes (cut small)

1 green onion, cut thinly

1 avocado

Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

grilled chicken w/ BBQ sauce on top

1/3 cup of BBQ sauce

1/3 cup of Ranch dressing

(optional)  French's Fried Onions

It was a time consuming process all at once -- but if you could have some of these already cut up, then it could be assembled fast.  While the chicken is grilling, cut up the lettuce into small pieces, cut up the jicama, tomatoes & green onion.  Drain the corn and black beans.  Cut up the avocado. 

 

 

I had four plates -- and one head of iceberg lettuce was too much, so maybe start with half a head?  I just piled on the toppings, complete with the chicken on top.  Mix the BBQ and the Ranch dressing together, and that is the dressing that goes on top of the salad.  I did not use very much on each person (because of the calorie and sugar count!) -- but enough to give it some taste.  I did add some French's Fried Onion on the top of it (b/c BJ's has onion straws on top of theirs) -- but next time I will do without.  I couldn't even taste the onions on it!  Probably next time I would do two avocados instead of one for four plates. 

Next time, I might even do two parts of BBQ to three parts of Ranch dressing.  (Maybe do 1/4 cup of BBQ and 1/3 cup Ranch? -- not sure, but I do remember tasting the Ranch dressing more at the restaurants).

Did my one said child eat the salad?  Yep!  My other salad eating child proclaimed it to be "the very best salad I have ever eaten!"  It truly was delicious!

Coconut Lime Banana Zucchini Bread

Wow!  That was a mouthful to say and to type! I got this recipe from a friend of mine (Jen)'s friend Cynthia (thanks Cynthia!)!  She posted on Facebook that she was making this bread, and I was curious and asked her to share the recipe!  She did!  I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but I made it today!  It was delish!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 of a stick) softened butter

2 eggs

1 to 1 1/2 cups smashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)

3 tbsp apple juice or applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 tbsp coconut (to sprinkle on top)

1 zucchini, grated

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

approximate 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice (about 1 lime)

Directions:
1)  Mix the first three dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2)  Mash up the bananas with a fork and set aside.
3)  Crack two eggs and toss them in your mixer.  Add the butter.  Add the sugar and beat everything on medium speed for about 1 minute.  Add the bananas, zucchini, yogurt, apple juice/sauce, vanilla and coconut.
4)  Mix until well blended.  Add the dry ingredients.  Mix until moist.  Pour into greased bread pan (spray w/ Pam first!), and then sprinkle coconut on top.  Bake for approximately an hour at 350 degrees.
5)  Prepare the glaze:  mix 2 ingredients into bowl until glaze is slightly runny.
6)  When bread is done, let it cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then take out of pan and pour glaze over the top (put wax paper or pan down to catch the drips).
7)  Cut a slice, place a bite in your mouth, sigh and close your eyes.  Yummm!  Feel all those flavors come together and party in your mouth!

Amy's Notes:

OK, I added a full stick of butter!!  OOPS!  It was still delicious (probably made it even more delicious?).  I also used unsweetened applesauce, not apple juice.  I did not follow the directions to the T (meaning I added the eggs after I beat the butter and sugar -- it still turned out).  And finally... I added a ton more coconut on top than what the recipe called for.   I also baked for about an hour and 7 minutes -- it probably could've been reduced to about 325 for 10 minutes after the hour b/c some of the middle was still runny!