Summertime Cooking

It's now July and the temps are soaring and my kitchen feels like it has been kissed by a solar flare. The girls have eaten their weight in Fla-Vor-Ice popsicles for breakfast and lunch and now they are begging for real food. The answer is so easy and no it's not going to Burger King. SALADS! I know salad seems kind of obvious but it is so easy to get into a salad rut; iceburg, cucumber, tomato. That has been my go to salad recipe for a long time. I had never eaten fruit in a salad (I mean unless it was a fruit salad, yummy yummy) until going over to my friend and fellow warriorette Kori Lopez's house one night for dinner. There it was a spinach salad with strawberries and orange slices. Hmm...you are a guest in her house don't be rude. I got my salad poured on my rasberry vinegrette took my first bite and decided right then and there it was time to get adventurous with my salads. There is a wealth of veggies out there dying to be chopped and tossed onto a salad. Plus veggies are not expensive. (please do not leave me a comment debating the price of fruit and veg. I could go on for days about this topic, and I know that I am right and you are wrong; so there.) I will now share with you one of my favorite salad recipes that I could probably eat every dang day of the week. The original recipe calls for fried chicken which I have made and it is to die for. However, for the health concious out there grilled chicken is really good too.

Southern Cobb Salad with Pimiento Cheese Dressing

3 hard cooked eggs

4 grilled chicken breasts sliced beautifully (presentation folks)

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 can black eyed peas, drained (you can also use pinto beans)

Romaine lettuce or what ever looks the best (buy the whole head it's more cost effective and less chance for contamination than the bagged crap. besides you will burn more calories chopping lettuce than just opening a bag)

Tomatoes (as many as you want or none at all depending on you)

1 SMALL bag of chopped pecans

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

* Combine black eye peas, cider vinegar, olive oil and 3 of the chopped green onions; not 3 little pieces but 3 onions chopped.

PIMIENTO CHEESE DRESSING

*1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sit it out on your counter for about 30 minutes. It needs to be at room temp so it will combine with the other ingredients better. In a large bowl beat cheese and 1/2 cup mayo to combine. Add 1/2 cup milk, one 2 oz jar of diced pimientos (if you can only find the 4 oz jar don't panic just use half) oh, drain the pimientos. A dash of cayenne pepper more if you like thangs a little muy caliente, salt and pepper. Stir that up real good. Save some of the dressing and mix with the boiled egg yolks to make dressed eggs.

Layer your veggies, chicken, and pour on the dressing. Serve with a huge glass of sweet tea with a wedge of lemon, sit in front of a fan and enjoy ya'll.

**Prepare black eyed peas and dressing before grilling your chicken that way all the flavors have a little time to work together.