World’s Best Salad Ever

“World’s Best Salad Ever” is a pretty bold statement.  I better be able to back that up huh?  Well I’m not scared, I got this (plus if I don’t I have Mr. Fantabulous to be the ‘muscle’ here). LOL  Seriously this salad hands down is my all time FAVORITE salad ever in all of salad history. It has your meats, your cheese, your veggies, your bacon (like I’d have a salad titled “world’s best salad ever” and not have bacon in it.. puhlease!) and the most awesomest dressing ever!  No seriously… EVER.

Want some?  I”ll share!

It seems in the summer time I tend to eat more salads than usual. Now mind you I eat a salad of some sort every day. The thing is with my salads they are not your typical salad. I am a texture person and like my bites to be well-rounded.  If I’m having something salty in it (say bacon then I want something sweet to help balance it out – dried cranberries for instance). See most have this misconception that if they eat nothing but salads that they will lose weight, that they don’t have to exercise. 

Now sure it may work initially as you’re throwing your body into a shock phase.  Gone are the days of pizza, fritos and hotdogs and now it’s just lettuce and well, salad.  However here’s where the issue is – salads are healthy and good for IF DONE RIGHT!  If not they are either wasted calories packed in nothing but fat.

Think about it… you hit the salad bar and you put maybe what 1 cup of lettuce and then load on the cheese, bacon, ham slices, eggs, crispy tortilla chips or croutons and a TON of dressing (ranch usually for most). This was my way of eating a salad yet I wasn’t ever losing weight, instead I was gaining and couldn’t understand why. 

The worst offender in a salad are the fat-laden dressings. Ranch is awesome (yes I know it has mayo in it but my home-made ranch is scant with it so I “overlook” that fact) but traditional ranch is sooooooooooo fattening. Even the “low-fat” ranch isn’t that good for you either.  Now I’m not saying don’t eat it as I eat it myself from time to time BUT in moderation plus my butt is in the gym twice a day – every day.

Think of building a salad like building a house.  You want the mixture of greens – spinach, kale, arugula and so forth.  You want your ‘power’ greens.  You need that to be your foundation. Next you start building it up – adding structure, character and uniqueness. This salad has all of that – structure, character and your own personal touch.  

So once you have your foundation laid out you start building upwards.  Next came the building blocks; blocks of cucumbers.  They add firmness and crunch while adding a light summer flavor to it.

Next to then I added some walls of sliced egg.  Seriously I LOVE eggs in a salad.  Eggs are good for you. The protein in eggs has the highest biological value—a measure of how well it supports your body’s protein needs—of any food, including our beloved beef. The all-natural, high-quality protein, helps build muscles and allows you to feel full longer and stay energized, which can help you maintain a healthy weight.

In fact, eating eggs for breakfast reduces hunger and decreases calorie consumption at lunch and throughout the day. In addition the protein in eggs provides steady and sustained energy because it does not cause a surge in blood sugar or insulin levels, which can lead to a rebound effect or energy “crash” as blood sugar levels drop.  In addition to being a nutrient-rich source of high-quality protein, eggs provide varying amounts of several B vitamins required for the production of energy in the body, such as thiamin, riboflavin, folate, B12 and B6.  And not only does the protein in eggs help kids and active adults build muscle strength, high-quality protein may help older adults prevent age-related muscle loss.

Dietary protein intake directly influences muscle mass, strength and function in people of all ages. The six grams of high-quality protein in eggs can help active individuals build and preserve muscle, and help adults prevent muscle loss. Consuming protein foods, like eggs, following exercise can maximize muscle repair.

Sure Mr. Fantabulous offered to feed me Mama Sparrow-like (which I politely declined plus EW!).  I did cut it off of the cob and then eat it but it just wasn’t the same. I wanted butter on my face and chin damn it!  LOL  So after 18 months the braces came off and it actually did help the TMJ a fair bit but I still need the surgery.  Essentially what they want to do is shave the jaw bone and pull it back some and in then wire it shut for 4 months.  Yeah.. lovely huh?  NOW you see why I say no.

So yes since having the braces off I’ve consumed many acres of corn on the cob myself however since you can’t exactly put the whole ear in here I opted to cut if off and saute it up.  To boost up the protein I went with simple grilled chicken pieces, crispy bacon (because I can and because #baconislove!). Then to balance it out I added chunks of avocado because they are seriously one of the best foods EVER. They marry perfectly with every single ingredient in the salad either as a whole or on a one-by-one ratio. Avocados and eggs just rock!  Avocados and corn… DELISH (just add a pinch of sea salt and pepper.. to die for)! Avocados and chicken – who needs a condiment?  Not me!  Avocados and cucumbers (great 2fer salad!). Lastly bacon and avocados – the perfect marriage.  The only topping marriage would be that of Mr. Fantabulous and I.  *wink*

Now let’s talk cheese.  I have a thing for cheese.  Like I honestly think it would break my heart if I somehow became lactose intolerant like 2 of my siblings (they can’t have cheese and most dairy).  My husband says my body is made up of solely bacon and cheese.  I see no problem with that, do you? However I am VERY fussy about my cheese.  You all know I hate, no loathe, no despise, no um.. wish it would die in a fiery hell blaze.. yeah I like that!  Like I was saying you all know I wish bleu cheese, goat and all those other cucka feet smellin’, butt nasty cheeses would die in a fiery hall blaze.  Yes I’m pretty passionate about them.  And you probably know I have an entire cheese drawer in my fridge.  Like it’s one of the big bins in your fridge folks and it’s nothing but cheese.

So I rummaged through my drawer and came up with the perfect cheese for this.  Crumbled Feta!  Okay yes if you like bleu cheese I think it would go amazing with this but I’ll let you be the food critic on that one. If it rocks, let me know!

The toughest part when creating this salad was I needed a dressing that would not only compliment it but also stand out.  It had to be light and summery while packed with tons of flavor. I knew lime had to be involved as that’s just a staple in a summer dish.  And to compliment limes you need cilantro.  As I was whipping this up with just the lime, cilantro and oil it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too sour.  Like I thought my lips were going to stay puckered like that!  I think one eye looked up to the right, the left squinched up, I think my neck spasmed and I had permanent fish puckered lips.  Trust me.. twas NOT a pretty face.  I had my Halloween face on for sure!

To unpucker my lips I added some sweetness to it and some seasonings.  Seriously this was THE BEST SUMMER dressing ever!  THIS is what made the salad go from friggen amazing to the World’s Best Salad EVER!

Now I do have to confess here.  This isn’t the first salad I made. I dressed the first one and went to take the photos but I got some of the dressing my finger.  Since it’s just for me I licked my fingers and literally stopped in my tracks.  I kinda picked up a piece of chicken and feta with some of the dressing on it and popped it in my mouth.  What happened next I can’t say as I think I may have blacked out in a salad frenzy. All I know is you could hear grunting and silverware hitting the bowl. In the distance you heard a wolf howl and a lady shriek.

By the time I came too there was dressing my face and chin, the fork was smoking and the bowl was licked clean. My belly was full and I sat there with a smile on my face from ear to ear.  I may have pulled a Homer Simpson with my shirt up over my belly while leaning back rubbing it.  HAHA  Yeah that’s pretty sexy right there if I do say so.  LOL

No really I didn’t do that….at least I don’t think I did <insert puzzled face>  LOL

So while this salad is loaded up with stuff it’s all healthy stuff (okay so the bacon may not be but you can omit it or go with turkey bacon).  But um do me 2 favors please:

1. Make this
2. Make real bacon and give it to me if you aren’t going to eat it!
3. Okay I lied there *may* be 3 favors but it really decision with Favor #2. If you make real bacon and eat it then my 3rd favor is to make extra for me! ♥

World’s Best Salad Ever

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4.9 from 11 reviews

“World’s Best Salad Ever” – bold statement, but 100% true!  Try it yourself and see why!

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5
• Total Time: 15
• Category: salad, lunch, meal prep
• Method: stove
• Cuisine: salad, lunch, meal prep

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 grilled chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 8 cups Spring Mix greens
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cucumber
• 4 Hard Boiled Baked Eggs, sliced
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon cooked crispy and chopped, 1 tablespoon bacon grease reserved
• 1 whole avocado, pitted and cubed
• 2 cups fresh corn off of the cob
• 1 cup crumbled feta

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

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Instructions

Make the Vinaigrette

1. In a bowl add the lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, vinegar, and honey, and whisk to combine.
2. While whisking slowly add in the oil to combine; set aside.

Make the Salad

1. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat add your bacon grease and heat until melted. Toss in your corn kernels and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring to prevent charring. Remove from the heat.
2. In 4 large salad bowls add 2 cups of the spring mix each.
3. Next down the middle of each bowl add 1/4 of the cucumber to each bowl.
4. On each side of the cucumber add the egg slices, evenly dividing between the bowls.
5. On the outside of that add the corn. Turn each bowl 90 degrees and add the chicken down the center followed by the bacon on each side and then the avocado cubes on each side of the bacon. Lastly, sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Whisk the vinaigrette again and ladle on.

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