Chicken Avocado Salad, Revisited

 

So, once upon a time (read: for the past few summers), the hubby and I both had a love affair with Chicken Avocado Salad. I mean, seriously. It was basically deconstructed guacamole with chicken - what's not to love?

But then... disaster struck. More specifically, the hubby gradually realized that he had developed a tomato allergy. No more chicken avocado salad? Whatever would we do on those hot, sultry nights where we needed a legitimate cover for eating guacamole with a fork?

Summer hit with a vengeance in Massachusetts this week, and as usual, my thoughts turned to the beloved chicken avocado salad. Was it possible to swap the tomatoes out for something equally delicious, but in a completely different way? A quick Google search later, and I had cobbled together a recipe that, quite frankly, beat the pants off the original incarnation. And it took me, my cluttered kitchen and my pathetic knife skills only 30 minutes to put it all together. 

 

Chicken Avocado Salad: The Tomato-less Version

Makes 3-4 servings
Adapted from Avocado Chicken Salad and Chicken and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces *
• 1/2 pound frozen corn, thawed but not hot **
• 1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large avocado or 2 small avocados, diced
• 3 scallions, white and green parts sliced
• a handful (about 1/4 cup) of cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine chicken, corn, beans, avocados, scallions and cilantro in a large bowl. Zest (using a microplane if possible - it's much less frustrating than a zester) and juice limes into a small bowl and add the olive oil. Whisk together (or use a fork, it's easier) until it looks like a dressing, and dump it into the big bowl with everything else. Mix it all together with a big spoon. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

* I used Trader Joe's frozen grilled chicken.
** 3 minutes in the microwave on 50% power did it for me. I used Trader Joe's frozen Fire-Roasted corn - highly recommended!

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Another beautiful thing about this salad - if you decide you want this taste of summer in, say, November, black beans and frozen corn never go out of season, unlike tomatoes. And sometimes, we all need a little summer in the middle of cold November rain.

Tuna Avocado Ceviche

Ugh. Summer in Massachusetts is very nearly here. Too hot to cook. Too hot to think. Too hot to eat foods warmer than the inside of the refrigerator.

If you've got some time to kill in between prep and eating, then making ceviche is a great way to go. The acid from the lime juice begins to cure the tuna, imbuing it with citrusy goodness. The prep work is minimal - chop, squeeze, splash, mix, and chill. Just before serving, the last ingredient gets diced and added, and voila! A light, refreshing summer meal for those afternoons where it's just too hot to do anything.


Tuna Avocado CevicheServes 1

Ingredients

• 4-6oz of sushi grade tuna, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 scallions, green parts only, sliced
• 1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 - 1 tsp minced garlic
• good splash of soy sauce
• 1 lime
• 1/2 Hass avocado

Directions
Combine all ingredients except for avocado and lime in a non-reactive bowl (Pyrex would be good for this) and squeeze 1/2 of the lime over everything, reserving the other half. Mix well and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Just before serving, dice the 1/2 avocado and mix into tuna mixture. Combine well and serve immediately, preferably over a bed of greens or spinach. Squeeze reserved 1/2 lime over everything, if desired.

Chicken Avocado Salad

When temperatures hit 70 degrees on Saturday, my body went into full-on spring food mode. Of course, by the time Wednesday hit, the weather had reverted to 50 and windy. The mind is a powerful thing, though, and cool temperatures weren't going to stop me from my favorite warm-weather Slacker Gourmet meal! It's quick, healthy, and seriously delicious.


Chicken Avocado Salad
Adapted from Healthy & Delicious: Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb. cooked chicken, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 Hass avocado, diced
• 1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp (or to taste) fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine tomato, avocado, scallions, and cilantro in a medium-large bowl and stir gently (the avocado should barely coat the rest of the veggies, but not break down completely). Cut the lime in 2 and squeeze the larger half over the veggies. Squeeze the smaller half of the lime over the chicken, then mix the chicken into the veggie bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Keep tasting... until you're full. :)

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This may seem like a bit of chopping and prepping for a Slacker Gourmet meal, but here are some shortcuts:

• Use pre-cooked chicken. I know I'm showing the Trader Joe's love again... but they sell frozen, pre-cooked chicken in 1lb bags. 3-4 minutes in the microwave on half power should be enough to fully defrost the chicken without heating it up too much. You can also find pre-cooked chicken in the fridge case in most supermarkets, near the bacon and kielbasas, or use chicken from a cooked rotisserie chicken.
• Instead of slicing and dicing a large tomato, use cherry tomatoes. You can cut them in half, or even toss 'em in whole.
• Got a mini food processor? Toss in the cilantro and scallions (make sure to cut off the bad ends first!) together, and give it a few quick pulses.