Fresh Fiesta Salad

Whaaaat is up with this crazy Denver weather?  I returned home from work today with sweat marks and a sun burn.  Huh?  Who would have assumed a mid-70 degree day in early March? I guess I need to get in the habit of checking the weather so I don't run out the door in the morning with mittens and a hat (like I did today) and walk home in a sweat.  After doing so today, it appears that the forecast is predicting more of the same bright, warm days for the rest of the week!  This little taste of spring made me want to throw a fiesta to celebrate!  

Grabbing my sunglasses, I set out to my neighborhood grocery store to pick up some fresh ingredients. My list was pretty general, including items like, "Gatorade for Joe, yummy snacks, fruit", and... "fiesta stuff."  I ended up wandering around the grocery store with no direction, picking up so much food that I had to stuff my purse with a crate of cherry tomatoes and a few avocados in order to whittle down the rest of the baggage to one heaping bag per arm.  What can I say? I'm an impulsive grocery shopper!  

The majority of my fresh treasures included produce bursting with juicy warm-weather flavors, such as organic romaine, jicama, fresh jalapenos peppers, crisp sweet bell peppers, and a heaping bunch of cilantro.  It took me nearly an hour to wash and prep everything for easy snacking. It wasn't until surveying the new inventory of ingredients layed out across my kitchen table (and countertops) that I came up with my dinner plan.  I was going to prepare a fun taco salad bursting with color and spunk.   Here is how my weeknight fiesta evolved...

The beginnings of a dinner fiesta for two.
Cerveza included, duh! 

Here are a few close ups, getting personal with some of my favorite ingredients: 

Red beans prepared in advance, tossed with olive oil, sea salt
and fresh, hand-torn cilantro.  Saving time by opening a few
cans of beans is O.K. in my books!

Jimaca spears and sliced jalapenos. 

Since I was celebrating, I wanted to serve something sexy.  Did you know how easy it is to make tortilla salad bowls?  Well, now you will!  Just brush a few tortillas with olive oil (or spray with olive oil cooking spray), and drape over a few custard cups placed on a baking sheet. Bake about 8 minutes and they will crisp right up!  

Golden and cripsy salad "bowls."
I used whole wheat tortillas, but try using other fun flavors
(such as those found at Trader Joe's... sun-dried tomato
would be bomb). 

To serve, simply place a tortilla bowl on a plate, and start filling it with whatever ingredients fancy your appetite!  I love breaking off pieces of the crispy tortilla bowl as I eat away at the salad within.  If you really wanted to, you could probably ditch the fork all together.

First layer of cool, crispy romaine. 

Filling to the max.

Mix well and enjoy!

This meal was so fun! And with all of the fresh, washed, and sliced leftovers, I had healthy snacks at the ready for the rest of the week.  Bonus for sure.  Hasta luego!

Fresh Fiesta Salad

Serves many

Salad ingredients:

Whole wheat tortillas (1-2 per person)

Romaine lettuce, washed and shredded

Red beans (about 1 can rinsed, drained, or 1/2 bag dry beans, prepared, drained)

Cherry tomatoes, washed

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Onions or green onions, sliced

Black olives, sliced (optional)

Jalapeno peppers, sliced (beware of the seeds)

Jimaca, peeled and sliced

Fresh cilantro, washed and chopped

Heck, go crazy and party by adding whatever else you think sounds good!

Dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. ranch dressing

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Milk or buttermilk to thin, if needed

Wash and prepare all of the ingredients listed under "Salad ingredients" list.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  On a large baking sheet, place custard cups (2 per baking sheet) upside down. Lightly grease the side of the cups facing upwards (the outside of the bottoms). Place tortillas over the cups and bake for about 1 minute (to soften).  It is recommended to brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil (or cooking spray) to get a nice brown color. Remove the tortillas and fold the sides in so that they resemble a "bowl-like" shape.  Place back in the oven and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from oven, remove from custard cups and cool.  While tortilla bowls are baking, prepare the dressing by mixing all of the ingredients listed under "dressing" together.  Serve by filling each tortilla bowl with shredded romaine lettuce. Let each person dress their festive salad as they wish by garnishing their bowl with the ingredients they like. Mix well and party on!  Goes well with lager or a margarita.