Happy Saturday everyone!! For the next 4 weeks, myself and 14 other bloggers are joining together for a Clean Eating Challenge 2014. We will be here each Saturday with delicious, healthy meals, desserts, and snack recipes that your family will love. My first recipe for this challenge, is a Clean Cobb Salad. This salad still maintains all of the delicious flavors found in the original classic, but is much healthier.
So what exactly is Clean Eating? Clean Eating according to Clean Eating Magazine is ” food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life”. Any food with crazy, chemical sounding names, is not clean and therefore not healthy.
Well that’s great Lisa, but I see bacon on that salad! Yes, you do see un-cured, nitrate-free bacon on my salad. I always use beeler’s hickory smoked uncured bacon. Ingredients: Pork** water, sea salt, turbinado sugar, celery powder. The Pork** is “from hogs raised without antibiotics or growth promotants and are vegetarian fed”. Everyone of those ingredients is all-natural and can be pronounced by a kindergartener. 😉
I am severely allergic to mold, so there is no Roquefort cheese on my salad. I have included it in the recipe as an option, or eliminate it for a paleo/whole30 salad…..I am all about the options!
How to make a Clean Cobb Salad:
The first thing you want to do, is make the Lemon Vinaigrette. Place all of the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine, or you can whisk them together in a bowl…..
Set the dressing aside to mingle and get happy. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until even…..
I always do this before cooking chicken. It helps the chicken cook more evenly. Season chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and Herbs de Provence. Heat oil in a large skillet, and cook chicken until no longer pink…..
You could also grill the chicken during good weather! 🙂 Allow chicken to rest, then cut into bite sized pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, parsley, and mint. Toss with 2 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette…..
Season with salt and pepper, and toss again. I used red and green Boston lettuces in case you were wondering why they are different colors. Divide the salad, and place on 4 plates…..
Dice the avocados and place them in a medium sized bowl. Toss with 1 Tablespoon of vinaigrette…..
Add the chicken, tomatoes, pine nuts, and cheese (if using), additional Tablespoon or two of vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Divide mixture and place on plated salad. Sprinkle with bacon and chives and serve…..
I am really excited about this challenge, and I hope you will join us each week. Scroll down past the recipe, and you will find the links to the other recipes.
Enjoy!!
Clean Cobb Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 pound all-natural chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 Tablespoon Herbs de Provence
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces Boston lettuce (cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 cup Italian parsley leaves
- 1/3 cup mint leaves
- 2 large avocados (pitted and diced)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (toasted)
- 8 slices uncured, nitrate-free bacon (cooked, cooled, and cut into chunks)
- 1/2 cup sliced chives (about 3/4-inch long)
- 3/4 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese (optional)
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon honey (omit for whole30)
- 1 large clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
- Mix all ingredients together with a whisk, or shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
For the Salad:
- Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until even.
- Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken until no longer pink, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together lettuce, parsley, and mint. Toss with 4 Tablespoons of Lemon Vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again.
- Divide salad mixture and arrange on four large plates.
- In a medium sized bowl, toss diced avocado with 1 Tablespoon of lemon vinaigrette.
- Add the chicken, tomatoes, and pine nuts and toss with an additional Tablespoon of Vinaigrette.
- Divide mixture and arrange in the center of the lettuce mixture.
- Sprinkle each salad with bacon and chives, and serve.
Notes
Eliminate Roquefort Cheese
Substitute unpasteurized apple cider vinegar Whole 30 Substitutions:
Eliminate Roquefort Cheese
Substitute unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
Eliminate honey Recipe adapted from The Best of Fine Cooking Magazine - CookFresh Spring 2014
Yum, I love cobb salads, and this one looks so fancy (and sounds absolutely delicious!)
Thank you so much Katie. 🙂
Love this salad Lisa! It looks so fresh and you KNOW I love the dressing 🙂 I need to eat better so I’ll be looking forward to your recipes… pinning!
Thanks so much Deb. I definitely need to eat better as well. 🙂
Nice to meet you via Zainab. I like the clean eating challenge. Plus avocado and bacon in your salad is just yummmm.
It is so nice to meet you as well. I am having fun working my way through your blog. Avocado and bacon are made to be together. 🙂
This series comes at a great time for me! My doctor tells me I am “this close” to being considered diabetic, but that I can forestall that by making some changes in the way I eat. I will be following with interest.
I just had the same conversation with my doctor LuAnn. My blog will be moving more and more in this direction permanently…I refuse to take medications!!
I love this clean eating challenge, Lisa! And I look forward to seeing what recipes you come up with ;). This one looks fabulous! You doesn’t like a healthy cobb salad?
Thank you Min. I am having a lot of fun with this challenge, and slowly moving the blog in that direction full-time. 🙂
Ooo this is a fun challenge, Lisa. I love it! This salad looks great. I need to eat this for every meal this week after the way I ate this weekend. Ha, I feel like I am going to explode right now. Sugar overdrive and I have been really cutting way back on sugar. Guess I gotta pay for it now!
Pinned to one of my group boards. Have a great week, Lisa!
Thanks so much Julie. 🙂 It is a great challenge, the next one will be to keep it up when it’s over!! I hope you have a great week as well!
Love love love this Lisa! The past couple of months you have seriously inspired me, loving your clean eating and paleo recipes! Keep up the UNBELIEVABLE work. The pictures are amazing!!!! Pinned and stumbled!
Aww, you are so sweet Krista, thank you!! I am inspired by your healthy recipes…so I guess we inspire each other to continue the healthy eating quest. 🙂
This looks great! I have been “eating clean” again since January. Well I do 80% of the time. I do allow a cheat day a week. 🙂 It makes you feel SO much better!!
Thank you Sherri, I’m so glad to hear that it’s working for you. I need to kick it in gear and get up to 95% of the time!! 😉