Signature Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

           I mentioned in the jicama post that I recently had an incredible salad at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Atlanta. I would consider myself a frequent salad eater but I am not the girl who only ever orders salad. However, this particular evening I was enjoying an incredibly fun time with some great friends from college whom I had not seen in several months. The night was more about the company than the food and thus for the sake of my pocket book and waistline, I ordered a salad… blah. Boy was I surprised when my Pappadeaux Salad (in case you would like to order it sometime) turned out to be hands down the best salad I have ever eaten. In the weeks following that evening, recreating that wonderful meal had been on my mind. But like salads tend to do, it was put off for things with better curb appeal like cavatappi and cheese, caramel apple cake, and chocolate chip cheese balls. I finally recreated it this week. Again I was surprised, even from my own kitchen, how well the unusual ingredients lend themselves to this dish.

            I adapted a couple of things for my convenience and in case there is such a thing as copyright infringement of recipes (I need to research that). FYI: at Pappadeaux the salad is served with chili vinaigrette – mine is cilantro lime, theirs is topped with fresh avocado – mine is topped with fresh guacamole for longevity (I ate this salad for lunch all week and avocados do not keep well).  Lastly, Pappadeaux gives the option of topping the salad with grilled shrimp, steak, or chicken. I topped mine with leftover flank steak from Monday night’s super. Now that you have read my dissertation about the salad, I hope it inspires as much passion for you as it did me! Enjoy!

For the Dressing:

1 c. packed cilantro

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 c. limejuice (about 2 limes)

1/4 c. orange juice

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until well blended OR finely chop cilantro, add other ingredients and shake vigorously for 1 minute until well blended. Makes 1 c.

Tip: If you plan to shake the dressing, cover the top with plastic wrap to prevent spilling. 

For the Salad:

Your favorite lettuce (I used spinach)

Sliced red onion

Sliced Roma tomatoes

Sliced jicama (see previous post)

Roasted peanuts

Guacamole

Meat of choice

Assemble all ingredients in quantities that please you and top with cilantro lime vinaigrette. May be made as multi-portions or single servings.