One of the ways I adjust the rhythms of my body to the seasons is what I choose to cook.  As summer fades into fall, I naturally find myself gravitating to heartier meals but I’m not quite ready for soups and roasts. I am however craving salads such as this one inspired by a recipe I saw on cafedelites.com.

I tweaked this a bit by using roasted peppers and leftover chicken and sautéing it in extra virgin olive oil for a bit of color, then adding the other ingredients to make a sauce and dressing the salad with it. Super easy and delightfully satisfying!

Note: Of course you can start with raw chicken strips and simply cook them longer (and it would be even better, but I wanted to use up my leftover chicken and this was a delicious use for it.

Ingredients

(based on a dinner salad for two)

Cooked shredded chicken breast – about 8 oz. (226) per person

1 ripe avocado – sliced

Several slices of roasted peppers – see how here

Mixed greens with slices of red cabbage (optional) – about 8 oz. (226 g) per person

For the Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil – or enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan

The juice from one lime

1 teaspoon (5.69 g) of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1 medium garlic clove – finely chopped

1 tablespoon of parsley or cilantro – roughly chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Season with salt and pepper

Instruction

Place a medium saute pan over medium heat and heat until hot but not smoking, add chicken and cook for a minute or two until slightly browned.

Add the garlic and cook just until it begins to color…about 30 seconds.

Follow quickly with lime juice, sugar, and cumin. Cook for just a few moments until all the flavors are melded together.

Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped parsley or cilantro. Add a bit more oil and lime juice if needed. Stir and top the assembled salad with the chicken and drizzle it with the sauce.

To assemble the salad

Wash, dry the greens. Place on a platter or bowl. Top with the peppers and the avocado.