Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice Salad

There are few recipes that I take the time to post the night I make them for dinner. Not because the recipes I am making are not worth posting right away, more just because I get busy and forget to blog about them until I have a few minutes to sit down at my laptop and post. This recipe however was a MUST-POST-RIGHT-AWAY kind of dish for me. I found a recipe that looked delicious from my friend Jamie's blog and knew I needed to make and try this for our 'rice' month here at Deals to Meals.

This recipe didn't disappoint, it was awesome!! I did change several aspects of the salad, so I gave it a new name (a little wordy I know..but, it will do) and am so excited to share it with you. I could see this dish being one I make all of the time in the summer. It would be fabulous warm or cold (in fact, it was..I had two bowls of it tonight--one at dinner and one an hour later when I was cleaning up, delicious both ways!!). Either way, the fact you don't have to turn on the stove and it is a one bowl wonder, it is the perfect recipe to eat on the go, on a picnic, camping, at a family gathering or for a weeknight meal. We ate this for dinner tonight and all of the kids LOVED it!! Even my 10 month old baby couldn't get enough (that says a lot, he is a picky chap!)

Bottom line, add this to your list of meals to try before the month is through. I hope you love it as much as I did! The other great thing about this recipe is that it is a great dinner option for people who are unable to eat gluten. If you want to also cut back on your food budget, leave out the chicken. I think it would be just as good without it. A good vegetarian meal never hurt anyone, right :)

(Red or green place mat..that is the question. Hehe!)

Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice Salad
1 c. long grain white rice
2 c. brown rice (or 2 more cups white rice--any combination of 3 c. rice will work) 4 1/2 c. water

Cook rice on the stove, in a rice cooker or pressure cooker until tender and fluffy, about 20-30 minutes depending which method you choose.

2 chicken breasts, cut or shredded into small pieces (I used my precooked & frozen chicken from my freezer--makes this meal very quick to prepare!)
1 onion, diced
1 can rotel tomatoes (or 1 c. diced tomatoes & 1 more can diced green chilies)
2 t. chili powder
1 t. salt

Saute together in a pan until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked and the onions are soft, add the mixture to the cooked rice. Add the following ingredients to the rice:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed (much better with frozen corn, but can could work too)
1 c. cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. green onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, peeled and diced (can serve on the side or in the salad--or..not at all, it's up to you)

Dressing:
1/2 c. lime juice
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. vegetable or canola oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced fine (if you like it more spicy add 2 or 3, or leave seeds in)
2 t. chili powder
2 t. cumin
Salt (if needed once taste the salad)

For the dressing, whisk together ingredients (or use a hand blender and blend together if you don't want jalapeno pieces in your salad). Pour the dressing over the rice and mix to coat evenly. Serve with extra fresh lime slices on the side and extra cilantro.

BROWN RICE TIP

Healthy tip: anytime I make a recipe where the rice is covered in a sauce of some kind or lots of seasonings, I always use a ratio of 2 parts brown rice to 1 part white rice. Brown rice is so much more nutritious than white rice so if it is going to be covered up anyway with sauce, use the brown rice and your family will never know. I know they are supposed to cook at different temperatures and time frames, but I have found in a rice cooker, pressure canner or on the stove they turn out just fine being cooked together.