Sorry about the blurry photo.  My current camera is not so great, plus the photo has been converted a couple of times, which degrades it.  Here's the documentation on the salad we like so much. 

Materials for the Salad: (about 4 large servings)

• 1 can of good quality kidney beans.  Also might try black beans, but they should be firm.
• 1 can good quality corn. 
• 1 can black olives - less would be healthier, but they really go well in this.  One thing to do to keep from using so many olives is to eat a handful as you are slicing them. This makes the salad healthier.
• 2  medium tomatoes cut into small chunks.  Should be firm, so they don't get all smished when you mix it up.  Ripe roma tomatoes are good for this.
• Cilantro.  About 1/4 cup or so, chopped.  Actually this should be done to taste because some folks don't like it so much.
• 4 or so green onions, sliced. 
• 2 or 3 stalks of celery, diced.
• Red chili powder
• Garlic salt
• One cup or so of Fritos for special occasions, or if you are trying to gain weight. 
• Also, you can chop some yellow onion and add it, but only if you think that having gas is funny.

Refrigerate the canned goods and the veggies.  You want to mix this up at the last minute, so it is as fresh as possible. Combine the salad ingredients (not the Fritos) and add a healthy tablespoon of chili powder (more/less to taste) and sprinkle with garlic salt (optional).  Don't over-mix. 

 

Chipotle Ranch Sauce:

No, don't use a wooden cutting board.  The white ones don't photograph so well.  One of the chilies is on the spoon.  Read more below for a surprise on what a chipotle really is.

 

Materials:

• At least eight ounces of ranch dressing.  I always use light.  
• Old red Pyrex sauce dish.
• Two or more chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped.  You must decide by taste preference.  Them is some hot peppers!  Embassa is the only brand I know of.  Following is from a web site with some info on chipotle peppers: 

chili peppers are smoked jalapeno chili peppers and are also known as chili ahumado.  These chilies are usually a dull tan to coffee color and measure approximately 2 to 4 inches in length and about an inch wide.  As much as one fifth of the Mexican jalapeno crop is processed into chipotles.   From: www.gourmetsleuth.com/chipotle.htm

 

Sliced Hot Chicken Topping:

• 3 (or so) boneless chicken breasts, sliced long ways into three slices (four if you have large breasts).

    Marinade: The most basic marinade.  Not a tenderizer, just a flavorizer .

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil.  Olive oil adds too much, so I don't use it for this.
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tbsp dried onions
• 1/3 tsp or more more black pepper.

    Variations:

•   Use more lemon juice and add a large tsp some thyme.
•   Add some cayenne pepper.

 

    Procedure:

Cook the strips on high heat (as opposed to high cold).  They cook pretty fast.   After one side is well browned, turn them over and maybe lower the heat.  Then test by cutting into them when they are getting firm to the touch.  They are done when the last of the pink is gone, and not a second later.  Cooking them on high helps to seal in the juices.

 

Final Assembly:

We use store-bought salad mix because we're lazy.  Just sliced lettuce would work fine.

• Cut the chicken strips into slices.
• Put the veggie mix over some lettuce
• Scoop on some chipotle ranch sauce.
• Top with hot chicken slices.
• (Optionally) Sprinkle on crushed Fritos.
• Garnish with a good splash of chili powder.

We eat this stuff quite often.  It's got lots of fibre and really not much fat.  It keeps its flavor in the fridge okay, but tends to get a bit soggy.

Next:  "Brook trout almandine... and the sage hen is especially good". 

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