Chicken Taco Salad with Avocado Dressing

Talk about a perfect summertime meal. I ate this for lunch and dinner two days in a row! The dressing is so simple and delicious and could certainly be used as an extremely smooth guacamole. The flavors of this simple salad really work well together. Try this one soon!

Chicken Taco Salad with Avocado Dressing

for the salad:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbs olive oil

taco seasoning- to your taste (for me, this is chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper)

romaine lettuce

shredded cheddar cheese

tortilla chips, lightly crushed

for the dressing:

1 large avocado

juice of 1 small lemon

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

water

Marinate chicken breasts in the olive oil and taco seasoning for at least one hour in the refrigerator. To cook, preheat oven to 350 and heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. When skillet is hot, brown chicken on both sides for about 2 minutes per side. Do not cook through; just brown both sides. Transfer chicken and pan to oven and cook for about 10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven and let rest on a plate while you prepare the salad dressing.

In a blender, puree avocado with lemon juice, olive oil and enough water to make a creamy consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper (and cayenne, if desired) and blend well.

Slice chicken breasts into strips. Top romaine lettuce with chicken, shredded cheese, and avocado dressing. Add crushed tortilla chips, if desired.