WE Eat | Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Cravings.  Lets talk about those for a second.  I'm generally even keeled when it comes to food.  I pretty much love it all.  Peas are probably my least favorite of all vegetables, but I'll eat them.  Blueberries are probably my least favorite of all fruits (its a texture, not flavor, thing for me), but again, I'll eat them.  I'm just not picky at all.

Until I become pregnant.  With Parker and Jolie I had a pretty severe aversion to meats in general - especially chicken of any kind, unless it was breaded (because you can't tell its chicken).

..and here we go again.  I never really regained a desire for chicken after the girls were born, which is weird because we eat it all the time. 

Right now chicken is gross.  

Disgusting.  

Blech. 

You get the picture.  

Salads have been on my radar, and in attempt to meal plan on a regular basis and keep me out of the box of Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nuggets in my freezer for topping my salad concoctions - I will disguise the grilled version as long as its drenched in sauce/dressing/cheese.  

Dietitian of the year.  Please don't judge me on my pregnancy decisions about food.

I love this salad so much that I have it on this week's meal plan TWICE.  It is incredibly easy.  Takes basically zero dishes, and my entire family loves it.  

I figured out a couple months ago Parker and Jolie's love for salad while at a restaurant.  I didn't get a single bite of my dinner salad.  

Well, I could work with this.  

So, while it seems silly to share a typically boring Chicken Caesar Salad, its what we're eating pretty regularly right now.. 

..and if the title of these posts speak truth..

..you know?    

I also want to make note the question about Caesar dressing and pregnancy.  Traditional homemade Caesar dressing contains raw eggs.  Due to the high risk of Salmonella contamination, the risk for pregnant women and Caesar dressing is pretty high. While this is true, the risk is really more for the handmade dressings and not the store bought kind.  Restaurants that make their dressings in house use traditional ingredients (egg yolks, anchovies, etc.) and pregnant women have a higher risk and therefore should avoid ordering Caesar Salad while dining out.  When purchasing dressing at the grocery store, be sure to read the food label to ensure all is pasteurized and there are no eggs.    

This vinaigrette dressing comes from my sweet friend Ashley - and is hardly dangerous - and we all love it!  

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

serves 4

8 ounces Grilled Chicken Breast

3-4 hearts of Romaine, trimmed & chopped

1 cup flavored croutons

1/2 cup shredded or shaved parmesan cheese

6 ounces Caesar Vinaigrette dressing

Caesar Vinaigrette Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup distilled vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper
--

Whisk together ingredients until combined.  Chill until ready to serve.

It is a real shame that my kids don't have a personality. They are so funny about food when it comes to meal time.  Parker is usually quick to take a bite and then decide yes or no to whether she likes it or not.

But there is always the examination first.

 She must get this from her sister, because even the most familiar foods get the examination before she sticks them in her mouth.

 When it comes to salad, they eat things in order.  The cheese wigs them out half the time, and they end up scooting it all to one side - which is so weird because they eat me out of house and home regarding cheese and dairy products.

 lettuce greens | croutons | and both end up saving the chicken for last 

I'm all ears for hearing about homemade dressings and salads right about now.  I've mastered the Asian, BBQ Ranch, Taco, and of course Caesar:)

bibs c/o snap bibs

plates: oxo tot

forks: oxo tot