Tag Archives: pepper jack cheese

Southwest Spinach Salad

What a symphony of flavors ! Your mouth doesn’t know what to be the happiest about – is it the pine nut accent? Or the spicy pepperjack cheese? Or the creamy avocados? Or the smoky chipotle dressing? This is one of THE BEST salads I’ve ever made.

Southwest Spinach Salad
Southwest Spinach Salad

4 servings
300 calories per serving

8 c fresh baby spinach
1/2 c corn with sweet peppers
1/3 c halved black pitted olives
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 oz. diced pepper jack cheese
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
1 ripe avocado cut into 16 slices
3 T lime juice
2 T oil
1 t chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/8 t salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T toasted pine nuts
A few extra squirts of lime juice if you like your salad nice and ‘wet’

Combine spinach, corn, olives, cilantro and cheese. Place 2 c worth on each plate. Arrange tomato, egg and avocado slices atop the spinach. Combine lime juice, oil, chopped chipotle, salt and garlic. Whisk well and pour over salads. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Southwest Vegetable Bake

Very flavorful and very different – the hominy really makes this one special. But if you don’t like hominy, just add more corn or skip it all together.

Southwest Vegetable Bake
Southwest Vegetable Bake

4 servings
269 calories per serving

2 11 oz. cans whole kernel corn with peppers
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15.5 oz. can white hominy, drained
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t salt
½ t ground cumin
½ t chili powder
1/2 c shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients other than cheese in a baking dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the shredded cheese, then bake another 5 minutes uncovered.

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