I came from a fabulous city on the beach where there were more than a fair share of ethnic restaurants of every kind, and I came to a city 50 miles inland, where there are chain restaurants and barbecue places. (It has gotten a bit better in the past 10 years. I'll be okay.) I went from being spoiled to being petulant.
One thing I noticed at the time was that all of a sudden, every restaurant happened to offer a "barbecue chopped salad." I am not sure if that was the case everywhere in the United States at the time, or the town I moved to. This town has more than it's fair share of barbecue restaurants, mind you.
I like to think that the barbecue chopped salad originated in New Mexico. I imagine that people in New Mexico eat black beans and corn with every meal. I have never been to New Mexico, but I am sure it must be true.
Whether this salad came from New Mexico or my little city here; whether it is a local thing or a thing of its era, this salad seems to be in every restaurant around me.
I love it. It has enough protein and fiber to be a meal, lots of nutrition, and enough different ingredients to keep it interesting enough to eat often.
The only problem is that 2 of 3 little guys around here won't touch a salad with a 10-foot pole. That is a hurdle that I plan to overcome someday. Just not yet.
Last night I was attending a fundraiser for breast cancer, and I knew that there would be pizza available for the kids. Since they were all taken care of with their favorite dinner, I took the chance before we went out, to enjoy one of my own favorite dinners too.
In case you live in a remote corner of the United States where they don't have a barbecue chopped salad, it is:
lettuce
cilantro
black beans
tomato
corn
green onions
cheddar cheese
grilled chicken
avocado
tossed with ranch dressing and barbecue sauce
