Most of my favorite recipes are tied to a certain time in my life. Eating them is just as much about the memories as the food. A bite of chicken dumplin’s can take me back to a cold February gathered around Mamaw’s crockpot. Tomato juice dripping down my hand from my tinga tostada transports me back to my summer studying abroad in Mexico. And California Cobb salad was my first taste of freedom.
I was living away from my family for the first time completing a theatre internship in Washington D.C. My little foodie soul was soaking up all of the different cuisine (ranging far beyond the standard southern soul food I grew up on in Mississippi.) I was also exposed to a vibrant community of healthy eaters and learned that food could be good for you and delicious at the same time.
One of my favorite places to drop by for lunch was a salad chain called “Chop’t”. (We seriously need one here in Arkansas. Someone start a petition.) They served almost any kind of salad you could imagine. My favorite was the California Cobb.
I love making my own version with leftovers so it’s easy to assemble with minimal cook time.
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 2 precooked chicken breasts, diced
- 2 hard cooked eggs, diced
- 1 fresh tomato, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 strips precooked Petit Jean Bacon
- Crumbled blue cheese (to taste)
- Creamy salad dressing (like Ranch or Tzatziki)
- Pita Bread
- Chop spinach.
- Dice chicken, eggs, tomato and avocado.
- Crumble Petit Jean Meats bacon.
- Assemble toppings on bed of spinach. Add blue cheese to taste.
- Top with a creamy salad dressing of your choice. You could use ranch or add a splash of milk to your favorite tzatziki recipe to make that into dressing.
- Pop pita bread in the microwave for a few seconds (wrapped in a damp paper towel) to make it nice and warm. Quarter and serve with salad.
- Optional: I went the “pretty” styling route for this photoshoot, but to be honest this isn’t how I usually assemble my salad. I love to toss the whole salad in dressing before serving so there’s a little bit of everything in each bite. After all, that’s how they do it at Chop’t. 😉
Getting to Know Your ARWB Foodies
Sarah Shotts
Love Letter to Adventure
What food reminds you of childhood?
Cranberry Orange Relish. Every holiday season my sister and I would stand shoulder to shoulder on the kitchen stool as we made this by hand with our mother.
What is your favorite international cuisine?
Tinga. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico for my last semester in undergrad. We lived with families and our madre was an excellent cook! My favorite dish there was Tinga… a tomato &ch
ipotle s
hredded chicken served on tostadas with blackrefried beans, crema, and fresh avocado.
What is always in your refrigerator at home?.
Milk for tea. 😉
What is your most used cookbook?
Pioneer Woman Cooks
What is your favorite kitchen gadget?
Granny Fork
Do you have a favorite food indulgence?
Filling up on queso, chips & sweet tea before the food ever arrives at a Mexican restaurant.
What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again?
Avocado
What is your favorite food meal to cook at home?.
What I call my “Superhuman Breakfast” to start the day off right… steamed sweet potatoes & spinach, scrambled eggs & leek and horseradish sauerkraut.
What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks?
To save time cooking with boiling water start the water off in the kettle first and pour the boiling water into a heated pot. (Learned this one from Jamie Oliver.)
When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes?
Reading, Traveling & Exploring NW Arkansas
What else would you like us to know about you?
I climbed the Pyramid of the Sun in a pair of black converse.
I seriously love reading your stuff, Sarah. Your “voice” is amazing. I also miss D.C. and am sad that I never got to try Chop’t. Everyone used to talk about how good it was.
I am all over salads these days…anything to keep the kitchen cool AND eat yummy food!