You may have noticed the onslaught of new delectable recipes up over the past month.  Classes didn’t start again until last week so I have had a little more time to putter around in the kitchen.  It has been fun, but now I am back in full swing of grad school madness so the numbers may dwindle in the coming weeks.

On Thursday nights my classes don’t start until late, so my truly wonderful friend Vanessa came over for dinner to help me kill some time.  I kept it simple with this filling, substantial salad that is packed with just the right proteins and nutrition that your brain needs to sit through two hour evening courses. The best part is that it is simple to accommodate all dietary restraints and still leave your diners happy.  Vegan? Skip the meat, egg and cheese and the yams and avocado still taste divine.  Vegetarian? forgo the meat and the resulting salad will leave you just as satisfied.   Strict Paleo? set aside the cheese and yams and what you have left is more or less pure protein for your carnivorous needs.

So however you elect to eat-enjoy.

Cobb Salad with a Tangy Oil Free Garlic-Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 slices of Turkey Bacon
• 1 large yam
• 4 boiled eggs
• 1 head of lettuce ( your choice, we like the a rich, dark green lettuce like Red Leaf)
•  1 or 2 avocados
• 3 oz. of fresh, ripe plain goat cheese

Dressing

• 1/2 cup of mustard
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp of ground ginger
• 2 tsp of soy sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet and roasting pan with parchment paper.
2. Place the chicken in the baking dish and roast until cooked through.
   • Tip: sometimes I cover the chicken in Trader Joes’s BBQ sauce for extra zip
3. Chop the yams into bites sized pieces and add to the baking sheet.  Roast until cooked through (about 30 minutes)
4. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with water.  Bring eggs to a roaring boil and then let boil for 5 minutes.  Then remove from the heat, allow them to cool.
5. While you wait for the veggies to cook and the eggs to cool, whisk together the mustard, vineyard, garlic, ginger and soy sauce in a separate small bowl.  Set aside.
6. Chop or rip the lettuce into bite sized pieces and divide between 4 serving plates.
7. Dice the flesh of the avocado into small pieces and divide between the 4 serving plates.
8. Peel the eggs and slice into rounds.  Divide them between your four salads.
9. Divide and crumble the goat cheese over each salad.
10. Once the yams are nearing completion add the turkey bacon to the baking sheet to cook.
11. Remove the chicken from the oven, dice into bite sized pieces and divide between salads.
12. Remove the yams from the oven, and divide between each salad.
13. Remove the turkey bacon, slice into small pieces and divide between each salad.
14. Whisk the dressing up once more so it is well combined and divide over the four salads.  Serve.