Like-Earl's Santa Fe Salad

Ronalynne's Note:

My hobby is copying restaurant dishes and this is one of my favourites at our West Vancouver Earl's. This hearty salad combines all the necessary components for a great dish with the sweet dates complementing the tart Peanut Lime dressing (which is good on any green salad). Sliced grilled blackened chicken is excellent served alongside.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 meals

Peanut Lime Dressing

• ¼ cup peanuts
• ¼ cup vegetable oil or ¼ cup peanut oil
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 small garlic clove , finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime zest

Salad

• 3 small corn tortillas , cut into 1-inch x 1/8-inch long pieces
• oil (for deep frying)
• 1 ear of corn
• 1 cup dates , chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 14 ounces black beans , rinsed, drained
• 8 cups mixed greens
• 8 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup peanuts , chopped

Directions:

1. Dressing:.
2. Combine ingredients in a food processor or use a hand immersion blender to process until mixture is green and tiny specks of peanuts and lime are visible. Makes 3/4 cup.
3. Salad:.
4. Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer or heavy pot (a small pot using about 1 cup oil and working in two batches works well); add tortilla pieces and deep fry until golden and crisp; drain on paper towels (may also be baked @ 375 degrees). (Note: Coarsely crushed corn tortilla chips or purchased deep fried chow mein noodles may be substituted for deep fried tortilla pieces or whole corn tortilla chips may be decoratively placed beside the prepared salad instead.).
5. Rub corn with vegetable oil and grill over medium-high heat until lightly browned; cool and remove kernels. (3/4 cup cooked corn may be substituted).
6. Place lettuces in a large bowl; toss together with enough dressing to lightly coat. Add corn, dates, black beans and half the tortilla pieces and feta cheese; toss well. Divide between 4 plates and top with remaining feta cheese and tortilla pieces. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over top. Peel and thinly slice avocado and divide between 4 plates; place beside each salad.

Reviews

[SarasotaCook]

Made for PAC 2010. I'm torn about the review. I like the salad, but couldn't figure out the origin. The dressing is more of an Asian dressing. Which by the way was very good. We loved the dressing. he salad, loved the greens, beans, avocado, corn and tortillas. I did bake the tortillas, sliced up which turned out very good. I didn't like the dates, although I do like them other salads, but they didn't work with the tortillas and black beans. I did again roast the corn which was a good flavor. But the feta just didn't work. There are a few Mexican cheese similar in texture and tang but they definitely have a different flavor. And I did serve some chicken on the side, the blackened was a whole new flavor introduced. It was just too many different flavors conflicting. But the dressing was great, the chicken was good but on it's own, blackening it didn't match with the dressing and the salad overall good, but the dates were not it for me. I think there are other fruits to give it sweetness. That may be just opinion, but I just didn't like the whole combination. Sorry, thx for posting.