*3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon black pepper
*1 teaspoon cumin
*1 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon onion powder
*1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
*2 Tablespoons olive oil
*8-10 corn tortillas
*cooking spray
*1 bag of Romaine pieces or 1 head of Romaine torn into pieces
*2 large firm tomatoes, seeded and chopped
*1/2 of a red onion, finely diced
*1-2 avocados, chopped
*1/2 wheel of cojita cheese, grated
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
*1/3 cup olive oil
*5 limes, juiced (about 1/2 cup)
* 1/4 cup honey
*2 large garlic cloves, pressed
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare honey lime vinaigrette first so that the flavors can marry. You can even make this the day before and store in the refrigerator: In a pourable measuring cup combine the 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk together. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl make the chicken dry rub by combining the salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Place chicken on a plate and season both sides using all the dry rub.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook about 7 minutes per side until no longer pink inside. Place on a plate to rest. Give the dressing another good whisk. Set aside.
4. Prepare baked tortilla chips: Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Holding several corn tortillas in your hand stacked together, tear the tortillas in half. Tear each piece in half again. Tear each piece in half one more time. Place on a large baking sheet so that none overlap. Spray the tops with cooking spray. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Bake in the 350 degree oven until crispy. Watch them so that they don't turn brown. It can happen all of a sudden! Set aside to cool.
5. Slice chicken into thin strips.
6. Assemble salad: baked tortilla chips on the bottom, Romaine, tomato, red onion, chicken, avocado, honey lime vinaigrette dressing (whisk one more time really well before pouring), topped with cojita cheese. (I usually let our family assemble their own salads so that each person gets the amount of each ingredient that they prefer. I lay out all the components buffet style.)
