Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad - Yummmmmy

So this is one of my most fav, go-to recipes. It's super easy. Do to the fact that one recipe never calls for an entire can of chipotle chili peppers, I almost always have some frozen in my freezer - and rest of the ingredients are either, A) so simple that you always have them on hand anyways, or B) something interchangeable that you can either substitute with something you have, or just leave out - like using kidney beans instead of black beans, or throwing in some chopped olives, just because they're so scrumptious. But anyway, you get the gist. Here comes the recipe:

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Dressing

1/3 C chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 C light sour cream
1 Tbsp minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce (I've left this out if i don't have it and it doesn't end the world)
1 tsp ground cumin, ie one of my favorite seasonings
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsps fresh lime juice (I've used bottled lime juice just fine)
1/4 tsp salt

Salad

4 C shredded romaine lettuce
2 C chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts - oh and tonight I'm using leftover steak)
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 C diced peeled avocado
1/3 C thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained (sometimes I use kidney instead, but what's really good is to use both)
1 (8 3/4 oz) can no salt added whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained (I usually use the regular sized can)

Ok, for the dressing, just combine the "dressing" ingredients and stir well. Do this first so that it can sit and get yummy for a minute.

For the salad, combine the salad ingredient (duh) in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Or wait a bit. Whatever floats your boat. Obviously the lettuce starts to get soft if you eat this for leftovers, but the flavors have all meshed together and so I still think its worth eating (or sending with my habenero) for lunch the next day.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad.

Another Tip: If you're on a vega-tarian diet (Miranda) then this recipe is perfect for you - I'd just put in a couple of different types of beans for added protein and then ignore the fact that it has sour cream in the dressing and it's good to go. And you can give Jared a grilled chicken breast on the side if he wants. :)

Tip Numero Tres: What's that you say? You want to be cool like me and freeze your extra chipotles so that an entire can minus two don't go to waste every time you make this? Ok, just stick them in a ziplock bag and then throw them in an itty bitty tupperware and chuck em in your fridge. When you want one just whittle away at the frozen mass till you break off enough for whatever your making. Was that so simple that I didn't really need to write it? Can't tell....