My Big Sass Cobb Salad

recently, I had gotten away from eating salads... call it boredom.  call it laziness.  call it Ishmael.  whatever.  for some reason, salads were nonexistent in our household for a wee bit.  now.  that doesn't mean we weren't eating leafy greens... we were, I just got into the habit of either blending them into our smoothies or sautéing them to serve up with sunny-side up eggs (still a fave!).  

but. I needed to get back into the habit of salads... not just for my overall well-being but because our littles (who just turned 5!?!  what?!?) were watching what mama was eating and starting to refuse salads (cause I wasn't eating them).  um.  not good.

so.  the search began with finding inspiration for salads - I need it... and what better place to search for food-inspiration than instagram, right?  ugh.  some folks take AMAZINGLY delicious looking food photos while my food art is a tad lacking in the artistic side.  maybe I'll take some food photographer classes, they have those, right?  hopefully, online.  

anywho.  after non-creepily social media stalking a few folks who I look up to in regards to nutrition... I noticed a few similarities, one being they each consumed a type of Cobb salad throughout the week.  weird, right?  hmm... I thought so, too.  there's salads were similar but not the same + each one were calling it a Cobb Salad.  interesting.

here's another cool tidbit about Cobb Salad:  it's said to be a salad which was sort of just thrown together... check out the story here!

and that's what I did, loves... threw some ingredients together + tried to get a slew of colors on my plate.  there is ONE thing I was aiming for though... well, two things: 

1. not to use avocado  (WHAT?!? I love avocados, but I knew there was going to be a lot of healthy fats already in this salad, so, I tuned it down a wee bit)
2. we needed to get in a lot of BRAIN FOODS... leafy greens, nuts, blueberries, etc. 

GROCERIES:

• broccoli, chopped (1/4 cup)
• orange bell pepper, chopped (1/4 cup)
• boiled egg (1)
• chicken breast, skillet cooked (3oz)
• bacon, cooked (2 slices)
• blueberries, washed (1/4 cup)
• goat cheese, (1oz)
• walnuts, chopped (1/8 cup)
• spinach, washed and chopped (1 cup)
• romaine, washed and chopped (1 cup)

NOW WHAT?

1. in skillet on medium heat, cook bacon thoroughly until crispy!  once cooked, remove from skillet and place on a towel to drain excess grease - set bacon aside. 
2. using warmed bacon grease, cook the chicken breast until thoroughly cooked... typically 7 minutes on each side.  once cooked and allowed to cool, chop up chicken into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.
3. while chicken is cooking in the skillet, boil egg in a saucepan filled with water on medium heat.  I boiled the egg(s) for about 10 minutes then removed from heat and splashed cold water on eggs before peeling.  Allow to cool before peeling, trust me.  Once cooled, slice egg and set aside. 
4. place washed + chopped leafy greens in a bowl then top with ingredients:  broccoli, bell pepper, goat cheese, bacon bits, blueberries, walnuts and chicken.

now.  here's some meal prepping tips, because let's be honest - this mama needs 'em.  

MEAL PREP TIPS:

• wash + pat dry leafy greens + chop into bite sized bits.  place in airtight containers in the fridge for easy access during the week!   I typically cut only enough lettuce for 3 salads at a time!
• wash + dry produce:  bell peppers + broccoli.  then using a mini food-processor, chop each vegetable separately into tiny bits then set aside in an airtight container and set in fridge.  I typically chop 1 head of broccoli and 1 bell pepper for me to use for 3 salads. 
• you can boil the eggs ahead of time + store in the fridge (but I recommend PEELING before placing them in fridge).
• chop the walnuts using the mini food-processor and place in an airtight container in the pantry.  

for the dressing, you can use a nice vinaigrette or simply use a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice with EVOO which is what I did.  DELICIOUS!