An Inspired Cook

Today I’m going back to our Kansas days when Joe and I used to frequent one of our favorite restaurants, Corner Bakery Cafe. This chain has a number of locations across the country, however there is only 1 location in NM and it’s a long way from Albuquerque. If you’ve ever visited one of their locations you’ve probably tasted some of their creative sandwiches, salads as well as breakfast and pastry items. The first time I ordered the Chopped Salad it came with all the listed ingredients but there was a bonus sprinkle of quinoa. It was obviously added by mistake but I enjoyed those tasty little pearls of quinoa that soaked up the vinaigrette with a burst of flavor in every bite. This inspired chopped salad is loaded with cooked chicken, bacon bits, romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado, green onions, cucumber, red bell pepper and goat cheese crumbles, plus a sprinkle of quinoa over top. I experimented making a vinaigrette that would capture the taste of a house dressing with sweet and spicy tones like Corner Bakery. I think I nailed it with a simple red wine vinaigrette with a hint of maple syrup and shallot and garlic flavors throughout. Once I had the dressing, the rest of the salad was a breeze. It’s just my opinion but it tastes very close to the chopped salad I used to order at Corner Bakery plus a little quinoa sprinkle over top, because it tastes so good and is good for you.