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Have you ever played that game where you name just one thing/record/food that you would pick, if you could pick only one to be stranded on a deserted island with? Let’s play it right now! If you could pick just one record, one comfort item, and one food that you would be stranded with, what would you pick? (Answer in the comments – GO!) For me, that one comfort item, or that one album might change…. my favorite possession is without a doubt, my camera, although without a power outlet, or a laptop, that wouldn’t last too long. *I think the goal is not to over-think these things* My go-to answer for music is usually Bob Marley’s Legend, for it’s ability to cheer me up because if I was stranded I might need that. However, I should probably pick something really long, so a Grateful Dead live show would be a good one. At the moment though, I am having a full.blown.obsession with Eric Church’s new album, Mr. Misunderstood, so that’s such a tough question really! The struggle is real folks!! The one thing that I never have a hard time with though, is the food. I ALWAYS pick salad! It’s strategy really… see if you pick salad, there are sooo many different ways to make salad, and so many ingredients, that it would be like having a whole bunch of different foods, so it’s really a no brainer. (They’d have to drop me off with a whole salad bar, hehe!) Now that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with this Southwestern Bacon Avocado Salad, I think it would have to be THIS salad. It’s that good. (BTW – my husband said that this was the best salad he’s ever eaten in his whole life! Yay!) Try it, I think you’ll agree. I’d have to specify though, to whoever was going to be dropping me off on that island, PLEASE pack the Chipolte Lime Ranch Dressing too!

I was going to say a bathing suit, for the comfort item, even though a blanket or a fully charged iphone with 4G service would be more helpful (so I could call for help), but now that I’m thinking about this salad and looking at these pictures, I think that my final answer, right now, in this moment, is Southwestern Bacon Avocado Salad (with Chipolte Lime Dressing), Eric Church’s record, and a fork!! Besides, with only salad to eat, and no one around, who needs a bathing suit?! That’s good planning right there! 😉Can I get a pomegranate KeVita with that too? This deserted island isn’t sounding too bad at this point!

The stars of this awesome salad are: tofu bacon (Click the link for the recipe and ingredients), cilantro, black beans, corn, avocados, red onion, tomatoes, and tortilla strips, crunchy romaine lettuce, and the creamy chipolte lime ranch dressing! (You’ll want to make up a batch of Tofu Bacon for this salad, as it really makes it extra yummy and filling! It’s easy, and you’ll probably have some left over for snacking and eating on sandwiches or with pancakes. Click here for the recipe.) Now you can see why I picked this salad right? It’s no wimpy side salad, it’s a meal, and it’s bursting with flavor when it all comes together! So, let’s talk about these flavors – starting with the dressing…. It’s super easy to make, and will take you all of about 5 minutes!

You will start with vegan mayo (either store bought, or your own recipe), add the lime juice and spices, and then bring it to your desired consistency by stirring in a little bit of unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk at a time (I used almond milk). You can keep it thick and creamy, or thin it down, depending on your preference. Also, I’ve made this with a couple of different brands and the amount of milk you need to mix in really varies depending on the brand. In this case, I used Just Mayo Vegan Mayonnaise, which is available just about everywhere these days!

Just use a fork to stir it together. It’s really just that easy!

For the salad, you definitely want to use crispy, romaine lettuce. It’s the best for this salad, trust me on this! The recipe below is enough for four to six large salads.

Don’t forget to play the game! What are your picks – music, food, comfort item? 😃 If you want to stay connected, and get lots of delicious, vegan and gluten free recipes delivered straight to your inbox, pop your email into the form below and you’ll never miss a post! Thanks for stopping by! ~Angel



Save Print Southwestern Bacon Avocado Salad Author: Angel McNall, Cheftographer Blog Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner Cuisine: Southwestern Prep time: 15 mins Total time: 15 mins Serves: 4-6 A complete meal in one deliciously filling salad. Ingredients 1 Large head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

1 can black beans, drained

1 can of organic corn

½ C chopped cilantro

1 small red onion, diced (Optional, and use to taste)

1 avocado sliced

Approx. 12 thick slices of Tofu Bacon , cut into bite sized pieces

24 Cherry Tomatoes

Thin, crunchy tortilla strips for garnish

Lime Wedges for serving Instructions Divide all ingredients equally between 4-6 plates. I layer the ingredients with lettuce on the bottom, then corn and beans, tofu, then tomatoes. Next, arrange avocado slices on salad. I sprinkle the cilantro and onions around, and then put some of the tortilla chips around the top right before serving. Top with Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing, and serve with a lime wedge for squeezing extra lime juice over the salad. 3.4.3177

Save Print Creamy Chipotle Lime Ranch Dressing Author: Angel McNall, Cheftographer Blog Recipe type: Salad Dressing Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins This tangy, southwestern inspired ranch is the perfect compliment to my Bacon Avocado Salad! Ingredients 1¼ C Vegan Mayo

½ - 1 C of unsweetened, non-dairy milk (I use almond)

½ t granulated garlic powder

½ t granulated onion powder

½ t pink salt

¼ t black pepper

1½ t chipotle powder

1½ T fresh lime juice Instructions In a small measuring cup, combine the vegan mayo, the lime juice and the spices. Add the milk, ¼ C at a time, stirring as you go, until you reach the desired consistency. Because your taste, and the consistency of the vegan mayo will vary from brand to brand, go slowly with the milk. You may only need ½ C, or you may need the whole cup or more. I used Just Mayo and ½ C of almond milk. 3.4.3177