VeganMoFo V: Southwestern Cobb Salad

Okay.  I wanted this to be bright and vibrant and all rainbowed out, but I had the biggest day of suck.  Last night while trying to finish a paper I ran out of ink.  Bought new ink.  It was the wrong kind of ink.  Managed to print the paper, only to realize my works cited had errors and my professor was forcing another edit.  Plus, the same professor was a complete jackhole to me in class. On this dreary day, not even my Buffy shirt made me smile.

era calls me E-mo for a reason.  haha

After the morning I had, the day was complete redeemed by a few things.  First of all, I'm rocking a hoodie.  It was a cold and windy day.  Then, I got an A on my geology test...the one with mineral identification!  Lastly, I made this bomb ass salad.

Southwestern cobb salad is something I first tried as a wee lass at Alamo City Cafe in my hometown.  At the time, I thought that place was THE joint when it came to Mexican food.  Oh, foolish child.  Alamo City Cafe is pretty much like eating Mexican food in a non-bordering state...it's got no sol soul.  But their cobb salad was the first salad I ever loved.  It reminded me of spending family time together.  We were all little kids but I remember feeling grown up chowing down on some greens.  This is my very loose interpretation.

sorry for the lighting.  already dark out.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

I eat this with chipotle ranch, but feel free to use whatever.  I suggest serving this individually, with toppings separated, unless it will be consumed in one sitting.  It's fine to use fresh frozen corn that's been thawed.

8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
⅓ cup sliced black olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large Haas avocado, diced
1 small lime
kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn, about 1 cup
½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp cilantro, minced
½ tsp mild chile powder, like ancho
½ tsp cumin
⅓ cup tempeh bacon, fried and chopped
⅓ cup vegan cheddar, optional

In a small bowl, gently mix juice from ½ of the lime with the avocado.  In another bowl, mix the corn kernels, black beans, cilantro, chile powder, cumin, and the juice from the remaining ½ of the lime.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each serving, add 2 cups of romaine.  Layer the toppings evenly over each dish.  Eat immediately.

Tomorrow, I'm revisiting those gingerbread pop tarts from last year.  Super excited!  Plus, Friday, I'm showing love to my mother-in-law...hopefully in video format.  Happy Wednesday!