Southwestern Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 (6 inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 cups ready-to-serve salad greens
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped tomatoes, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 cup cubed peeled jicama or sliced water chestnuts
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup fat-free ranch salad dressing
4 teaspoons barbecue sauce

Directions

Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet; spritz both sides of strips with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.

Combine the salad greens, corn, beans, 1 cup tomatoes, green pepper, jicama and onions; arrange on a serving platter. Place chicken in center of salad; sprinkle with cheese and remaining tomatoes. Arrange tortilla strips around chicken. In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce; serve with salad.

Source: AllRecipes.com

Record Heat!

Lexington's high temperature of 105 degrees today was the 2nd hottest ever recorded behind 108 degrees dating back to July 10 & July 15, 1936. Louisville's 106 degree reading was also 2nd to 107 degrees.

Credit: Lex18 News

Spiral Cut Hot Dogs Before Grilling for Maximum Meaty Goodness and Plenty of Room for Toppings

Cooking a hot dog isn't rocket science, but making that hot dog something really special can be trickier than loading it up with toppings. The fine folks at Chow suggest giving your hot dog a quick spiral cut before putting it on the grill: It'll cook up perfectly straight, you boost the surface area so you get more of that nice grilled flavor, and once it's on the bun there are plenty of nooks and crannies for relish and other toppings to fit into.

It turns out the spiral cut is really simple—just skewer the hot dog, hold your knife at an angle, and roll it away from you under the knife. Take the dog off of the skewer and drop it on the grill. One of the benefits of the spiral cut is that the hot dog will cook up perfectly straight, and you won't have to worry about it curling up, the skin ripping, or it cooking unevenly. Every tiny corner of the dog will cook up with that nice, caramelized flavor that makes grilling so delicious. Chow's Blake Smith notes that the spiral cut dog also fits better in a bun once it's cooked up, and the toppings just fall right into the crevices, making every bite tastier.

For another boost of flavor, consider marinading your dogs before they go on the grill—they actually take well to it. Of course, if you're not into hot dogs, you can definitely do the same thing with sausages or brats, just be careful of any meat that'll start to fall apart before cooking once the casing is cut.

Credit: Alan Henry, Lifehacker.com

I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but...

here in Kentucky, this is what we are dealing with this afternoon. I know that most of the U.S. is dealing with extreme heat the next couple of days, and I would like to offer these tips for preventing heat-related illness from the CDC.