Well, we made it to San Diego!! We’re living in a hotel for a couple of weeks until our house is ready to move into, but we’re here. It feels like we are just on vacation. It’s hard to believe we actually live here now.
I wonder if it will ever not feel like a vacation? I will say, staying in a hotel with a four-year old and two-year old for two weeks (while my husband goes to work every day) isn’t my idea of a fun vacation. The family below us has already complained about the noise, pitter- patter of running footsteps, and slamming of doors. We may get kicked out of here before our time is up!
We have a teeny tiny kitchenette in our hotel suite, but it’s getting very little action. And like most vacations go, we’ve been eating out quite a bit. I’m ready for a big, hearty homemade salad. Just like this one. Chicken, bacon, and tomatoes over a chopped bed of lettuce. Topped with crispy, Parmesan-crusted fried avocados.
Parmesan-crusted fried avocados! Make them.
They are so dang good you may just want to eat them plain, and that’s perfectly fine too! Avocado slices get dredged in an egg wash, then rolled in a mixture of bread crumbs and lots of Parmesan cheese. Give ’em a quick pan-fry ’til they are crispy and golden and you’ll be in heaven.
I whisked up a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. I thought I’d keep it a little lighter–we are eating fried avocados after all. But if you’d prefer, you can drench this salad in ranch, or blue cheese, or whatever your favorite dressing may be!
- 2 chicken breasts (or 4 tenders), thawed
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic
- salt and pepper
- 1 large (or 2 smal) ripe avocados
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 tbs olive oil (for frying)
- For the salad
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 4 slices bacon (or turkey bacon) cooked and crumbled
- 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper together. Place chicken in a large zip lock bag and pour balsamic mixture over the chicken. Let marinate for 1-2 hours. Cook chicken on the grill or stove top until cooked through, then slice into strips or cubes.
- Remove pit from avocado and slice into strips (not too thin). Scoop slices out of the avocado and place on a plate. Dredge each avocado slice into egg wash, then parmesan-bread crumb mixture.
- Heat a large skillet with 2-3 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot enough, drop avocado slices in to the pan. Let fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden crispy. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
- In a large bowl toss chopped romaine, tomatoes, crumbled bacon, onion, and mozzarella cheese together. Divide evenly among two-three plates and top with cooked chicken and fried avocados. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil and enjoy!
Holy yum!!! Now that is one crazy awesome looking salad! And I am dying over those fried avocados! I must try them. I hope your house is done quickly for your sanity. Living in a hotel with small ones can’t be easy!
Thanks Jocelyn! And seriously, I’m losing my mind in this hotel with these kiddos! We try and stay out most of the day but then that just makes for cranky tired kids:)
Hope you are well!
San Diego is a beautiful place I only live an hour away and love to visit SD! Hotel life sounds fun 😉 This salad looks awesome, those fried avocados rolled in parm?! UGH AMAZING!
It really is beautiful here and we are loving it so far…now if we could just move in to our house:) Let me know if you’re ever in SD, I’d love to meet fellow bloggers out here!
I’m seriously loving this fried avocado idea Kristy. You’re a genius!
thanks Karen!! the fried avocados are amazing:)
Fried avocados. I don’t know how you can go wrong with that. Hotel life is fun for a couple of days and then it’s tough. We lived in a hotel for a month when we first lived here and it was a tiny room with no kitchen. You’ll make it through!