Grilled Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is one of the new salad ideas we are trying this week. The original recipe comes from the book Main Course Salads by Donna Rodnitzky. However, I had to tweak it a bit to appeal to my family’s tastes and to allow for some healthier, fresher options in the ingredients. Also, the author uses a cooked mashed potato as the base of all of her vinaigrettes. I doubt that I will ever try that. There’s just something wrong about that idea!

Anyway, this is our experiment for the week. I’ll let you know how we like it. I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t like it, but you never know.

Update, March 17, 2010: This salad was really good! The lime vinaigrette gave it a very light and cool flavor. This salad is going to be great during the hot summer!

Grilled Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Marinade

½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice

2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup whole kernel corn, drained if using canned, thawed if using frozen, blanched and chilled if using fresh from the cob

1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped or 1 2-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained

2 tablespoons Lime Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

24 romaine lettuce leaves, whole or chopped

½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt

½ cup salsa

Rinse chicken and pat dry.

Whisk together marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate about one hour.

Combine black beans, corn, and peppers in a medium bowl. Toss with Lime Vinaigrette to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Either light some coals in your charcoal grill or preheat your gas grill. Not into grilling? Then preheat the broiler.

Remove chicken from marinade, discarding the marinade. Place chicken over medium-hot coals on lightly greased grill. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden on the outside and fully cooked, no pink, on the inside. Or, broil about 4 inches from the heat source for about 4 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices or dicing into bite-sized chunks.

Remove black beans and corn salad from the refrigerator. Add the tomatoes and toss gently.

To serve, arrange lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates. Divide the black bean and corn salad evenly between the plates, creating a slightly flattened mound in the middle of the lettuce. Top with chicken. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve with sour cream, plain yogurt, and/or salsa, if desired. 

Tips:

Drain a can of unsweetened pineapple chunks  for the juice in the marinade. Chill the pineapple chunks in the refrigerator and serve on the side of the salad.

A nice piece of cornbread would also taste really good with this salad!

Lime Vinaigrette

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons fresh or prepared lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients except oil together in a small bowl. Add oil, whisking vigorously to combine. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips:

To make a reduced-fat version of this vinaigrette, reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon and substitute with 1/3 cup of 1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water.

Find more great recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays hosted by Blessed with Grace and at Full Plate Thursdays at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.