summer salad with smokey chicken & roasted corn.

Okay….can you say summer love?  Seriously….this salad is so yummy and fresh and leaves you feeling satisfied and wanting more.

“Some days you eat salad and go to the gym, some days you eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. It’s called balance.” ~author unknown

Ingredients:
Salad:

• 1 head of butter lettuce
• 1 package of spring lettuce mix
• 1 roasted ear of corn
• 1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes (red or yellow are fine)
• 1/4 cup of chopped croutons (I used store bought croutons, but homemade are awesome also)
• 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup of chopped pistachios…1/2 for salad and 1/2 for garnish

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tsp of honey

Chicken:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
• drizzle of olive oil

A Fact about Salad

The term “salad” comes from the Latin word for salt (“sal”). In Roman times, salads consisted largely of salted vegetables glazed with a oil and vinegar dressing. Thus the salt. The French eventually coined the term “salade” which is where we got it.

Directions:

1. Prepare your grill for the chicken and the corn.
2. Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika, chili powder, salt & pepper. (I mix the seasonings together so that it is easier to sprinkle on the chicken to season.)
3. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the ear of corn as well.
4. Cook both the chicken and the corn on the grill until done. (I put the chicken on first and when it is ready to cook on the other side, I add the ear of corn.) Take off of the grill and let the chicken rest under a piece of foil and set the ear of corn aside to cool. (Cut the kernels off of the cob once cool.)
5. Begin by pulling the Butter lettuce leaves off and arrange them in one layer on a serving tray.
6. In a separate bowl, add the spring lettuce mix and top with chopped tomatoes, chopped croutons, sliced strawberries, chopped pistachios and lastly, the roasted corn.
7. In a mason jar, (that’s how I mix my dressings), add the vinegar, clove of garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, feta cheese, seasonings and the olive oil. Cover with lid and shake vigorously to combine.
8. Pour half of the vinaigrette over the bowl of ingredients and toss to combine.
9. Place a good amount of salad into each butter lettuce leaf. (This is a great way to serve salad to a great number of guests in portions.)
10. Sprinkle the reserved pistachios over the whole salad tray and serve.

Enjoy!

It’s important to note that this salad can be easily changed for different meats or fruits. It would be awesome with steak, salmon, chicken strips, crab meat, lobster meat, shrimp, orange slices, blueberries, apples, etc.

Eat better, Feel better!