Recipe: Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad with Avocado and Parmesan.

I think it should come as no surprise to you that I'm not much of a healthy eater. I don't eat salads very often, and when I do, it's usually loaded with non-salady things. Like ranch dressing. And pizza.


I came across this recipe in my REAL SIMPLE: Easy, Delicious Home Cooking (Spring / Summer 2012) magazine. Eric and I decided to give it a whirl because it looked fairly uncomplicated and also because it involved Parmesan cheese. I love Parmesan cheese.

GRILLED CHICKEN AND CORN SALAD WITH AVOCADO AND PARMESAN

INGREDIENTS
1/4 fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 ears corn, shucked
5 oz. baby spinach
1 avocado, cut into bite-size pieces
2 oz. Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Transfer half of this dressing to a small bowl; set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining dressing and coat.

2. Rub the corn with the remaining olive oil and seasons with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Grill the corn and chicken, covered, turning occasionally, until the corn is tender and charred, 4-6 minutes, and the chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Cut the kernels off the cobs and slice the chicken.

3. In a large bowl, toss the chicken, corn, spinach, and avocado with the reserved dressing. Top with shaved Parmesan.

NOTE:
We've always pan-grilled both the chicken and the corn, instead of grilling them outside. I'm sure the outside grills gives it a great charred taste, but just know that if you're in a pinch, a frying pan will work just fine. Also, if you're going to pan-grill the corn, try parboiling it for a few minutes first to soften up the kernels.

We've used both corn on the cob and canned corn. Both work fine.

This recipe is pretty much foolproof. Even after a few slip-ups on following directions, it still comes out just as tasty as the time before. I've gotten to the point where I combine all of the oil and herbs together at once, split half for chicken and half for corn, and then don't need any to dress my salad because everything else is already so flavorful. (As you can see in the salad above.) Really, it's foolproof.

This meal is surprisingly easy to make and leaves you satisfied and filled, without feeling heavy. The rosemary and lemon are the stars of the show, so make sure to buy fresh when it comes to those ingredients.