BBQ Recipes: Grilled chicken salad with black beans and corn

I got this recipe from Garlic Breath - The Blog, who in turn got it from Recipezaar. It's another recipe that can actually be adapted to be cooked over the fire.

According to Riana Lagarde, the author of Garlic Breath, "The recipe is super complicated and time consuming, more for me, because I had to soak the black beans and cook them as well." So I'm going to channel Sandra Lee for a little while and combine some store bought ingredients with home made."

Since it's Sunday, this ingredient heavy recipe may be just the trick.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Black Beans and Corn

Ingredients:

• Peanut oil, for deep-frying
• 12 corn tortillas, cut 1/4-inch strips
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cold water
• 2 3/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 7 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly-sliced scallion tops, and whites
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano(or 1/4 Tsp Dried Oregano)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1 1/3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored, rinsed, dried, and Cut 1/8-inch wide Strips 1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, separated, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and Cut 1/8-inch wide Strips
• 12 large fresh basil leaves, cut 1/8-inch strips
• 1lb jicama, cut 1/4 by 1/4 X 3/4-inch strips (I don't have this, but it is soooo good!)
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup canned sweet white corn kernels, drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2lbs fresh ripe tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup thinly-sliced scallion tops

Directions:

• To Make the Fried Tortilla Strips: In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 375 degrees. Working in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil, submerging them with a metal skimmer or slotted spoon. Fry the tortilla strips until evenly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully lift them out with the skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside, uncovered.
• To Make the Garden Herb Ranch Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• To Make the Grilled Garlic and BBQ Chicken: Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• To Make the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes and the remaining Fried Tortilla Strips. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with the scallion.

4 main-course or 8 appetizer servings.