Weekly Recipe: Grilled Chicken Salad with Sweet and Spicy Dressing

Warmer weather makes me want to spend less and less time in the kitchen and more times outdoors.  When I can find a quick and easy recipe that utilizes the grill, it's a win-win for everyone involved.  There's just something about grilled chicken that gives it so much more flavor that skillet or oven baked chicken.  This recipe for Grilled Chicken Salad with Sweet and Spicy Dressing certainly fits the bill for a great spring or summer dinner.  It's very light, yet quite filling.  The dressing had quite a bit of flavor and with the addition of some pickled red onions, this salad didn't lack in flavor.  I made some adjustments but kept the basics as written.  My version is posted below or you can click on the link above for the original Cooking Light version.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Sweet and Spicy Dressing

Ingredients

• CHICKEN:
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 
  DRESSING:
• 2  tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3  tablespoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  tsp  finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 2  tsp  Dijon mustard
• 1/4  tsp  salt
• 1  tsp  ground cumin
• 
  SALAD:
• 8  cups  mixed salad greens
• 1  cup  thinly sliced peeled cucumber
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced red onion (soaked in 1/4 cup white vinegar + 2T. sugar)
• 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes

Preparation

1. To prepare chicken, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning the bag occasionally.  Additionally, in a small bowl, combine white vinegar and sugar.  Add sliced red onions and allow to marinate in the fridge as the chicken marinates.

2. Prepare grill.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; cut across grain into 1-inch-thick slices.

4. To prepare dressing, combine oregano and next 7 ingredients (through cumin) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

5. To prepare salad, arrange 2 cups greens, 1/4 cup cucumber, a few slices of onion, and a few cherry tomatoes on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 chicken breast. Drizzle dressing over each serving.