Barbecue Chicken Cobb Salad, Summer Salad, Chipotle Dressing ...

I admit it?I?ve recycled a recipe I put on the blog a couple of years ago. You know?when it was mostly me, my dog, and my neighbors who don?t read blogs. I did this salad again this weekend and it is SO good I just had to share it with more people. Would a salad be OK for Father?s Day? This one most definitely would be!

I do get a kick out of a site called Food Network Humor and though I laugh at some of the outrageous pieces on many of the hosts and other snafus, I sometimes wonder about their level of scorn for Bobby Flay. Now, I don?t know Mr. Flay and have no personal knowledge of his personality?but I think it?s unfair to characterize him as someone who can not cook. I?ve made many dishes from one of his restaurants or his cookbooks and I have to say I don?t remember ever being disappointed.

Case in point is this salad; I?m thinking it must be a collaboration between Bobby and Emeril?its definitely Cobb Salad kicked up a notch!

I won?t deny it?s got a few steps, but my friends Terry and Karen were here for dinner and if I can ever get Karen to use a computer and come to this blog (I?m trying, I really am!), I am sure they would both attest to how fabulous this Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad was. The use of grilled barbecue chicken in place of more traditional bacon, caramelized red onions (so pretty, right?) and two dressings? Yes, that?s right. A light balsamic flavored oil dressing on the greens and then a spicy but not TOO hot chipotle dressing to finish it off.

If I could think of another word, a more appropriate word, one that is not deigned as being abused in the food blogging world I would but I can?t. It?s just DELICIOUS!!

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing

Ingredients

For the Mesa Barbecue Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 plum tomatoes, coarsely diced
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons dark molasses
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (available at Hispanic or specialty markets)
• 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder (available at Hispanic or specialty markets)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the Balsamic-mustard vinaigrette:

• 6 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil (the original recipe called for more but this was plenty )
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing:

• 1/4 cup sour cream (substitute reduced fat or in my case; Greek yogurt)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chipotle pur?e (I used adobo chipotle peppers; and a bit more than what is called for)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Salad:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 1/4 cups Mesa bbq sauce
• 2 large red onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Olive oil for brushing the onions
• 8 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
• 8 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 8 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• 4 avocados, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces creamy blue cheese, crumbled
• Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing
• Balsamic-Mustard Vinaigrette
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

To Make the Sauce:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Puree the mixture in a food processor, pour into a bowl, and let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen.

To Make the Vinaigrette:

3. Combine the vinegar, mustard, onion, and sugar in a blender or food processor and let it spin.
4. With the motor running, slowly add the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Note: I used my mini processor for this. Perfect.

To Make the Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing:

6. Use a blender, stick blender or food processor to blend everything together; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Putting it all together:

7. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high.
8. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and brush with mesa barbecue sauce.
9. Grill, basting continuously with barbecue sauce, until golden brown and cooked through, 6 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
10. Brush the onion slices with olive oil and grill until golden brown and slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes on each side
11. In a large bowl, lightly toss the greens with the balsamic-mustard Vinaigrette and place on a large platter.
12. Cut the chicken breasts on the bias into 1/2-inch slices.
13. Arrange the chicken in the center of the platter, resting on the greens. Arrange the tomatoes, eggs, onion slices, and avocado slices around the chicken. Sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese and drizzle with the chipotle buttermilk dressing.

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? Creative Culinary | A Food and Cocktail Blog | Website: www.creative-culinary.com

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