Summer Islands: Chicken and Tomato Salad

You know, elf tastes just like chicken!

Mystery Science Theater 3000

It has finally gotten warm and wonderful here in Tennessee, and as such, I have been on a huge salad kick.  The most recent salad was a smorgasbord of delicious, summery things, including chicken, corn taken straight from the cob, tomatoes, avocado, thyme and parsley fresh from the garden, and a "ranch" dressing which was augmented to be a little lighter on the calories than a regular ranch.  The result?  A filling, refreshing dish for 4 (or in our case, 2 nights' worth of meals for 2). I think the only thing that might have improved it would have been having the ability to cook the chicken, corn, and onions on the grill.  That said, the oven did a fine job for me.

What you need:

      For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup 1% milk
• 3 tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

     For the salad:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 yellow tomatoes, sliced
• 2 red tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small container cherry tomatoes (the container we bought had a little over 1 cup of tomatoes)
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2 ears of corn

To start, mix together all of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.  You can go ahead and stick it in the refrigerator to keep it cool.

Next, brush the chicken breasts with oil, place on a baking sheet, and broil on high for about 6-7 minutes a side, or until it is cooked through.  Set aside to cool.

Turn the broiler off and set the oven to 450.  After shucking the corn, brush each cob with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, wrap each cob in foil individually, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While the corn is starting to bake, slice the onion, place the slices on an oiled baking sheet, and place in oven when there is about 11 minutes left on the corn's timer.

As the onion and corn are finishing up, slice your tomatoes and avocado, and dice up the chicken breasts.

When the corn is done, cut the kernels off of the cob.

Mix everything together in a large bowl, divide evenly between four plates, drizzle with dressing, and serve.