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Saturday, June 05, 2010

Chicken Salad with Dates, Feta, and Peanut Lime Sauce

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I found this recipe on Chowhound, which is a great website. Besides a chat room specifically for Southwest conversation (which is actually pretty boring) there are articles and videos worth checking out. This recipe from a restaurant I do not know in Vancouver, and is absolutely delicious. I cannot vouch for whether or not it resembles the restaurant recipe.

Ingredients
2 whole chicken breasts, cut in half
Vegetable oil
Chipolte chili powder
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped and toasted peanuts
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 tsp each sugar and soy sauce
1 small clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped
2 Tbl lime zest (2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
1 cup fresh dates, chopped into 1/4" pieces
2 small corn tortillas
vegetable oil for deep frying
7-8 cups each mixed greens and chopped Romaine lettuce
1 cob corn (or 3/4 cup corn kernels)
vegetable oil
1 14 oz can black beans, well rinsed and well drained
1 avocado
3/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Procedure
Rub chicken breasts all over with vegetable oil; sprinkle chili powder liberally on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat or broil until done. Set aside. Slice diagonally into 1/4" wide slices. To make dressing, put lime juice, peanuts, peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and lime zest, and oil in food processor. Process ingredients until almost smooth. There should be tiny chunks of peanut and lime. Next prepare deep fried tortilla pieces: slice tortillas into pieces 1/8" wide and 1" long. Heat oil in a small pot or skillet to 375 degrees. Drop tortilla pieces in batches; drain on paper towel, sprinkle on salt. Grill corn: rub corn with vegetable oil; place over medium-high grill. Cook, rotating until lightly brown tinged. Remove kernels and set aside for salad.

To assemble salad, place lettuces in a large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat. Add corn, dates and black beans and half the feta cheese and tortilla piece into lettuces; gently toss. Divide lettuce mixture between 4 dinner plates. Thinly slice avocado and divide between 4 plates, placing on the side. Top each salad with crumbled feta cheese, tortilla pieces, chicken pieces and chopped peanuts, if desired.