Garlic Barbecue Chicken Salad with Garden Herb Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
Tortilla Strips (Fried) Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas, cut into strips (1/4-inch wide)
Ranch Dressing ingredients (garden herb):
1/2 tsp of mustard (dry)
1/4 tsp of water (cold)
2.75 c of mayonnaise
1 c of buttermilk
7 tbsp of sour cream
2.5 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp of scallions, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 sprigs of fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp of fresh dill, minced
1/4 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp of black pepper (ground)
1/4 tsp of basil (fresh), minced
Garlic-flavored Grilled Chicken BBQ:
1 1/3 tbsp of Extra Virgin olive oil
1 1/3 tbsp of garlic, minced
2 tsp of soy sauce (preferably ‘Kikoman’ brand)
2 tsp of salt
4 pieces of chicken breast fillets (about 5 oz each), skinned
1/4 c of barbecue sauce, sweet and spicy
Salad Ingredients:
1/2 iceberg lettuce head; washed, dried, core removed & cut into strips (1/8 inch wide)
1/2 head of Romaine lettuce; washed, rinsed, drained,& cut into strips (1/8 inch wide)
12 basil (fresh), cut into strips (1/8 inch wide)
1 lb of jicama, julienned
2 c of grated cheese (preferably ‘Monterey Jack’)
1 c of black beans (canned), washed & drained
1 c of sweet white corn (canned), drained
3 tbsp cilantro (fresh), chopped
2 lb of plum tomatoes, diced (approximately 1/2-inch thick)
1/2 c of bbq sauce, sweet and spicy
1/4 c of scallions, sliced thinly
Directions:
For crispy fried strips of tortilla, pour a generous amount of oil (vegetable) in a saucepan and place over medium-high heat for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, plunge the strips.
This process usually takes 1 – 2 mins. To avoid overcrowding, you can deep-fry the strips one batch after another.
Once the strips are golden, remove from heat w/ the help of a strainer. Drain excess oil on a plate lined with paper towel. Let it cool, leave uncovered, then set it aside.
Next, prepare the ranch dressing. Whisk mustard together w/ cold water in a small bowl until a paste is formed; then set it aside.
After 10 mins, put the rest of the ranch ingredients into the bowl w/ mustard paste; then whisk ’til smooth. Cover the dressing with cling wrap. Let it cool inside the fridge.
Meanwhile, prepare the garlic barbecue chicken. Preheat a stovetop grill. In a large bowl, marinate chicken w/ soy sauce, olive oil, salt and garlic.
Leave for approximately 15 mins; then grill chicken breasts ’til cooked. This usually takes about 5 minutes for each side. Let it cool.
Slice chicken fillets into cubes (about 3/4-inch thick). Toss it with bbq sauce in a clean medium-sized bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap, then let it cool in the fridge.
Lastly, prepare the salad. Place the iceberg and Romaine lettuce leaves in a large bowl.
Mix in the 3rd – 8th salad ingredients. Pour in some dressing, as well as 1/2 of the deep-fried strips; and toss it altogether.
Move the salad onto a serving platter. Assemble the diced plum tomatoes around the edge together w/ the residual fried strips.
Arrange a pile of grilled garlic barbecue chicken chunks on top of the salad, then drizzle with bbq sauce. Sprinkle the salad w/ scallions before serving.