Grilled Cumin Chicken Breasts with Avocado and Corn Salsa

Ok, I took this recipe from the Gourmet Today cookbook, page 524. I have a hard time following recipes exactly so this one has been altered a little based on what I had at home. To me, cumin has kind of a musty smell to it. It's smokey and savory, but it's a little musty...still, I do enjoy cooking with it when I'm aiming for southwest or Mexican flavors. Tonight I was looking for something a little lighter and lower in calories...and I came across this recipe (this is basically it).

Chicken:
Defrost 2 chicken breasts (boneless skinless is what I use)
Whisk together 1/2 tablespoon cumin and 1/2 tbsp + a little more olive oil
Rub this mixture all over your chicken breasts and let them chill in the fridge while you work on everything else. If you have a charcoal grill, light it now!

Salad
I start with a basic big green salad: 1 head green leaf lettuce (or your favorite kind), 1/2 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas, 3 oz carrots, a boiled egg.

Take 1 bell pepper and slice it in half from top to bottom. Clean out the seeds and spray both sides of the pepper with olive oil spray. Set aside.

Light the grill if you haven't already and let it heat for about 10 minutes. Place the chicken and the bell pepper on the grill over moderately high heat. In 5 minutes turn everything. Set the timer for another 5 minutes.

The Avocado Salsa

While everything is grilling, chop half an avocado and put it in a bowl. Add about a tablespoon of fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup of corn kernels (I use frozen corn that I've defrosted). Mix this together and add 1/8 tsp lemon juice or orange juice to keep the avocado from turning brown. Mix again. Add a little salt and pepper and mix one more time. It should be chunky and creamy.

The Salad Dressing
I make my own ranch dressing using light mayo, low fat milk and a packet of ranch dressing mix. If you have bottled ranch that is fine too, it all tastes good! Mix 4 tablespoons of ranch dressing with 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa until combined.

The chicken is done, of course, when the juices run clear and nothing is pink. The bell pepper should be soft and a little charred. Chop up the pepper and slice the chicken to put over the salad. Put dollops of the salsa all over the salad and drizzle with dressing. ENJOY!

P.S. I did grill a piece of italian bread with olive oil to go with my salad. Grilled bread is AMAZING! Try it!