A Simple Summer Supper Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes and Avocados with Buttermilk Dressing

I don’t know about you, but what we cook during the summer is different than fall or winter. We like lighter fare and lots of fresh veggies, and, of course, we like heating up the grill. Tomatoes, avocados, and corn are some of our top summer veggies. The following is one of our favorite summer suppers because it is super simple to prepare and contains our favorite veggies. My husband loves grilled corn. We shuck the ears, spray them with cooking spray, and throw them on the grill. We love the fire-roasted flavor.

This recipe makes either two or four servings. To prepare this for two people, use only two chicken breasts and two ears of corn; for four people, use four chicken breasts and four ears of corn. I don’t double the dressing or rub if preparing it for four. Sometimes I serve it over whatever fresh greens I happen to have on hand and sometimes just straight off the grill. Also, sometimes we cut the red onions into ½-inch slices and grill them, and sometimes we thinly slice them. Either way, this recipe is always a big hit in my house. If they’re available, heirloom tomatoes are my preference.

Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes and Avocado with a Buttermilk Dressing

Serves 2 to 4

For the dressing:

½ cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons sour cream

3 tablespoon mayonnaise

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon large grind black pepper

In a small bowl, place buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, thyme, shallots, vinegar,

garlic, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

For the Chicken with Tomatoes and Avocados

For the chicken and vegetables:

2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cooking spray

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon large grind black pepper

2 to 4 ears of corn, shucked

1 red onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices

2 tomatoes, cut into slices

½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I prefer multi-colored tomatoes.)

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

Lightly coat chicken breasts with cooking spray. In a small bowl, place olive oil, garlic and onion powders, cumin, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Rub chicken breasts with the olive oil/spice mixture.

Lightly coat corn and onion slices with cooking spray.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Grill chicken breasts, corn, and onion slices for 8 minutes or until done, turning chicken and onion slices only once. Turn corn so it roasts on all 4 sides. Slice chicken breasts.

To serve: You can serve this over your favorite greens or just as is. To serve over greens: Place greens on a dinner plate. Top with sliced chicken, red onion, tomatoes, and avocado. To serve as is: Place chicken slices, corn, and onion slices on a serving platter. Arrange tomato slices, cherry tomato halves, and avocado slices on a tray. Serve dressing on the side.

Tips on selecting chicken for this recipe. Chicken must be brought to a temperature of 40 degrees F after feather removal. The industry standard immerses chicken in a cold-water bath. When chicken is cooled using this process, it will absorb some of this liquid. Once packaged, it may purge fluid into its tray, which dilutes the flavor and results in a soggy texture. Avoid buying chicken with an excess amount of liquid in its packaging. Another process is air chilling, which circulates chicken through purified cold air to bring it to a safe temperature. Not all air chilling is the same. Some producers will use a combination of water and cold air and seek verification from the USDA that an air-chilling process was used. Labels will indicate if chickens are 100 percent air chilled. In addition, if you love grilled or pan-seared chicken with crispy, golden skin, air-chilled chicken is a better choice. Because no water is used in the chilling process, chicken skin remains taut and never soggy.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

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