Salads aren’t just for vegetarians anymore
Hello, my name is Mary and I am a Hamilton’s-aholic. [“Hi, Mary.”] It started back when Hamilton’s opened and I … can’t … help myself.
Thus said, it was only a matter of time that I ate something there that I thought I could possibly replicate and add it to the Great Date Plates anthology. And anthologize I will with a barbecue chicken salad that could possibly change your life. What’s not to like? Barbecue chicken, salad … more barbecue chicken, more salad – it’s golden.
Ingredients:
A salad mix with your favorite greens (romaine, green/red leaf, etc.)
Half a can of white corn, drained – you can use yellow, but I wouldn’t
Half a can of black beans, drained and rinsed
Grape tomatoes
Grated cheese of your choice
1 chicken breast per person
Your favorite barbecue sauce
Ranch dressing
French’s Fried Onions (I will personally make this meal for the first person who can find a can of these at Smith’s without having to ask an employee. I believe I walked by them a total of fives times.)
Directions:
Get your chicken in a pan with a lid on the top, low to medium-low heat (and if you’ve read my articles in the past, you know why a lid is so important. If you haven’t, then lesson learned – you should read my articles).
After it is fully cooked, smother each side with barbecue sauce and just let it simmer in that pan, turning the heat down to the lowest setting but leaving the lid on (it can stay warm but won’t dry out). In the meantime, plate the salad mix, corn, black beans and grape tomatoes.
Slice up your chicken into strips (chunks just really aren’t that attractive and the word kind of makes me shudder) and place them decoratively on top of your salad.
Apply ranch dressing, liberally if you know what’s good for you, and then top it all with a nest of those golden fried onions.
If you want them extra delicious, spread them out on a pan and broil them really fast in the oven – watch them carefully, though, so you don’t burn them.
Serve this up and enjoy it while the chicken is still warm so your tastebuds and senses go, “Oh my!”
Mary Carman is a senior in the American studies program. To take her to Hamilton’s, e-mail her at mkimbercarma@cc.usu.edu.