Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad with Creamy Gorganzola Dressing

I was never a fan of salad. Growing up "around the bay" in a small Newfoundland town, we ate mostly meat and potato type meals. Salads consisted of only a couple of options. In summer, there was the BBQ pork chop accompaniment of a iceberg lettuce, tomato, cubed mild cheddar and chopped ham salad with Catalina dressing. If you were lucky there may have been cucumber and green pepper too. Other than that, salads consisted of the traditional Sunday "cold plate", made up of potato salad, mustard potato salad, beet potato salad (yes there is a theme here), maybe a macaroni salad or a jello salad (barf), a piece of iceberg lettuce, a slice or two of tomato, a piece of deli ham and turkey roll (barf again), a piece of cold roast beef, a spoonful of savory dressing (stuffing) and more of the zingy Catalina dressing. That's it, the classic Newfoundland cold plate which can be had at many a wedding reception, Lion's Club banquet or high school graduation anytime anywhere.

Since those days, I have grown out of being a picky eater, and have come to embrace the dreaded salad. I eat a green salad 3-4 or more times a week now. It's a great way to start a meal and get a healthy dose of veggies in me. I keep lots of fresh greens and produce on hand, plus good olive oil and vinegars for homemade vinaigrette, plus good cheese and other salad toppers like roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, black beans, salsa verde, pepperinchinos and olives. With a stash of these things you never have to have the same salad twice in a couple of weeks. Here is my recipe for a high protein high flavor salad that makes a great work day meal. I always have boneless skinless chicken breasts on hand so figuring how to eat healthy and quickly in the middle of the week is not a hassle.

When I get home from work, I whip up the quick marinade below, add 3-4 chicken breasts, and go walk the dog or go to the gym. When I get back, they're ready to go. I always make a few extra for a great sandwich for the next day.

Buffalo Grilled Chicken
At least 1 hour before grilling, marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in a large bowl or zip bag with the following:
the juice and zest of 1 lime
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Tbsp of Southwest seasoning (or make your own as i do)

Southwest Rub/Seasoning
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano (Mexican if you can get it)
1/2 tsp each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat your grill, and cook the chicken breasts until cooked through (160 internal temperature)..about 8-10 minutes. I like to baste the chicken with a good hot sauce (e.g. Dave's, Frank's) for the last minute. remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

While the chicken is cooking, whip up the dressing and prep your favorite veggies.

For this, I used romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, cucumber, and red bell pepper. I top the salad with the sliced chicken, the creamy dressing and some more crumbled Gorgonzola and fresh cracked black pepper.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
juice and zest of one lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
A few dashes of Tabasco
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp of ancho chili powder
fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt