Beware: Flavor Explosion! You’re gonna love this; there’s tons of flavor, and anywhere from a little zip to a lot of heat – your choice!

You just can’t beat a flavorful, healthy meal for which most of the prep can be done ahead. My son & future daughter-in-law (that’s the first time I’ve actually written that – Yay!) were coming for dinner, and I didn’t want to miss any of the conversation. So the make-ahead bit was crucial. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I’ve been itching to make this ever since corn appeared in the farmstand a few weeks ago. I also didn’t want to have to deal with much clean-up, which I confess had a huge part in my decision to plank the chicken. After tasting how much the smoke adds to the flavor, though, I can’t imagine wanting to make it any other way.

One mixture is used both as a marinade for the chicken and as dressing for the salad. The two complement each other, yet each has its own distinct taste. And speaking of complements, there’s the sweet corn, creamy avocado, hearty beans, crunchy bell pepper, and zingy dressing, all complementing each other in the salad! Perfection on a fork. You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

A few tips to make the prep easier:

When chopping scallions, slice the long way first. Then you won’t have little round scallion-coins flying all over as you chop…

when you have a lot of garlic to mince, you can’t beat a Mini-Mate – 6 cloves thoroughly minced in under 2 seconds!…

a gizmo to cut the corn from the cob, catching (most of) the kernels for you helps…

and a juicer attachment for the Kitchen Aid when you have several limes to juice.

I made a double batch, so don’t worry if your bowls are less full than the photos.

Ingredients:

⅓ cup lime juice (1½-2 limes)

1 Tablespoon honey

1 chipotle, roughly chopped, plus 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce from the can

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 (19-oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 red bell pepper, chopped

¼ cup (25 g) chopped scallions

¾ cup (4 oz, or 94 g) raw fresh corn kernels, about  1½ ears (may substitute frozen)

1 avocado

6-8 chicken thighs

cedar plank for grilling (I get mine at outdoorgourmet.com)

lime wedges

Preparation:

1.) Whisk together lime juice, honey, chipotles with sauce, garlic, cumin, salt & pepper. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly until well blended. Stir in cilantro. (Mine was from the garden – isn’t it beautiful? That handful is about what I needed for my double batch.)

2.) Put ¼ cup of the mixture into a glass baking dish, and set the rest aside. Add the chicken to the baking dish, turning to coat evenly. There will be just enough mixture for a light coating, but not much excess for the chicken to sit in. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. (This dish is 9″x13″. An 8″x8″ will work for 6-8 thighs.)

3.) Rinse & drain the beans, chop the pepper and scallions, and de-cob the corn, placing it all in a large bowl. Pour in about half the remaining lime juice mixture, and stir gently to combine well. Have a taste, & add more as needed to adjust the heat to your preferred level. (You can also serve the remainder on the table for people to add to their own portions if they like things spicier.) Wait to cut up the avocado until just before serving.

4.) Soak plank in water for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the grill on high.

5.) Place the chicken on the plank & the plank on the grill. Close the cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Depending on your grill, the size of your chicken thighs and how crowded they are on the plank, grilling time may vary from 10 t0 20 minutes. Check occasionally to get a feel for how fast they’re cooking, but try not to open the grill too often, or you’ll lose all the smoke. Discard any leftover marinade from the chicken dish.

6.) While the chicken cooks, cut up the avocado and sprinkle over the top of the salad. Serve with chicken and lime wedges.

(Nutrition info based on an eight-thigh batch, serving size of 2 thighs & ¼ of the salad).