Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad This is the perfect main dish salad to make for a potluck, picnic, or party when it is steaming hot outside. Everything can be prepared well in advance and it can be served chilled or at room temperature. The melange of flavors is divine and it is very quick and easy to prepare. If you have the time, salting the zucchini generously and letting it sit in a colander for 30 minutes and then patting it dry to remove the moisture and salt will result in tastier and firmer grilled zucchini. Any other vegetables you have on hand - eggplant, yellow squash, asparagus, scallions, etc. can be grilled and added to the mix in place of or in addition to any of the other veggies. The chicken can also be omitted for a fantastic vegetarian salad. 1 cup olive oil 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary Salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 sliced red bell peppers 4 sliced yellow bell peppers 3 sliced red onions 3 small sliced zucchini 10 whole garlic cloves Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade and whisk in two teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Set aside while the chicken and vegetables grill. Toss the chicken and vegetables in the rest of the marinade and marinate for at least an hour and up to 12 hours. Place all of the ingredients on the grill and cook, flipping frequently. Remove the vegetables as they become well browned and tender and place in a large bowl and move the remaining vegetables around the grill so they cook evenly. Make sure not to overcook the garlic as burned garlic is very bitter. The chicken will take about 15-20 minutes to grill. Once the chicken is finished cooking, coarsely chop it and add to the vegetables. Add the reserved marinade and toss. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled. Makes 8 servings. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Marinating Time: 1 hour Cooking Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes