Black Bean Salad with Grilled Chicken

While Cat's away, M-E will...cook! Here's one from the recipe book Cat gave me a couple of years ago - Mary Engelbreit's Dining Out Cookbook.

This southwestern salad entree is best when it has been prepared a few hours in advance to let the flavours intensify. The texture and taste of the beans are a wonderful complement to the grilled chicken. Serve a fresh salsa alongside for even more colour and zing.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ears of corn, husked
3 cans (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 jalopeno chiles, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
1. Preheat the grill to medium.
2. Brush the chicken on both sides with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate and let cool down.
3. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces (or cut it into bite-size chunks). Cover and refrigerate while you make the salad.
4. With a sharp knife, cut the corn kernels from the cobs. In a large bowl, combine the corn, black beans, bell pepper, red onion, and jalopenos. Stir in the lime juice, then stir in the vegetable oil. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste.
5. Add the chicken and cilantro to the salad and toss to mix well. Cover and refrigerate, stirring once or twice, for 1 hour, or until ready to serve. (The salad can be made up to 8 hours in advance).
6. Just before serving, taste the salad and add additional salt if needed.