First prepare some Emeril’s Essence creole seasoning. I first saw this in a recipe for chicken marsala and it’s pretty good. It’s just a combination of some basic pantry spices. I cut the salt in half. From experience, 2 tablespoons left things too salty.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Keep this in an airtight container and use for seasoning other dishes. This will be used to lightly marinate the chicken before baking. If you can prepare the chicken the day before, do so and then store in the fridge. That way it will be cool when you use it the next day in the salad.
I chose to use plain yogurt to hold the salad together instead of mayonnaise. I think it works well and it’s better for you. I originally used 1 small plain greek yogurt container, but this didn’t end up being enough, so I added another small container of just plain yogurt. You want it to be pretty moist. If not serving right away, store chicken salad in an airtight container. I have some cheap Ikea containers that I mistakenly used this time. The onions definitely wafted through and I just hope nobody on the bus could smell them too.
I really wish they sold celery by the stalk or at least half a head (is that correct, a head of celery?). I usually only use a couple of stalks and then end up watching it wilt and turn whitish-green in my fridge. Supposedly wrapping leftover celery in foil will preserve it for longer.
Instructions
makes 3 servings
- 2 chicken breasts, butterflied into 4 thin pieces
- Emeril’s Essence creole seasoning
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz. plain yogurt (greek or just plain)
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced (~2 stalks)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 romaine hearts, torn into bite size pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- juice from 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ~1 Tablespoon of Emeril’s Essence with 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized bowl. Mix chicken with this until evenly coated. Place coated chicken in baking dish and bake for ~20 minutes or until juices run clear. Another easy way to cook the chicken is on a George Foreman type grill. Once cooked, allow to cool and shred chicken using a fork. Once you find the grain of the chicken go to town, using the fork face down.
Mix chicken with yogurt, onion, and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk together olive oil and lemon. Toss romaine and tomatoes with dressing. Top with a big spoonful of chicken salad.
