Salad of Chicken and Yellow Beets

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 x 1 in. (2.5 x 2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) paprika
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) turmeric
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) Cajun spice mix
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) onion powder
• ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) salt + more to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 large yellow beets, cooked and cooled
• Finely chopped Romaine lettuce, to taste
• Sprouts and fresh parsley to garnish

1. Make dressing: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate.
2. Make salad: Fill lower pan of a double boiler with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut chicken and transfer to a large bowl. Add paprika, turmeric, Cajun spice mix, onion powder and ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) salt, mixing well to evenly coat chicken pieces.
3. Steam-cook chicken in upper pan of double boiler until fully cooked, 20–25 minutes, shredding the meat as it cooks.
4. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the vinaigrette.
5. Peel and grate the beets and quickly add to chicken in bowl to prevent beets from oxidizing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Line a large serving dish with lettuce and evenly top with salad. Garnish with sprouts and parsley, and serve.

Note: I really like steam-cooking chicken. The trick to keeping it flavourful is to coat it with a good measure of spices. If time permits, rub the meat with the spice mix 2 hours before cooking.

When I prepare salads, I like combining hot and cold ingredients. In this case, the cold beets keep their crunchy texture but become warm when mixed with the hot chicken. I admit I’m especially fond of this salad!

Photos : Tango [Vitalité Québec] SEPTEMBER 2018

Recipe: Josée Fiset