Greek Chicken Bread Salad

What a great weeknight dinner! Easy and tasty, and a slightly different spin on the traditional classic Panzanella bread salad. I made it pretty much by the recipe, except I added some freshly chopped tomato. I was thinking cucumber would also be nice, and even some fresh dill - especially refreshing in the summer. As all bread salads are - this is a wonderful way to utilize leftover bread. 
I even made the green beans paired with this recipe - equally yummy!



Greek Chicken Bread Salad

Ingredients

• 3 ounces cubed French bread baguette, crust removed
• Cooking spray 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce 
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large) 
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
• 1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Place baguette cubes on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Broil 2 minutes or until edges are browned, turning once.
3. 3. Reduce oven temperature to 425°.
4. 4. Combine oregano and next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
5. 5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken evenly with black pepper and salt. Place chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Place pan in oven, and bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from oven. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; slice thinly across the grain.
6. 6. Add bread cubes, lettuce, bell pepper, pepperoncini peppers, and feta to bowl with oregano mixture; toss well. Place about 1 1/3 cups salad on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 3 ounces chicken.

Mary Drennen, Cooking Light 
JANUARY 2013

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