Southwestern Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn, cooked and cut from the cob
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup diced orange bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Directions

Fill a large skillet with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Add lemon slices, bay leaf, peppercorns and 2/3 of the thyme, and bring to boiling over high heat. Add chicken, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-18 minutes, turning chicken once, until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from liquid and set aside to cool.

In a small skillet, stir together the paprika and remaining thyme over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the toasted paprika mixture, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, ground pepper and nutmeg until evenly blended.

Cube cooled chicken and transfer to a medium bowl. Add prepared dressing, corn, cilantro, orange pepper and jalapeno and toss until evenly coated. Serve warm, or refrigerate until ready to serve.