Name: Emeril's Salad
Prep time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 115g assorted baby salad greens; 85g grated pepper jack cheese (available in most supermarkets); 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary; 55g whole oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and julienned; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 tablespoons alfalfa sprouts; For the simple croutons; 1 French baguette, preferably day-old, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 340g); 125ml extra-virgin olive oil; 3/4 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence or Creole Seasoning, recipe follows; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; For the Creole seasoning; 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika; 2 tablespoons salt; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients for the Creole seasoning.

To assemble the salad, place the greens, cheese, chopped thyme, and chopped rosemary in a large mixing bowl. Add the julienned sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and extra- virgin olive oil over the salad, and season with salt, and pepper, to taste. Gently toss the ingredients to coat well.

Divide the salad equally among four salad plates. Place 4 or 5 croutons on each plate, and top each salad with 1 tablespoon of the sprouts. Serve immediately.

For the croutons:

Combine the diced bread, olive oil, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl, and toss quickly to coat the croutons well. Transfer the croutons to a baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back midway through, or until the bread cubes are crisp all the way through and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.