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Spiced chicken salad

Spiced chicken salad, Spiced chicken salad

Spiced chicken salad

Spiced chicken salad, Spiced chicken salad

I hope this finds you happy and well. I hope things are not feeling too hectic this busy end time of the year.

 

It is not yet Christmas day and I have thoughts and plans for Summer picnics and gatherings on our back deck and perhaps down by the water. Eating lighter. Creating simple dishes and utilising much of what is growing wonderfully well in the garden right now. Picking it before the birds get to it. They seem to know when it is at perfect picking. It becomes a game between the birds and me. I can’t say that I often win.

 

I wanted to share with you one of the dishes we will be enjoying. It is a wonderful Spiced chicken salad. This delicious recipe is from my first cookbook. It is flavour packed and I never tire of it.

 

As we near Christmas, I wanted to share this recipe again with you. I wanted to also share with you that although it is traditionally a Spiced chicken salad, using leftover roasted turkey is also absolutely divine. The perfect way to utilise Christmas leftovers.

 

You could enjoy it on the days after Christmas. Perhaps with friends. Perhaps out in your yard or down by the water.  Perhaps with a chilled glass of wine in your hand. Perhaps with chicken or perhaps with leftover turkey.  This is a beautiful meal that might also just help you gain back a little fridge space post-Christmas and help do the right thing environmentally with some inspiration using leftovers.

 

 

From my family to yours, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

 

With much love.

 

Nellie

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For more great recipes like this one and lots of dinner inspiration, we’d love to sign and send and copy of the Relish Mama cookbooks direct to your door. Consider them your new best friend in the kitchen.

Spiced chicken salad, Spiced chicken salad

Spiced chicken salad

250 ml olive oil
4 free-range chicken breasts, skin off
zest and juice 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground in a mortar pestle
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground in a mortar pestle
1 teaspoon coriander, ground in a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of dried chilli flakes
1/2 cup honey

 

200 grams French beans, trimmed, blanched for 4 minutes, refresh in iced water, drain
200 grams green peas (fresh or frozen), blanch for 30 seconds, refresh in iced water, drain
50 grams baby red chard leaves or micro leaves
Snowpea tendrils (optional & if you can get your hands on some but a perfectly good salad without)
Juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
extra virgin olive oil

 

Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice and half the oil. Season with salt and pepper and rub the mixture into the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat the grill of a barbecue or a chargrill pan and cook the chicken until charred on both sides. transfer to a tray and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion until translucent add the garlic, ground fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, cinnamon and chilli flakes and gently cook for about 3 minutes. Add the honey and stir through. Set aside.

Shred the chicken meat with your fingers (this really does make a difference). Put into a mixing bowl and pour over the spice mix. Mix well. Add all the beans, snow peas, peas and baby red chard leaves and gently stir twice up and over. Don’t over stir.

Place onto your favourite serving platter. Pour over the orange juice and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Add the nigella seeds and serve.

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