Monthly Archives: April 2014

Spicy Hot Chicken Salad

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It is warming up! Or it should be! And thoughts are turning to the summer and healthy salads. We raided the store cupboards for this little gem.

Andrew: I remember sorry salads with limp lettuce, tasteless tomatoes and bad excuses for boiled eggs.

Dawn: How much do you alliterate?

Andrew: Plentifully! Though I’m making the point. Salads can be fun, colourful, tasty and vibrant.

Dawn: Well, fire away!

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 day old ciabatta roll (or any day old stale bread)

1 garlic clove

2 chicken breasts cut into 1 cm pieces

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

A handful of rocket

A handful of spinach

1 fresh vine tomato

A few sundried tomatoes, sliced

6-8 cherry peppers (these can be found in jars near sundried tomatoes, or on a deli counter)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method

  • First, make your giant croutons. Slice the ciabatta into 1 cm slices, cut the garlic in half and rub the cut side on both sides of the bread.
  • Fry these gently in a little olive oil until golden brown on both sides, and then set aside.
  • In the same pan, fry the chicken with the chilli flakes, until thoroughly cooked.
  • In your salad bowl, arrange the rocket, spinach and croutons, then give a good stir with your fingers to mix everything up.
  • Slice the fresh tomato, and lay slices alternately with pieces of sundried tomato.
  • Add the cherry peppers, season with salt and pepper, and if you wish drizzle some of the oil from the sundried tomatoes as dressing.

Andrew: This has a real kick to it!

Dawn: The cherry peppers are quite fiery, aren’t they? My advice? Add or subtract according to taste.

Andrew: A teaching metaphor!

Dawn: See! I’m learning fast!

For more handy hints and tasty treats, and actual alliteration, keep following forfoodlovers.wordpress.com and our Twitter feed @Love_Food_UK and on Facebook  Lovefood Forfoodlovers where it would be great to get more likes!

Tricolore Salad

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Simple, fresh, tasty. A wonderful starter, or an excellent main course, particularly for anyone counting the pounds!

Dawn: It looks like the Italian flag!

Andrew: That is the idea! Wonderful, isn’t it?

Dawn: This is great for one person, or a family, or a dinner party. Just scale up the ingredients.

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 ripe but reasonably firm avocado

1 or 2 large mozzarella balls

2 large ripe vine tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Vinegar – red wine vinegar or balsalmic works best here

Method

  • Halve the avocado, then ease the stone out with a teaspoon.
  • Carefully peel the skin from each half (it should come away in your fingers) and slice lengthways into 1/2 cm slices.
  • Cut the mozzarella and the tomato into 1/2 cm slices also.
  • Arrange the tomato slices on your serving plate. Drizzle over a little vinegar of your choice, some olive oil, and season well with freshly ground salt and black pepper.
  • Then arrange the avocado and mozzarella as shown, and serve.

Dawn: For those not keen on avocado, replacing it with rocket will make a tasty alternative.

Andrew: And that will make the colours even more like the Italian Flag!

Dawn: The devil is in the detail!!

For more handy hints and tasty treats, keep following forfoodlovers.wordpress.com our Twitter feed @Love_Food_UK and over at Facebook Lovefood Forfoodlovers where it would be great to get some likes!

 

 

Japanese Style Chicken Katsu Curry

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The curry here comes in the form of a pour-over sauce, and is our take on the traditional Japanese version.

Andrew: Don’t however think of the traditional Friday Night post-pub chips and curry sauce combo.

Dawn: Speak for yourself! 

Andrew: I have heard it is very popular in some parts of the UK! 

Dawn: Not around here! Meanwhile we have hungry readers!

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the Curry Sauce

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 onions, sliced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

2  tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

600ml chicken stock

2  tsp honey

4 tsp soy sauce

1 bay leaf

1  tsp garam masala

For the breaded chicken

4 chicken breast fillets, pounded to 1cm thickness

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp plain flour

1 egg, beaten

100g fine breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs

Splash of vegetable oil for frying

Dawn: Panko breadcrumbs? Do tell!

Andrew: These are found in traditional Japanese delicatessens, and can be a little pricy, but homemade breadcrumbs can be just as good, especially if made with very stale bread, or if the breadcrumbs are toasted so they become very crispy. 

Method

  • For the curry sauce: Heat oil in medium non-stick saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
  • Stir in carrots and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Add flour and curry powder; cook for 1 minute.
  • Gradually stir in stock until combined; add honey, soy sauce and bay leaf. Slowly bring to the boil.
  • Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens but is still of pouring consistency. Stir in garam masala.
  • Pour the curry sauce through a sieve; return to saucepan and keep on low heat until ready to serve.
  • For the chicken: Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
  • Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls and arrange in a row. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, then dip them into the egg, then coat in breadcrumbs, making sure you cover both sides.
  • Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • Place chicken into hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes each side.
  • Once cooked, place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
  • Pour curry sauce over chicken, serve with white rice and enjoy!

Dawn: I like the sound of that!

Andrew: It may be helpful to make batches of the sauce beforehand. The chicken and rice can be prepared when you need it, and the sauce can be heated through before pouring over.

Dawn: Delicious for a family, and adaptable for larger groups too!

For more great ideas follow our blog www.forfoodlovers.wordpress.com and our Twitter account @Love_Food_UK as well as our Facebook and Mumsnet outlets.