Asian Style Pulled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 small roasted chicken or 2 roasted chicken legs

1/3 red cabbage, cored and finely sliced

1 carrot, grated or finely shredded

1/2 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal

1/2 red chili, halved and thinly sliced

Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped, including stalks

Handful fresh baby spinach 

2 heaped tbsp roasted salted peanuts

Dressing

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 teaspoon ginger syrup

juice from half a lime

salt&pepper

*

She got inspired by a recipe found on BBC food website which she wanted to try out immediately as it sounded like a perfect meal to eat in early summer days. She roasted a whole chicken for about 70 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius seasoned by salt, ground pepper, nutmeg and paprika with knob of butter and water by herself but one can of course buy the chicken already roasted. The boyfriend helped to pull the meat and shred it. Prepare the dressing by simply whisking all the ingredients together. She extra-roasted the peanuts and the already pulled chicken meat as well to make it a bit crispier, but this is an alternative step. Cut your vegetables, mix with dressing and set aside on a plate. Add fresh coriander, sprinkle with peanuts, chilies and chicken meat. Alternatively serve with bread, noodles or rice as per your preference.

Bon Appetit!

Freekeh Salad With Lamb Sausage

Ingredients:

150 g freekeh

4 lamb sausages

1/2 courgette

3 grilled pickled red peppers, cut into stripes

Handful roasted almonds

bunch of fresh parsley. chopped finely

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lime juice

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of cumin seeds

salt & pepper

*

Freekeh or farik is a cereal food made from green wheat that goes through a roasting process in its production. It is an ancient Arabian, super-nutritious, low in fat, high in protein and fiber food that is digested slowly. This was her first attempt to cook with this old-new super-food and the salad came out really tasty. Cook freekeh until soft with a pinch of  salt in a saucepan. Meanwhile fry the sausages on a frying pan, add a bit of olive oil, courgette and cook until al-dente and sausages are done. Add the freekeh and stir altogether adding cut slices of red pepper, roasted almonds and all the seasoning.  Super easy.

Bon Appetit!

Bulgur Salad with Grilled Halloumi Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 pack of halloumi cheese

150 g cooked bulgur

1 bigger sweet potato

3 grilled pickled red peppers, cut into stripes

bunch of fresh rocket leaves 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lime juice

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of turmeric

salt & pepper

*

Delicious vegetarian meal perfect as a healthy lunch option that she saw on YouTube and had to try straight away. Boil the sweet potato and cook the bulgur with a pinch of salt until soft separately. Once the sweet potato is cooked, cut it into cubes, place on a hot plate, sprinkle with olive oil, season with nutmeg and turmeric, do the same with the halloumi cheese which you cut into thick slices. Grill both for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Once the potato and halloumi ready, add it to the rest of the ingredients, season with salt, pepper, lime and olive oil, mix and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Asian Style Salad with Salmon

Ingredients:

1/2 ciabatta or stale bread

300 g cooked or baked salmon fillets

leftover salmon skin (optional)

bunch of green beans, cooked

1/2 cucumber, cored and sliced

bunch of radishes, sliced

2 gem lettuces

1 apple - gala or pink lady type

1/2 fresh red chili pepper

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp ginger syrup

1 teaspoon ginger paste or fresh grounded ginger

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce

salt

*

She saw this salad on cooking show with Jamie Oliver and immediately wanted to try it out. It came out delicious and even the boyfriend approved even though he is not a salad lover and doesn't usually eat the skin. Start up by preparing your croutons. Rip the bread into large rustic croutons or chop into 2 cm chunks, drizzle with olive oil and place on a tray in the oven for around 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy (if you’ve got any salmon skin left over, pop it in with the croutons to crisp up). Bake your salmon fillets along if you don't have it cooked already.  Meanwhile, boil the beans in a pan of boiling salted water for around 6 minutes if using fresh, or just a couple of minutes if using frozen, until tender. Drain and allow to cool for a minute. Peel the ginger and finely grate into a bowl with the chili. Add the sesame oil or alternatively olive oil, vinegar, ginger syrup and soy sauce, mix together and put to one side. Halve the cucumber length-ways, scrape out the watery core, then dice, halve the radishes, cut the lettuces into erratic chunks, finely slice the apples on a mandolin or by hand using really good knife skills, and put it all into a nice serving bowl with the crispy croutons and salmon skin (if using). Add the beans to the salad and flake in the salmon. Drizzle the dressing over everything, toss together really well, and serve straight away. Serve with extra bread if you like.

Bon Appetit!