Tag Archives: dressing

Lebanese Chicken Salad

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , , , , ,

Lebanese Chicken Salad

Living in a hot climate we eat a lot of salads, and are always looking for new ideas to keep the meal interesting. This one combines chicken marinated in Lebanese Seven Spice Mix with a honey mustard dressing. You can make your own mustard at home or use store bought wholegrain mustard.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp Lebanese 7 spice powder
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 150g baby spinach leaves (or other lettuce leaves)
  • 1/2 cucumber, cut into chunks of 1cm
  • 5 radishes, sliced thinly (optional)
  • 1/2 a pomegranate, seeds removed
  • optional – you could also add some feta cheese

Honey Mustard Dressing

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1 cm strips. Place in a bowl
  2. Add the Lebanese seven spice powder and 1 Tbsp olive oil to the chicken. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine as a marinade.
  3. Pan fry the chicken over a moderate heat until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. Wash the baby spinach leaves (or lettuce), and place the spinach, cucumber, and radish in a serving bowl.
  5. To make the honey mustard dressing, place the honey, mustard, olive oil, white wine vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper into a glass or jar. Stir well to combine (or shake to combine in a jar).
  6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss the salad to coat all leaves.
  7. Spread the chicken over the top of the salad.
  8. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds (and feta if you are using it)
  9. Serve the salad as a light meal for 2 people

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Peter Bjorn and John – Gimme Some

Homemade Mayonnaise

Condiments and Dips, , , , , ,

Homemade wholefood paleo mayonnaise

I was quickly whipping up a jar of mayonnaise this morning to go over an Eggs Benedict breakfast, when I wondered why we ever bought Mayonnaise? It is so easy to make, and doing so means we avoid all the processed ingredients in the store bought stuff. For sure I am never going back.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg (preferably organic)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml olive oil (preferably not extra virgin)

Directions

  1. Place the egg, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in a blender
  2. Blend all of the ingredients, starting on a slow speed while you add the olive oil to avoid spattering it all around your kitchen.
  3. Add the olive oil while the blender is running in a slow stream. I suggest that you don’t remove the lid of the blender, but just lift it enough to be able to pour the olive oil in underneath it while the blender is running.
  4. Put the cap back on the blender and turn up the speed. Blend the mayonnaise until it has formed into thick emulsion. This will not take very long, do not over blend it.
  5. Can be used as a replacement for hollandaise sauce on an eggs Benedict, with sweet potatoes, or as a dressing.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Mahoney Harris – We Didn’t Feel Alone

Avocado Vinaigrette Dressing

Condiments and Dips, , , , , , , ,

Avocado Vinaigrette dressing

In Singapore it is always salad weather, which means that we tend to eat them a lot. But continuing to get variation into our diet is important to us, we don’t like to eat boring! Last night I decided to spice up a chicken and lettuce salad with a little Avocado Vinaigrette. This looks a lot like a mayonnaise when it is finished, but has the tartness of a vinaigrette.

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • juice of half a lemon
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. In a blender combine the avocado, vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Blend together
  2. Lift the lid of the blender just enough that you are able to pour in the olive oil in a continuous stream while the blender is still running. Note: do not take the lid off completely as you will end up with avocado all around your kitchen and that is not a pretty sight…
  3. Pour the olive oil into the blender in a slow steady stream so that it all combines together. The dressing will be a little bit runnier than mayonnaise, but with a similar consistency. Please don’t expect that it will taste like a mayonnaise though, because it has the tartness of a vinaigrette instead.
  4. Use as a dressing on a salad to make a Caesar style salad. We added lettuce leaves, sliced chicken, sliced cucumber, sliced radishes and mint leaves for a refreshing dinner salad.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Breaks Co-op – Sounds Familiar