The Rural Voice, 2019-04, Page 38doesn’t splash) with a standard or
hand blender.
• Stir in milk/cream. Adjust
seasonings.
To serve, garnish with a pinch of
finely chopped lettuce.
Greens and chicken make a
great combination for a
satisfying lunch or light
supper. Toss a generous helping of
crisp greens with a light dressing (2
tsp oil, 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice,
dried herbs) and top with a hearty
chicken salad. Add a toasted English
muffin. Serves 4.
Curried Chicken Salad
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp curry powder (to taste)
2 green onions
1 celery stalk
¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
• Slice chicken and, in a large pot,
barely cover with water. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat and cook slowly for
10 minutes. (Alternatively, baste the
chicken breasts with mayonnaise.
Sprinkle herbs on top and roast in
375°oven for 25 minutes or until a
meat thermometer reads 165°
Fahrenheit.) Cool the chicken.
• While chicken is cooking and
cooling, combine mayonnaise, lemon
zest, lemon juice and curry powder.
• Chop the onions and celery.
• When chicken breasts have
cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces, add
the onions and celery, stir in the
mayonnaise mixture, add the
cranberries if using and pile onto the
bed of greens.
Tikka with Greens and Fruit
Fruits and greens combine well so
be adventurous in adding
strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes,
blueberries, and raspberries or dried
fruit to a salad. Sprinkle the salad
with toasted almonds and cashews
and you have a beautiful and
delicious dish.
Top with chicken, beef or pork
tikka. The term “tikka” comes to us
from Indian cuisine referring to small
pieces of meat marinated in spice or
sauce. Tikka may be cooked on the
barbeque (about 10 minutes) or under
the oven broiler.
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts or 1-pound grilling
steak or loin pork
2 cooking onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp curry powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper, salt and
pepper
¼ cup oil
1 cup yoghurt or kefir
Directions:
• Prepare the meat by cutting into
bite-sized cubes or strips.
• In a large zip-lock bag or bowl,
combine all the remaining
ingredients.
• Add the meat, stir and marinate
overnight or for a few hours.
• Soak bamboo skewers in water
for 15 minutes. Thread the marinated
meat on the skewer and cook on the
barbeque or under the broiler for 10
minutes, turning after 5 minutes.
Arugula with Parmesan fricos
If you enjoy the sharp peppery
flavour of arugula, combine it with
other fruits and vegetables, drizzle
with a punchy lime dressing and top
with Parmesan fricos. Frico is an
Alpine garnish, literally fried cheese.
Package or four large handfuls of
arugula.
Ingredients:
½ cup some of these: cooked or
pickled beets, goat cheese, cherry
tomatoes, spinach, apples, dried
cranberries, toasted nuts.
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
Pinch chili pepper (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
• Distribute arugula mixture on
serving plates.
• In a jar add the lime juice, sugar,
spices and oil. Put lid on jar and
shake to combine. Drizzle over the
arugula mixture.
• To make the fricos, place a non-
stick fry pan over medium heat. (I
spray mine lightly with cooking oil.)
Spread a scant tablespoon of the
Parmesan cheese in a thin layer in a
circle or rectangle. Make a few at a
time and do not crowd. Cook for
about 30 seconds over medium heat
until the fricos are golden brown on
the edges. Quickly slide a metal
spatula under the frico and flip it
over for a second. Then remove the
frico and set to harden on a plate.
Alternatively, drape over a rolling
pin. This produces an interested curl
as the cheese cools and hardens.
Allow two fricos per salad.
Growing microgreens
Microgreens are the rage this year.
You can grow them easily in your
home, even if you live in an
apartment. Unlike sprouts where you
eat the roots, stem and first leaf, you
eat only the stem and tender leaves of
microgreens. They are available in a
wide variety: watercress (my
personal favourite), chia, basil, kale,
radish, dill, cilantro and so on and
many are ready to eat in only seven
days. They are delicious in salads, in
sandwiches or wraps, in soup or for
juicing and are high in vitamin A, C
and antioxidants. It is important to
buy from a source where seeds have
been untreated with protective
chemicals.
Directions:
Soak the seeds for an hour or so
with 1 tsp hydrogen peroxide added.
This insures against e-coli
contamination.
Rinse and drain in a colander or
sieve.
Fill a container half way with soil.
(Plastic strawberry containers work
well or use potting trays.)
Pat the soil down so that it is even.
Water well.
Spread the seed liberally on top of
the soil. Either leave the seeds
uncovered or sprinkle with a light
cover of soil.
Spritz with a water bottle.
Cover the container and leave in
the dark for 3 or 4 days.
Uncover (they will be pale green)
and place in a bright spot, watering
each day.
By Day 7, they will be dark green
and some (baby kale, for instance)
are ready to harvest.
Sterilize a pair of sharp kitchen
scissors by setting in boiling water.
Use scissors to cut the microgreens,
taking care not to pull up the soil. ◊
Recipes
34 The Rural Voice