Thai chicken, cucumber and coconut salad (CleanCuisine)

August 28, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda

I made this last night and we were blown away by the flavors. It’s light, healthy and full of flavor!
You can buy palm sugar in Asian supermarkets like “99 Ranch” (in Los Angeles)

Serves 4

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
165 mls coconut milk
40 grams palm sugar, (shave it off with a knife) or if you can’t find any, demerara sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 large English cucumber
2 long sweet red chillies, thinly sliced (I noticed that Trader Joes has these)
small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
1 good sized thai shallot or regular shallot, finely sliced
50 grams roasted peanuts. crushed

Put the chicken between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin or heavy pan to flatten a little so it is all the same thickness.

Put the coconut milk, palm sugar and fish sauce in a wide, shallow pan. Add the chicken to the cold liquid then gently bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool in the liquid, turning it a couple of times.

Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber into long thin ribbons.

Take the chicken from the poaching liquid and slice as thinly as possible, then mix all the ingredients except the roasted, crushed peanuts.
Serve drizzled with some of the cool poaching liquid and sprinkle with the peanuts.

It’s SO delicious!

Do-ahead · Nuts · Pasta · Sauces · Vegetarian pasta

Pesto a la Arriabiata sauce

August 23, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

We are going out for dinner tonight to some vegetarian friends and I didn’t just want to take wine, so was wondering what I could make with whatever I had in the house that only took 30 minutes.
Looking outside on the table, I noticed the three full basil plants we bought at Trader Joes.
“Ahh, pesto sauce”, I thought, “but how could I make it different”?

My husband came into the kitchen while I was throwing stuff into the processor and after I made it, pronounced it “lovely” so that was the seal I needed.

1 whole (full-leaved) Trader Joes basil plant stripped completely and the leaves washed and spun in the salad spinner.
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmegiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 tsp dried red chilli flakes
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp drained capers
1/2 heaped cup pitted kalamata olives
6 sun dried tomatoes (in oil)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 lemon, juice only

(cream added can make it more luxurious!)

Start by putting all the basil into a food processor and turn it on. Through the tube in the top, put the garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, capers,sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, lemon juice, olives and anything else you may have forgotten.
Puree for a few minutes, then taste and add more seasoning if it needs it.
Pour into a lovely glass jar with a lid and you have a great pasta sauce, or a base for crunchy, toasted bruschetta, or a base for many seafood dishes. It’s lovely as a dip for grilled shrimp, a coating on a piece of white fish, or even added to a soup as a dollop in the middle of the bowl just as you serve it, as in “pistou”.

There are endless ways to use it and it lasts a long time, including freezes well.
The Trader Joes basil plants are the most economical way to make pesto based sauces if you don’t grow basil. Unforunately we are having a battle with the garden snails and they claimed this year’s basil!

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts

Caramel Salmon with Lime (CleanCuisine)

August 23, 2011February 11, 2016 Belinda

This is an unbeatable salad combination of Thai tastes, c/o Jill Duplex, a wonderful Australian cookery book writer. The flavors in this dish are chilli, cilantro, mint, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, all perfect for a piece of delicate, rich salmon.
A really innovative, tasty, complex salad dish for either a main course or a starter.

Serves 4

4 thick salmon fillets, skinned (choose wild salmon, if possible)
200 grams bean sprouts
2 tbsps vegetable oil
50 grams fresh mint leaves, left whole
25 grams cilantro leaves, left whole
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsps salted or dry roasted peanuts, crushed coarsely
1 lime, quartered

Sauce
100 grams soft brown sugar
125 mls water
1 red chilli, finely sliced
3 cm knob of fresh ginger, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
4 tbsps Thai fish sauce
4 tbsps fresh lime juice

To make the sauce, use the ingredients in the “sauce” list only. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring.
Add the chilli, ginger and garlic and let it bubble away to reduce (but do not boil over!) for 4 – 5 minutes until quite syrupy.
Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and the lime juice.

Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces, about 3cm square and coat lightly in the caramel sauce.
Pour a jug of boiling water over the bean sprouts then drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the salmon quickly until caramelized, keeping the inside pink.

Combine the salmon, mint, coriander, scallions and bean sprouts in a bowl and toss well.
Strain the sauce and keep warm, if necessary, reheat.
Arrange on warmed dinner plates, spoon the warm sauce over the top and scatter with peanuts.

Serve with the lime wedges and plenty of steamed rice.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable-related

Basil cheese loaf

July 14, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
1 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed, rinsed and dried
3/4 cup Italian parsley, loosely packed, washed and dried
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup slivered sun dried tomatoes, patted dry

Combine the cream cheese and Roquefort in a bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the spinach, parsley, basil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube; continue processing till smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the walnuts and parmesan and mix thoroughly.

Line a 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving extra wrap hanging over the sides.

Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture even;y over the bottom of the loaf pan. next, spread half the pesto mixture and arrange a layer of sun dried tomatoes on top.
Repeat with cheese, pesto and tomato layers.
Finish with the remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

To serve, allow the loaf to come just to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Invert it onto a platter and provide a cheese slicing knife. Have a basket of wheat crackers or bread nearby.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Nuts

Roquefort-Walnut Terrine with Apple Salad

June 19, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

8 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS

2 cups walnuts (about 7 ounces)

1 pound Roquefort cheese, at room temperature

1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

4 medium Granny Smith apples

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup pure olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Crusty bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool.

Line a 7-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving 3 inches of overhang all around. In a large bowl, break up the Roquefort with a fork until slightly chunky.

Add the walnuts and crème fraîche and mix thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons of lemon juice with the olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the apples and toss well.

Unmold the Roquefort terrine and discard the plastic wrap. Run a thin knife under hot water and wipe it off, then cut the terrine into 3/4-inch-thick slices, rinsing and drying the knife after each cut.

Arrange the slices on small plates and serve with the apple salad and bread.

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Salad · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Curried cauliflower with currants and pinenuts (CleanCuisine)

June 14, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

This recipe is really unusual and full of flavor.
Serves 6-8

Dressing
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Cauliflower
2lbs cauliflower florets
2 tbsp kosher salt
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (I used about 1/2 cup at most)
3/4 cup dried currants
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 small red onion, finely chopped

Method for the dressing

In a large bowl, mix the rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Whisk in the curry powder, salt and pepper.
Very slowly, drizzle the oilve oil and whisk into the vinegar mixture until incorporated. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Set the dressing aside.

Method for the cauliflower

Blanch the cauliflower in salted boiling water. Drain and add pine nuts, currants, sunflower seeds and onions. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing lightly to mix thoroughly. Chill for 1 -2 hours before serving. (I didn’t have time to chill it for that long when I made it and it was still great warm)

Plating
Mound the salad onto a plate in a compact pile and decorate with a few cilantro leaves