Chicken Medallions And Fruit Salad

I am sending this to Girard's Salad Dressing Giveaway at Living the Gourmet.

• 200 g Chicken breast, skinless and boneless
  
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
  
  
• 1 Onion
  
  
• 1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, shredded
  
  
• 1/2 Tomato, thinly shredded
  
  
• Some fresh pineapple wedges
  
  
• 6-8 Fresh strawberries, cut into wedges

1. Cut the chicken breast into medallions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Peel and cut the onions in half, and then slice the onions lengthwise to desired thickness.
   
   
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet until sizzling hot. Drop medallions in the skillet and let them sear until tender and lightly golden. Remove and drain. Use the remaining oil in the skillet to caramelize the onions. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
3. Arrange the salad, tomato shreds, caramelized onion, and fruits into two serving plates. Top with chicken medallions. Serve.

Chicken Medallions And Fruit Salad

Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

This recipe was really easy, quick to make and tasted wonderful. The combination of the delicate flavour and pleasant tartness of the strawberries with the creaminess and sweetness of the marshmallows is unbeatable!

• 280 g Fresh strawberries, halved if large
  
  
• 25 g Vanilla sugar
  
  
• 100 ml Water
  
  
• 140 g Mini marshmallows
  
  
• 200 ml Double cream

1. Put all but 3 strawberries into a pan along with the water and the sugar. Over a medium heat, cook strawberries until soft enough to mash, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat and squash the berries, using a fork, until pulpy. Add the marshmallows, then stir them into the hot strawberries until they dissolve. Leave to cool.
   
   
2. Whip the cream until it holds its shape. Fold the cream into the cooled strawberry mix, then spoon into one bowl or separate pots and chill for about 2 hours, or until set. Cut the reserved strawberries in half and use to decorate.

Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

White Radish in Szechuan Hot Bean Paste

"Szechuan Hot Bean Sauce" or "Szechuan Dou Ban Jiang" is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soya beans, salt, and various spices. It is used particularly in Szechuan cuisine and regarded as "the soul of the Szechuan kitchen". One well known variety is called "Pixian Dou Ban Jiang" (郫县豆瓣酱), named after the town of Pixian, Szechuan. You can also use the paste to make spicy tofu dishes, or serve as a great accompaniment to the rice and noodles.

• 600 g White radish
  
  
• 1 tbsp Salt
  
  
• 2 tbsp Minced garlic
  
  
• 1 tbsp Sugar
  
  
• 1 tsp Vegetable bouillon
  
  
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
  
  
• 2 tbsp Szechuan hot bean paste
  
  

1. Peel and slice the white radish into thin strips. Place them in a large bowl, and rub all sides of the radish with the salt. Sit in the fridge for 3 hours to draw the water. Remove and squeeze the excess water.
   
   
2. Add in the rest of condiments and mix until combined. Transfer the mass into a clean dry glass and screw it tightly. Chill overnight.

White Radish in Szechuan Hot Bean Paste

Anchovy straws

I like to think I have an complicated relationship with anchovies but I think that it's probably the same relationship that most other people have with them, i.e. they are disgusting, but at times you crave them nonetheless.

I found myself in Chichester on Friday. There was a spooky moment where I wondered why I recognised it, just this particular stretch of street here, with that shop on the corner and the cathedral just there. Then my husband reminded me that this was where, two years ago, he broke the land speed record and collected 3 points for his licence while driving me to a GP, because I was struck down en route to our weekend away, with an acutely painful and unpleasant ladies' problem, which requires antibiotics.

But I try not to let the trauma of pissing blood colour my judgment of a provincial town and I can say with confidence that Chichester is really quite lovely in the sunshine. We went to Field and Fork, which is a restaurant within an art gallery to have dinner, just before we missed the last train back to London and had to get a cab all the way home. It was £120 and as nice as Chichester is, it was worth every penny.

Anyway at Field and Fork we were brought some anchovy straws as a sort of amuse bouche. And it was one of those days when I thought "Yes. I really, really, really want some anchovy."

So here we go. This is a mash-up of a cheese biscuit recipe I found on a Hugh FW cutting out of the Guardian and a recipe from The New Penguin Cookery Book. If you are doing these for a party rather than tout seul or a deux scoffing, you would, of course, make some plain cheese straws, or some other kind of canape, too, because not everyone wants salty mushy fish specks just before dinner.

Me? I want the same as any woman; I want to be Shakira.

Anchovy straws
makes about 20

125g butter, diced
150g plain flour
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
black pepper
125g grated cheddar
approx 3 tablespoons grated pecorino or parmesan, or any other hard cheese you want
1 tin anchovy fillets

1 Pulverise everything except the anchovies in a blender until it forms a rough dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and bash it around for a bit, then bring it together into a ball and put in the fridge for half an hour.

2 Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of about 0.5cm and cut into shapes. I've done these as straws but you could do them as little biscuits, or squares or stars or anything you like really. Chop or snip up the anchovy fillets into little scrapings and then press them with the point of a knife into the pastry in a gracious or amusing pattern. For anchovy-phobes, leave the cheesy pastry plain, or you could substitute the anchovy for rosemary, mint or anything else that takes your fancy.

3 Lay out your straws or biscuits onto a baking tray either greased or lined with baking parchement and cook at 190 for 10 minutes, or in a fan oven, 180 for 9 minutes. If you have gone for a straw-shape, be extra careful when moving these about when cooked as they snap pretty easily. If in doubt, wait for them to cool completely and pick them up by their middles.

Like anything made out of mostly cheese and butter, these will freeze well.

Watermelon Leaf Lettuce Salad with Light Feta

A simple watermelon salad mixed with the loose leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, and low-fat Salaskis feta in tangy balsamic vinaigrette makes a perfect light summer dinner fare. The combination rocks!

I am sending this to Side Dish Showdown: July at Cinnamon Spice&Everything Nice

	Dressing
250 g Watermelon, cubed 12 Grape tomatoes, halved 1/3 head Loose leaf or curly lettuce, rinsed and drained 50 g Salakis light feta cheese, crumbled 2-3 Fresh cherries	1 tbsp Balsamic bianco 2-3 tbsp Olive oil 1 tsp Clear honey Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the watermelon flesh into bite sized pieces. Slice the grape tomatoes into halves. Rinse the leaf or curly lettuce with cold water, and pat them dry with a towel.
   
   
2. Divide the leaf lettuce in 2-3 serving plates or bowls, top with watermelon, grape tomato halves and crumbled feta.
   
   
3. Finally place all the dressing ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Garnish with a cherry if desired and serve.

Watermelon Leaf Lettuce Salad with Light Feta

Stir-fried Shredded Chicken and Mushrooms with Balsamic

One of my favourite ways to make the chicken meat is to stir-fry them with different kinds of seasonal vegetables or/and fungus (gotta try them with pfefferlings next time). It makes a simple yet healthy and delectable meal. Serve with steamed rice or pasta or with some flat bread.

• 200 g Chicken breast
  
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
  
  
• 150 g Mushrooms, sliced
  
  
• 2-3 tbsp Olive oil
  
  
• 1 Shallot, diced
  
  
• 3 tbsp Balsamic
  
  
• 40 g Butter, diced

1. Rinse and pat the chicken breast dry with kitchen paper. Shred the chicken thinly and place them in a bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the shredded chicken with cornstarch.
   
   
2. Heat the oil in a skillet until hot. Add in the shredded chicken and stir until the colour turned white. Remove and drain. Stir the diced shallot in the same skillet with the remaining oil until aromatic. Add in sliced mushrooms and stir until tender.
   
   
3. Pour the balsamic over and return the shredded chicken to the skillet. Bring it to a simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the diced butter into the sauce and stir to combine. Remove and serve with pasta or rice.

Stir-Fried Shredded Chicken and Mushrooms With Balsamic

Guest post: spinach gnocchi

I'd like to introduce you to my friend, who goes by the extremely cool name of AC. At least, she did ten years ago when we met in Mexico and she casually kicked my ass for two straight weeks at that most levelling of card games, Shithead, without ever having to remove her sunglasses or put down her cigarette.

(N.B. I doubt she smokes anymore, but we all did then because we were on holiday.)

We've been back in touch because she's a friendly sort, is AC. And she really, really knows how to cook. I've never eaten anything she's made but I can tell she knows what she's talking about because when I mentioned that I was going to attempt gazpacho for the first time she rattled off, off the top of her head, about eighteen different cold soups she's made, which is best, which is worst - this one's nice with Cloudy Bay - that kind of thing.

And I'm like, what the fuck have I been doing with my time? I have never even made one cold soup, let alone enough to have a conversation about them.

So my point is, she's a cooking machine and she's got a proper job and everything, at a company so serious that you're not allowed to send swear words over email, so my emails to her are about 50% shorter than they are to everyone else.

Today she suggested a great spinach gnocchi, which I was going to make but frankly, I trust AC, who says that usually she's not crazy about gnocchi but these are "very light and fragrant and summery". Apologies for no picture with this but I can only imagine that, like everything AC does, they are kick-ass.

So here we go: Spinach gnocchi sourced from Ginger Jar Food

Serves 3 to 4 with crusty bread


INGREDIENTS

For the gnocchi

500g floury potatoes - cooked in salted water and well drained

110g OO flour (or you can use plain flour)

200g spinach - de-stalked, cooked, squeezed dry with your hands then blotted some more on kitchen paper, and finally, finely chopped!

1 egg - lightly beaten

For the tomato sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 can of good chopped tomatoes

A handful of basil leaves, chopped

Chilli flavoured olive oil - or normal if you don't like heat

Salt & pepper

To finish

Grated parmesan

A ball of good buffalo mozzarella

METHOD

1. First make the gnocchi. Take your cooked potato and load it into a potato ricer. Hold the potato ricer high above a clean work surface and squeeze the potato through, allowing it to fall in a light pile.

2. In between your batches of potato, sieve a layer of flour and add a sprinkle of the chopped spinach, then another squeeze of potato until it's all done.

3. Now make a well in the centre of your spinachy, floury, potato-y pile, and pour in your beaten egg. Flick some of the dry ingredients over the egg and start to work the dough together until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. If the dough feels too wet and is really sticking to your hands, add a little more flour.

4. Divide the dough into four and roll each one out into a long sausage about 3 cm thick. Cut the sausage into gnocchi-sized pieces (like a small pebble) and roll each one in your hand to make a small oval shape. For authenticity more than anything you can then roll each gnocchi down the tines of a fork to create the classic ridges.

5. Set the gnocchi to one side on a floured baking tray (so they don't stick together) until ready to cook them. Resting them before cooking will also help the gluten relax a little, making them less heavy.

6. To make the sauce, cook your garlic briefly in a little chilli oil (or standard oil), then add your chopped tomatoes, basil and salt, and pepper and allow to simmer away for around 20 mins until slightly reduced and thickened. Check the seasoning.

7. To cook the gnocchi, place them in a large pan of heavily salted water. They tend to tell you when they are ready by floating to the surface, but give them a stir to make sure they aren't stuck to the bottom (or each other) and drain after a couple of minutes. They should expand slightly when cooked and become really soft and pillowy.

8. Drain well and toss in your tomato sauce. Divide between your serving bowls and tear off pieces of the buffalo mozzarella to dot around the dish. Sprinkle some parmesan over the top, add a few more basil leaves to garnish, and then serve immediately!