Green Beans, Peas, Pink Grapefruit and Coriander

This salad was made for us for dinner by my daughter and her grandmother and then made again the next day for lunch by my daughter by herself!!  She liked it so much she wrote down the recipe and asked to use the last of the bean harvest to make it for Sunday lunch.  Food made by other people does always taste great...delicious food made by a nine year old taste absolutely terrific!!!

She did not write down any amounts...but just mixed and tasted and did everything else by eye.  She left the chilies to me to add to my plate.

Ingredients Green Beans Snow Peas or Sugar Snaps Pink Grapefruit, peeled and sectioned Spring onion, cut or a little bit of red onion, diced small Coriander, ripped coarsley Cashews, toasted Chilies, diced finely - optional Dressing Juice of a whole lime or two couple of spoonfuls of dark brown sugar couple of shakes of fish sauce

Method 1. Steam or blanch the green beans and the peas. Cool in ice water. 2. Add to the grapefruit, onions and coriander. 3. Toss with dressing. 4. Serve alone or on top of mixed greens.

Bok Choy, Broccolini and Chicken in a Spiced Sauce

Ingredients3cm piece fresh ginger, julienned 4 boneless chicken breasts ¾ cup salt-reduced chicken stock ¼ cup Mirin or dry cooking sherry ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces 2-3 star anise 3 spring onions, sliced into 1/2 cm rounds 2 carrots julienned 1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and halved 1 bunch baby bok choy, trimmed

Method 1. Slice chicken breasts into 1/2 cm thick pieces.  Cut these in half to reduce their length. Mix stock, wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and star anise and marinade chicken for 10 minutes to 24 hours. 2. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 sec. Skim chicken from marinade and brown on all sides for 3-4 min.  Remove chicken, transfer to a plate and keep warm. 4. Add spring onions and carrots and stir-fry until onions soften. Add marinade. Bring to the boil. 5. Add broccolini. Cook, uncovered, for 5 min or until vegetables are tender and sauce has reduced slightly. Pour this over chicken. 6. Return pan to heat and add bok choy. Cook until wilted.  Top chicken, vegetables and sauce with bok choy. Serve with steamed rice.

Tabouli

I have included two recipes for tabouli.  One is the traditional recipe using cracked wheat (bulgar) as the grain.  The other is my quinoa adaptation which my children love served alone (for a beach picnic) or as a side salad. Quinoa Tabouli Ingredients 3 cups water 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed juice of one lemon 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped parsley 20 cherry tomatoes halved 2 cucumbers, quartered and cut into 1/2 cm pieces 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional) 20 pitted kalamata olives sliced 1 small garlic clove pressed Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Method 1. Place water in a sauce pan and bring to boil.  Add quinoa, bring to a boil again and then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and let stand 5 minutes to absorb remaining water. Fluff again with fork 2. In another bowl add oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper, parsley, tomatoes and cucumbers.  Mix thoroughly.  Add quinoa. 3. Just before serving add feta and olives.

Traditional Tabouli Ingredients ½ cup cracked wheat (bulgar) 3/4 cup boiling water 3 tomatoes 1 long cucumber 2 spring onions (scallions) 1 clove garlic 10 stalks parsley 15 mint leaves (optional) 1 lemon 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil salt freshly ground black pepper

Method 1. Place the cracked wheat and salt in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water.  Cover and let stand 15 - 20 minutes, or until chewable. 2. Add lemon juice, garlic, oil, parsley, mint and black pepper, and mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 3. Just before serving add vegetables, mix gently and correct seasonings. 4. Garnish with feta cheese and kalamata olives.