Continuing with some more delectable dinners

Thursday night's dinner proved to be a slight challenge. I had planned to make a bean salad the way I always do but when I got to the fridge to get out the vegies, I realised I had very few as it was just 2 days from shopping day. I decided to improvise and I think the result was far better than the salad I usually prepare, which has celery, green beans, and grated carrot and no lettuce in it. I guess it proves that the simple things in life really are often the best.

Bean salad

2 cans of bean mix
1/8 of a wombok (Chinese cabbage), shredded
about 1 cup of red cabbage, shredded
about 1 cup of iceberg lettuce, shredded
6 spring onions finely sliced (I prefer them to be sliced on the diagonal but it's personal choice really. When you cut them on the diagonal, they don't roll off the chopping board!)
about a cup of mixed sprouts
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 quantity of basic dressing

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, pour over dressing and serve.

Basic dressing

2 1/2 tbsp of rice bran, canola or sunflower oil
1 1/2 tbsp malt vinegar  (substitute the vinegar with 1/2 tsp citric acid and 1 1/2 tbsp water if sensitive to amines)
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl or jug and mix well.



So backtracking a little, Wednesday night's dinner was a knockout. I made a family favourite....chicken bake. I adapted my usual recipe a little as I discovered some cheap saffron, which meant I could use it generously instead of sparingly, which made the world of difference to the flavour. So instead of calling it just a chicken bake, I can now call it a poppy seed and saffron chicken bake :o). I served it with some steamed wombok and buk choy but it is also really yummy with mashed potato.

Poppy seed and saffron chicken bake

8 Marylands, skin removed (or whatever joint you prefer. I often use just drummies, or a mix of drummies and thigh chops)
2 leeks, chopped
1 celery heart, finely sliced (leaves and all)
4 cloves of garlic
as much saffron as you can afford
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp citric acid
salt
1/2 cup canola, sunflower or rice bran oil
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 large swede, diced into cubes about 1 1/2 cm
2 large carrots, diced into cubes about 1 1/2 cm

Grind the saffron in a mortar and pestle with a little salt then crush the poppy seeds in there too. Place the saffron, poppy seeds, 1 leek, the celery, garlic, parsley, maple syrup, citric acid, oil and water into a large dish and mix well. Add the chicken, stir to coat well then cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place remaining vegetables into a baking tray then add the chicken and marinade. Cover and bake for about  an hour and a half, or until chicken is cooked through, turning the chicken pieces once during cooking. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes.
Serve with some wilted greens.