Wednesday 6 February 2019

Smoked Chicken And Pickled Cherry Salad

Like many people, I guess you too have been talking about the weather.  It's crazy, isn't it?  Floods up north, bushfires down south, drought in the middle, and endless days of heat without any of the storms we normally get in summer.  And if you live in the U.S., you may have been suffering the reverse with extreme cold and snow lately.

Hubby's niece lives in Townsville where they released the local dam's floodgates over the weekend.  This has meant that a lot of water has been let loose.  Hundreds of people evacuated, or being rescued.  The Army, Police and Emergency crews out, doorknocking and saving people.  Fortunately, our niece is safe, and though her backyard is inundated, her house hasn't been flooded.  



salad for a sultry night


So the weather is lending itself to cold meals like salads, and lots of icy drinks.  Did anyone say bourbon on the rocks?  And I thought I'd give quinoa another go.  It's a bit of a weird, almost flavourless grain (seed in fact), but adds a gentle crunch to a salad.  So here is my chicken and cherry salad, with that ancient grain/seed giving you a good dose of added vitamins and protein. 


Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a side salad:

Recipe by Sherry's Pickings:

ingredients:


1 baby Gem or Cos lettuce, leaves separated and torn by hand

400g. of honey smoked chicken breasts, cut into chunks

80g. of walnuts, toasted

1.5 cups of cooked red or white quinoa

1 French shallot or 2-3 spring onions, finely chopped/sliced

2 big tbs pickled cherries

1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks

60g. (2 oz.) of fetta, diced

a really big handful of fresh raspberries

40g. (3/8 cup) of parmesan cheese, shaved or grated

lots of herbs of your choice (snipped):  I used chives and parsley

salt and pepper to taste



Dressing:


8 fresh raspberries, squished with a fork in a small bowl

juice of 1 lime (or lemon)

2-3 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste


Method:


Well, this is pretty darn easy.  Throw all the salad ingredients into a large bowl

Whisk the dressing ingredients together well

Pour the dressing over the salad, and give it a really thorough (but gentle) toss

Scatter over some extra walnuts and/or parmesan if you desire


Notes:


Cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions.  I made a large amount and will use the rest in other dishes

Toast the walnuts at 180C for about 8 minutes - keep an eye on them, as they tend to burn quickly towards the end.  I know 'cos i ruined 2 lots!  Mr P. bravely said he would eat them anyway, so he's eating them with his cereal




gather the ingredients



whisk up the dressing



salad ready for dressing


pour it on! and toss - gently


Serves 4 (with some crusty bread) as a main, or as an entrée for 6.  The sweet and tangy flavours perk up the appetite on a hot night!



   
  raspberry artwork by Sherry's Pickings 


20 comments:

  1. Delicious-sounding even for a very cold night, though the ingredients wouldn't be local around here.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. thanks Mae. yes it is berry season here, and avocadoes are delicious atm (tho I think they may be from NZ)- tee hee. cheers sherry

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  2. Absolutely LOVE your blog and your recipes :) This one sounds amazing!

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    1. thanks very much Guy. do you have a blog yourself? cheers sherry

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  3. I'm not super keen on berries in salad but I'd give this a go because I love everything else in this salad!

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  4. Yeah, while we've been suffering through the polar vortex, your weather has been much the reverse, and much more miserable, I think. Anyway, this looks terrific -- nice antidote to your hot weather.

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    Replies
    1. thanks KR. yes we've had some dreadful weather here. let's hope it all settles down soon. cheers S

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  5. This salad looks so interesting and a raspberry dressing sounds divine. Fresh raspberries are very expensive here so they are on ration however throwing a few in a salad sounds like a great idea.

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    1. thanks so much pauline. i love the tanginess of the raspberries with the smoked chicken. yep berries are so darn expensive in QLD aren't they? oh to be in tassie!

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  6. What a lovely salad and combination of flavors! The raspberry dressing looks amazing!

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    1. thanks kelly. yes i do love a tangy dressing:) cheers S

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  7. What's happened in Townsville is so sad. With the heat we're experiencing I also like to go for meals like this that don't take a lot of time and energy to prepare xx

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    Replies
    1. hi charlie
      yes it's hard to think of making hot meals these days. It doesn't stop me though:-)

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  8. I have never heard of pickled cherries but your flavour combination sounds divine. The raspberry dressing would be a perfect finish with the smokiness of the chicken, very nice indeed.

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    Replies
    1. hi merryn
      i bought the cherries online. they were sweeter than i thought they would be but really delish! yep i enjoyed the raspberry dressing with it. very tangy. thanks for dropping by. cheers sherry

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  9. This is the most interesting and unusual chicken salad - and I say that as a huge chicken salad fan. Walnuts, pickled cherries, avocado, feta, parmesan, raspberries, lime … what a combination!

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    Replies
    1. Well thank you jeff. It was flavoursome. Cheers S

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