Chicken and Puy lentil salad with coriander

Ingredients

• 2 large or 4 small chicken breasts, skinned
• 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 225g/8oz Puy lentils
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (stalks and leaves)
• 100g/4oz mixed salad leaves, such as rocket, baby beetroot, baby spinach and frisée
• 100g/4oz feta cheese, crumbled
• dash balsamic vinegar

Preparation method

1. Using a sharp knife, make a few long shallow incisions on both sides of the chicken breasts.
2. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the ground coriander, garlic, a pinch of black pepper, two tablespoons of lemon juice and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix the marinade with the chicken in a bowl, making sure all the meat is evenly coated in the marinade. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes (or one hour if you have the time).
3. Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8.
4. When the oven is hot, spread the chicken out on a baking tray and cook it for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. To ensure the chicken is cooked through, cut into the breast with a knife. Once cooked, take the chicken out of the oven and allow it to rest for a couple of minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the still-warm lentils in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
6. When cooked, drain the lentils then dress them with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and chopped coriander, and season with salt and pepper.
7. To serve, slice the chicken thinly and toss with the lentils (they can be still warm) and the mixed salad leaves. Place on plates or in a large bowl and sprinkle with the crumbled feta and a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

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Spicy chicken thighs with cucumber and cashew salad

This hot chicken and cool noodle salad combines bright lime and chilli flavours to spice up a summer lunch.

Ingredients

For the spicy chicken thighs

• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 2 large red chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tsp sugar
• 8 chicken thighs, bone and skin removed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the cucumber and cashew salad

• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 200g/7oz vermicelli rice noodles
• 2 cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
• small handful fresh mint leaves
• 4 spring onions, sliced finely
• 2 tbsp cashews, crushed

Preparation method

1. For the spicy chicken thighs, whisk the fish sauce, pepper, garlic, chillies and sugar together in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, pour half the marinade over the chicken thighs. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Reserve the rest of the marinade.
3. For cucumber and cashew salad, make a dressing by adding the lime juice and sugar to the reserved marinade, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
4. In a heat-proof bowl, cover the vermicelli with boiling water and leave for a minute or so until the noodles have softened.
5. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Mix the drained noodles in a large bowl with the cucumber, mint, spring onions, cashews and the dressing until well combined.
6. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Fry the chicken thighs in the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. (You may have to do this in batches.)
7. To serve, divide the cucumber and cashew salad among four plates, slice the chicken and place alongside

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Vietnamese-style chicken salad

Try this step-by-step recipe for a tasty and low fat chicken salad.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 x 1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 6oz chicken
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 kaffir lime leaves or bay leaves
• 2 stalks lemongrass

For the salad

• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, then cut into long strips
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3 stalks celery, cut into long fine strips
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into long fine strips
• ¼ crisp white cabbage, thinly shredded
• a large handful fresh whole coriander leaves
• a large handful fresh whole mint leaves
• 4-6 whole lettuce leaves, such as Little Gem, Cos or Webb's Wonder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lime and chilli dressing

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small red chilli
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 limes
• 3 tbsp fish sauce

Preparation method

1. Put the chicken into a large deep pan or stockpot with the onion and kaffir lime leaves or bay leaves.
2. Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife and add to the pot.
3. Turn the heat on under the pan, add water to cover, then bring gently up to the boil.
4. Cover and simmer very gently for about 45 minutes to one hour, then leave to cool in the liquid.
5. Once cool, take the chicken out, discard the skin, pull the flesh off the bones and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside. (Strain and save the poaching liquid and use it as stock for another dish.)
6. To make the salad, put the cucumber into a clean bowl with the teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside for ten minutes.
7. Meanwhile, place the sesame seeds into a small frying pan over a moderate heat (don't add oil) and dry-fry until they turn a shade darker, then take them off the heat and transfer immediately to a cool plate to prevent further cooking.
8. Once the cucumber has been salting for ten minutes, use your hands to squeeze out any excess liquid from the cucumber. Discard the liquid and transfer the cucumber to a large bowl.
9. Add the celery, carrots and cabbage to the cucumber along with the chicken and most of the sesame seeds, reserving a few for garnish.
10. For the dressing, peel and roughly chop the garlic then place in a mortar and pestle.
11. Deseed and roughly chop the chilli and add to the mortar and pestle.
12. Add half of the sugar to the mortar and pestle and pound the garlic and chilli to a rough paste. Add the rest of the sugar and pound again.
13. Juice the limes and add to the paste, then add the fish sauce and a splash of cold water and mix together. Taste and adjust the flavours if necessary.
14. Toss the salad with enough of the dressing to give a lively flavour, starting with about two-thirds of the dressing and adding more if necessary. Add half the mint and coriander leaves and mix thoroughly.
15. Line a serving plate with the lettuce leaves. Pile the salad onto the lettuce, then top with the remaining coriander and mint and reserved sesame seeds. Serve swiftly.

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Parsnip recipes

A sweetly flavoured root vegetable native to Britain, parsnips resemble a bulky, beige carrot. They’re usually treated in much the same way as the potato: roasted, mashed, or made into chips or crisps.

Buyer's guide

Parsnips are in season from October to March, but are usually reckoned to be best after the first frost. For the best flavour, look for parsnips about the size of a large carrot, with firm, unblemished flesh. If the leaves are still attached to the tops, they should still be green and fresh.

Storage

Parsnips should keep in the salad crisper of the fridge for up to a fortnight. To freeze, dice the parsnips (there’s no need to peel and core them unless they are old and woody), blanch, cool and then pack into a container.

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Chickpea recipes

Recipes using chickpea

Chickpeas are a small legume popular in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian cookery. They are usually sold pre-cooked in cans, or dried; the latter must be soaked before cooking. Chickpea, besan or ‘gram’ flour, made from dried ground chickpeas, is widely used in Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine.

If buying dried chickpeas, look for firm examples with a uniform beige colour. Choose canned chickpeas stored in water, rather than brine.

Storage

Dried chickpeas can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year without deterioration. Cooked chickpeas can be frozen.

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Stuffed Eggplants with Rasam Powder

Rasam Podi tho Gutti Vanakaya.

This is a quick and easy stuffed eggplants curry made with rasam powder. Onion is crushed with rasam powder and stuffed into baby eggplants. The eggplants are then cooked in tempered oil till soft. Serve the stuffed eggplants with rasam powder over plain steamed rice or with rice mixed with dal.
Makes: 4 – 5 Stuffed Eggplants with Rasam Powder.

Ingredients:

Baby Indian Eggplants 4 – 5
Onion 1 Small
Rasam Powder 2 Tbsps
Red Chili Powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 8
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash thoroughly and pat dry eggplants.
Remove stems if you prefer and slit twice vertically keeping one end intact.
Soak the eggplants in water to avoid oxidation.

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the chopped onion with rasam powder, red chili powder and salt.
Alternatively, use a spice blender to coarsely grind them.
Remove the crushed onion spice mixture onto a bowl.

Stuff around a tbsp of the prepared onion spice stuffing into each eggplant.
Keep the stuffed eggplants onto a plate the reserve any leftover stuffing mixture for later use.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan on medium heat, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, arrange the stuffed eggplants into the pan.
Fry briefly and pour half a cup of water and remaining stuffing mixture.
Cook covered for around 10 minutes or until the eggplants are soft.
Add few more splashes of water if the eggplants tend to stick to the pan.
Once the eggplants are cooked properly, uncover and fry for few seconds till the skin turns light golden in color.
Remove from heat and serve stuffed eggplants with rasam powder over steamed rice or with roti.
Notes: Make sure the insides of the eggplants are cooked properly.

Suggestions: Adjust the cooking time according to the size of the eggplants. If the stuffing becomes too runny, add more rasam powder to tighten it up.
Variations: You can also add a tsp of tamarind pulp to the stuffing.
Other Names: Stuffed Eggplants with Rasam Powder, Rasam Podi tho Gutti Vanakaya.

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Stuffed Eggplant Onion Masala

Gutti Vanakaya Ullipaya Masala.

Fresh wet masala is made with spices and onion. Baby Indian eggplants are stuffed with freshly ground masala. They are then cooked on low flame till very soft. Serve stuffed eggplants onion masala with steamed rice or with dal rice and papad.
Makes: around 3 Servings of Stuffed Eggplant Onion Masala

Ingredients:

Baby Indian Eggplants 6
Onion 1 Large
Tamarind 3 inch Piece
Red Chile Powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Masala:

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Whole Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Coriander Seeds 1 Tbsp
Oil 1 tsp

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash the eggplants and remove stems if desired.
Slit each eggplant twice in right angles keeping one end intact to avoid eggplant falling apart once coooked.
Peel and dice the onion.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add all masala ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering and the mixture is aromatic, remove from heat.
Cool the mixture to room temperature and grind it into fine powder using a good grinder.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan, add diced onion and tamarind.
Fry till onion turns brown around the edges.
Keep stirring to avoid burning.
Cool the onion to room temperature and grind it along with the previously ground masala powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Remove the masala paste onto a bowl.

Stuff each eggplant with a tbsp or so of the ground masala paste.
Mix a quarter cup of water with any remaining masala paste and keep aside.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, carefully place the stuffed eggplants into the pan.
Fry briefly, stir in the quarter cup water previously reserved.
Cook covered on low flame for good 10 -1 5 minutes or until eggplants are soft inside.
Stir in red chile powder and season with salt.
Remove from heat and serve stuffed eggplants onion masala with steamed rice and dal.
Notes: Make sure eggplants are cooked well before removing from heat.

Suggestions: Make sure to add few splashes of water if required while cooking eggplant.
Variations: Check numerous stuffed eggplant and brinjal recipes here.
Other Names: Vanakaya Ullipaya Masala Kura, Gutti Vanakaya Ullipaya Masala, 

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