Recipes – 5 August 2013

Chef de Cuisine – Susie Stragnell

Medley of Marvellous Salads with BBQ chicken thighs

Spicy Peanut Ginger Kale Salad
vegan, makes 6-7 cups

2 cups of kale – chopped
1 cup red onion, chopped (optional)

Spicy Ginger Peanut Sauce:
2 Tbsp creamy salted peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp tahini (didn’t have)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled/chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp tamari
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp agave syrup (brown sugar, maple syrup)
5 dashes cayenne

Directions:

1. Place a large soup pot over med-high heat on your stove top. Add all the sauce ingredients and stir briskly until they melt and blend together. Reduce heat to medium and simmer/stir for about two minutes. Turn heat to low.
2. Pull the leaves in bits from the thick stalks of your kale. Wash if needed. Add the kale leaves (toss thick stems) – add kale to the pot until filled to the brim. Fold the kale into the hot sauce. Fold well. The hot sauce will wilt the kale.
3. Turn off heat and add the remaining amount of kale. Fold the kale salad well for about a minute – until all the kale has wilted and the leaves and onion mixed with the sauce.
4. Serve warm or place in fridge – covered – to chill and serve cold. Will keep well for up to a few days.

Notes: Add more cayenne and raw ginger for a spicier salad. If you want a thicker dressed salad – double the sauce recipe and fold as much as you’d like into the kale. You may also want to double the sauce recipe if using more kale and making a larger batch of salad. Really an awesome make-ahead dish!

Lois Seed’s Potato Salad

¾ c mayo
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper
2-3 tsp Dry Dill
2 Tbsp Dill Pickles (chopped)
3 lbs whole tiny new potatoes

1. Boil potatoes
2. Allow potatoes to cool
3. Dress with the above dressing and refrigerate

The lemon pepper is the key ingredient.

Beet salad
Serves 6 to 8

3 large raw beets, peeled, coarsely grated

Penny’s Famous Orange Vinaigrette
75 g caster sugar (Penny says this is just under 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp water
150 mL white wine vinegar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 tsp Dijon mustard
150 mL sunflower oil

Directions:

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan over a gentle heat, then simmer the syrup until it has turned to a deep-golden caramel color (about 5 minutes).
2. Avert your face and pour in the vinegar (it will splutter).
3. Add the orange zest, return the pan to the heat and without stirring, boil the mixture for another couple of minutes until you have about 175 mL liquid.
4. Pour the mustard into a large screwtop jar, add the orange syrup and mix until smooth.
5. Add the oil and shake hard to emulsify the mixture. Alternatively, mix together the mustard, syrup and oil in a blender.
6. Season with a pinch of salt.

Black Bean, Red Pepper, Corn & Quinoa Salad
Serves 4

5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup Quinoa, rinsed in cold water and drained
1 cup Vegetable Broth
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1 cup cooked or canned Black Beans, drained (rinse canned beans)
1 cup whole-kernel Corn
1 large ripe Tomato, diced
1 small sweet Red Pepper seeded and diced
2 Green Onions, finely chopped
3 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped (we did not use)
2 Tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped
2 cups mixed Salad Greens (we did not use but you could if this was your only salad of the meal)

Directions

1. In a 1 quart saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil over medium heat.
2. Add Quinoa and stir until toasted and aromatic about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in broth, cumin & salt; heat to boiling over high heat.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes; with a fork, fluff Quinoa and set aside to cool to room temperature.
6. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together remaining 4 Tbsp Olive Oil, the Lime Juice & Black Pepper. Stir in Black Beans, Corn, Tomato, Red Pepper, Green Onion, Cilantro, chopped Parsley, and cooked Quinoa.

To serve, divide greens among 4 salad plates, spoon Quinoa mixture onto greens. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate.

Red Wine Vinegar Marinade for Chicken

Makes 4 cups

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, and lemon juice.
2. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley.
3. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired.

The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

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