Simple. Super Tasty. Great meal to have before going out to celebrate with friends and family.
- 4 boneless, skin removed, chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tsp. lime zest
- 1 pineapple
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 cup seedless red grapes
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- pinch of salt
Lay the chicken breasts (one at a time) between top and bottom layers of saran wrap and lightly pound out to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
Whisk the lime juice, teriyaki, honey, oil, lime zest together in a bowl and reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Pour the balance into a large zip lock bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag, making sure to remove all the air. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat your barbecue (yes, even during the winter) to a medium temperature.
Now combine 3 1/2 cups of the pineapple which has been coarsely chopped, 1 cup of the cucumber, and 1 cup of the grapes, halved. Stir in 1 tbsp. of lime juice and a small pinch of salt.
Oil the grill and grill the chicken about 5 minutes each side, brushing the surfaces with the reserved marinade during the last couple of minutes of cooking time.
Cut each breast into 3 pieces and set in the middle of the plate. Spoon the salad around the pieces and now you simply need a slice or two of garlic toast and, of yeah, some chilled wine.
Told you it was light and tasty..
Greek Salad Skewers To Wow Family And Friends
This makes a show-stopping way to truly impress family and friends alike. They are simple (can be made the day before, covered and in the refrigerator until ready to serve).
- 1/2 English cucumber cut in 1/2 inch slices, peel on
- 1/2 red onion, cut in 3/4 inch squares
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 1 container of Feta cheese, cut in 24 small triangles, 1/2 inch thick
- 24 pitted black olives
- 24 small skewers
Using thin bamboo skewers (buy in bags – they have a curly end) thread all onto skewers, making each one the same, keeping the cheese on the top and the cherry tomato the first on.
Dressing
- 1/2 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- pinch of sugar
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together, whisking to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to show off, just a little.
Drizzle the dressing over the skewers and serve. Oh,by the way, serve with ice cold beer or, if wanting to stay Mediterranean, make a Sangria.
Lime Flavoured Trout Burgers
- 1 lime
- 1 1/4 lb. trout fillet, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. fresh cut up oregano
- 1/2 slice white sandwich bread
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber
- 8 focaccia slices, thickly cut, toasted
Finely shred the peel from the lime and juice the lime to get 1 tsp. Set aside.
In a food processor combine the trout, egg, oregano, bread, half the lime peel, pinch each of salt and pepper. Pulse 5-7 times until the mixture holds together. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Cover, and chill for half an hour.
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, remaining lime peel, small pinch of salt and pepper, and chill.
Shape the trout mixture into 4 patties. Preheat the barbecue, but cook these indirectly, grilling for about 5 minutes, turn over and cook a further 3-5 minutes.
Serve these on the toasted focaccia bread, add lettuce and top with the yogurt mixture. Hey, isn’t summer a wonderful thing? You betcha!
Thai Trout Salad
This would be a great way to treat your family/guests. They will be surprised that you could prepare a Thai dish and that it tastes so fabulous. Damn you did this!
- 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 bird’s eye chili, seeded and minced
- 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 x 8-10 oz. trout file, skin left on
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil (looks like lard in a jar)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup short rice noodles,cooked and cooled
- 1/2 dragon fruit, peeled and julienned*
- 1 container of regular Bocconcini cheese, sliced
- 3 tbsp. Tai dipping sauce (buy at local grocery store)
- 1 tbsp. tamari
- 3 tbsp. coconut shavings
- lemon finishing salt
In a bowl, toss the cucumber, chili and vinegar and set aside.
Preheat the barbecue and add the coconut oil. When melted, grill the trout for 2 minutes on one side and turn over, cooking for another 4 minutes.
Remove the skin. Return the skin back into the pan and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Flake the trout using a fork. Sprinkle the skin with a lemon finishing salt and cut into strips.
In a large bowl, gently toss the noodles, marinated cucumber, dragon fruit, cheese and trout. Combine the dipping sauce with the tamari and drizzle over the salad. Garnish with the coconut shavings and skin strips.
Serve immediately and watch the eyes get wider with delight.
* dragon fruit and seeds are edible. Bland in flavour but super nutritional source of antioxidants and fibre.
Chicken Salad With New Attitude
This salad will make a great lunch fare or even better, a full meal deal, served with a warm roll and chilled glass of your favourite……
This is a good meal for 4 people.
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 (170g) container of Feta cheese
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 large English Cucumber, diced small
- 3/4 lb. baby new potatoes, cooked and halved
- 1/2 small watermelon, cut in 4 wedges
- 4 dried apricots, thinly sliced
In a small bowl, whisk together the oregano, lime zest and one half of the juice, garlic clove and oil. Set aside.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish. Pour the vinaigrette over the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Preheat barbecue.
Grill on high heat for 5 minutes per side until cooked through. Slice in 1/4 inch strips and set aside.
In a blender make the dressing by pureeing the Feta cheese, water, remaining lime juice, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. If needed, add more water.
In a bowl, combine the cucumber, potatoes and half of the dressing and toss gently. Place this in a bowl, add the chicken slices on top, sprinkle with the apricot and drizzle with the remaining dressing. On the side of the plate, add the watermelon wedge. Serve immediately.
Lime Cucumber Relish
This is a wonderful traditional relish to accompany grilled or roasted chicken. It has a yogurt sauce as well. So with these two companions you have a super great meal in minutes.
- 1 medium English cucumber, chopped ( 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp. shredded lime peel
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 clove garlic, minced
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend it well.
Yogurt Sauce
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. cream
Whisk this together until smooth.
When serving this with grilled or roasted chicken, top the chicken with the cucumber relish and then drizzle the yogurt sauce over.
Summer Cucumber and Fresh Pineapple Soup
Oooooh! I love it when I can surprise people with a new chilled soup. This is my version of a recipe that is used in a hotel in Bankok, and is very refreshing.
- 2 1/2 cups of cubed, fresh pineapple
- 1 seedless cucumber, peeled, cored and seeded, chopped
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
- pinch of salt and white pepper
- diced fresh pineapple for garnish
Blend the pineapple, cucumber, bell pepper and water in a food processor until thick and smooth. Add the cream, Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper and pulse until well combined. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids.
Chill, covered until very cold for about 1 hour. Ladle into pretty bowls and garnish with the diced pineapple.
Yummy! Add a glass of chilled Chardonnay (NK’Mip makes a great one).
Last Moment Pickles
Company’s coming in the hour, table set, dinner under control……almost. You need pickles and the fridge is bare. Try this recipe…takes only a couple of minutes. It is fresh! It is different! Everyone will want the recipe.
- 6 large radishes, very thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 cucumber, very thinly sliced, crosswise
- 1 sweet onion, peeled, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 tsp. dried pink peppercorns
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
In a medium bowl, combine the radishes, cucumber, onion and peppercorns. Place the ginger in a small piece of cheesecloth and squeeze the juice into the vegetables, discard all the flesh.
Combine vinegar, salt and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved and it just comes to the boil.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss well. Remove the veggies from the liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve right away.
Did I just hear you mutter “damn I did this?”