Sriracha Chicken Salad with Grilled Pineapple

Every now and then I turn to Pinterest for meal inspiration. I pin anything that catches my eye - with every best intention to try out the recipes. But more often than not, I find I don't ever try them at all. So they just sit deliciously in a food filled folder online, untasted, and unloved.

I decided to change things up and actually try one of the hundreds of recipes I had saved. I had found a recipe for Sriracha Chicken Salad and thought - YES. I got out the ingredients I thought I would need, set up my ipad, clicked on the link, and then...

"THERE'S NOTHING HERE". That is literally what it said.

So plan B - I winged it. And here is the resulting recipe for you, so that you do not need to look in dismay at your blank screen when you are really hungry and just want chicken (I've got your back).

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

For the chicken:
3 chicken breast
1 cup whole egg mayonnaise
Sriracha sauce (to taste)
Bread crumbs (can substitute with almond flour)

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1/2 tsp oregano

Salt and Pepper (a good pinch of each)
A good pinch of paprika
Grated cheese (optional)

For the salad:
1 large iceberg lettuce, roughly sliced/chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 tin pineapple rings (or use fresh)

Preheat oven to 180C (fan bake) and grease a baking tray.

To prepare the grilled pineapple, simply drain the pineapple slices, before frying for a few minutes each side in a hot pan until they look golden and fabulous.
To prepare the salad, simply combine all the ingredients when chopped and plate with the grilled pineapple.

Prepare the chicken by patting it dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, herbs, spices, and sriracha (start with 1/2 a tsp sriracha and build up to taste).
In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the salt and pepper.
Evenly coat the prepared chicken in the mayonnaise mixture, before coating in breadcrumbs and laying on your baking tray. Top with a little grated cheese halfway through cooking if you please.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the outside is golden, and juices run clear.
Slice into pieces and plate next to your salad.

Feel free to add more sriracha on the side if you like spice!

Pea, Coconut, and Mint Soup

When a lighter dinner is desired, this  refreshing soup is tasty and satisfying. The peas, mint, and baby spinach give the soup a delicate colour. While the coconut cream keeps me thinking of warmer weather. The soup is beautiful served hot or chilled.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 cups baby peas

A handful of fresh mint leaves

6 cups water

2 stock cubes

400 ml coconut cream

2 large handfuls baby spinach

Salt and pepper to season

In a medium pot sauté the onions and garlic together on a low heat until the onions are translucent. 

Add the peas, mint, water, and stock cubes and bring to the boil.

Let the soup simmer for 5 minutes before turning off the heat.

Add the coconut cream and baby spinach.

Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth (no hand blender? Cool the mixture and blend it in a food processor or blender instead).

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Gingerbread Loaf

Gingerbread loaf is one of my all time favorite baked goods. It is moist and dense and festive and awesome.

This Gingerbread Loaf is a little different - it is full of body friendly ingredients, perfect for those of you in particular who are gluten, dairy, grain, or refined sugar free.
And it is super easy to make!
Need I say more?

Gingerbread Loaf:
(makes one large loaf)

3 c ground nut flour (I used almond)
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 + 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 + 1/2 c pitted dates, pre-soaked
7 eggs
1 + 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 180C (fan bake).

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a food processor, combine the dates, eggs, and apple cider vinegar - blending until just smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Serve warm (maybe with a little sneaky butter spread on top...)

Gingerbread Coffee Syrup

I have been a very dedicated and long standing fan girl of Starbucks' Gingerbread Latte.
Every year as November approaches I make sure to keep an eye out for their Christmas coffees to become available. One year I even asked for the release date, so that I could be there the day they came out. And I checked at the other store across town. What a loser.

But if being in love with a coffee that tastes like a mug full of Christmas is lame, then I'm the lamest, and I frankly do not care.

The downside to this love affair is the expense however. So the time has come for me to end the relationship and betray Starbucks, and create my own homemade Gingerbread Coffee Syrup.

This syrup is simple to make, and makes a festive addition to your coffee, chai tea, or hot chocolate. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
(makes approximately 500 ml of syrup)

2 c water
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 + 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger thinly sliced

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
Strain and pour into a sterilized bottle.
Leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

Filled Apples

Sometimes when we crave something sweet it takes everything in us not to succumb to the raging BUY THE CHOCOLATE NOW craving inside us. Sometimes we have just enough fight left to squash that crazy voice and instead choose to make something nourishing for ourselves.
But if you are like me, it will need to be simple and relatively quick, so that my chances of winning the inner battle are more likely.

I give to you my recipe for Filled Apples.
Inspired by a past flatmate who often sought to find something delicious and healthier for dessert, and my affinity love for tart apples.
Stuffed with almonds, pistachios, cinnamon, and apricots; filled apples are comforting and ideal for satisfying that sweet tooth of yours.
Serve them warm at either end of the day.


Ingredients:
(Makes 1 filled apple)

1 tart apple, cored (we used Granny Smiths)
A small mixed handful of toasted almonds, pistachios, walnuts and chopped dried apricot.
Pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar


Place your apple in a microwave proof bowl.
Mix the remaining ingredients and stuff into the apple, making sure to pack the mixture down as you go.
Microwave uncovered on high for 5-7 minutes or until the apple is tender.