Coronation Salad of Chicken, Mango and Avocado

Coronation chicken is the sort of British dish that makes the French laugh (it is after all, a mixture of meat and fruit, something they find alien). This recipe takes Coronation Chicken to a new level, making it into a respectable salad. The sauce is stronger than the traditional recipe and it is brought upt to date by a hit of chilli, the sweetness of mangoes and the avocado and lime.

(Printable Recipe)

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1kg/2lb 4oz Chicken breast fillets
2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
2 ripe Mangoes
2 ripe Avocados
1 bunch of Asparagus tips, baked in advance
Juice of 2 Limes
275g/10oz Watercress or Baby Spinach
1 Red Chilli, cut into shreds
2 tbsp Olive Oil
15g/½oz Flaked Almonds, toasted

For the dressing:
350g/12oz Mayonnaise
125ml/4fl oz Plain Greek Yogurt
3 tsp Curry Powder
½ tsp Ground Ginger
7 tbsp Mango Chutney
A little Milk
Leaves from 7 sprigs mint, chopped

1 Season the chicken and heat the oil in a large pan.

2 Saute the breasts until golden all over, then throw in 50ml/2fl oz water, cover and leave the chicken to cook in the steam.

3 Once cooked, leave the chicken to cool completely then use a fine-bladed sharp knife to cut it into neat slices. Season all over.

4 Gently mix together all the ingredients for the dressing except the mint. It should be the thickness of double cream. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Stir in the mint.

5 Peel the mongo and cut the ‘cheeks’ off each side; cut close to the stone so that you remove the plumpest bit of the mango. Cut the cheeks into neat slices.

6 Halve the avocadoes, remove the stones and cut into slices. Carefully peel off the skin. Spoon over some of the lime juice to keep them from discolouring. Season.

7 Gently toss the salad leaves with the mango and avocado, the chilli, the rest of the lime juice, the olive oil and some seasoning.

8 Arrange on a big platter or shallow bowl and add the chicken. Drizzle the dressing over the top and scatter on the almonds.

Serve the rest of the dressing in a jug and serve with a bowl of wild and brown rice, either warm or dressed with vinaigrette and left to cool to room temperature.

Enjoy!

Limoncello Syllabub with Crushed Ratafias

I don’t know where I found this recipe but it is a very nice light pudding. The alcohol can be left out to no real detriment to the taste, but you will need 2 lemons if you do not use it. It can be made very quickly if guests turn up unexpectedly. Since making it a few times now, it has become a summer family favourite.

Bring a taste of Italy to your table with this delicious gluten free pud!

(Printable Recipe)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
75ml Limoncello
2 Lemons
500ml Double Cream
100g Unrefined Caster Sugar
12 Ratafia biscuits

1 Mix the the Limoncello, most of the zest from 2 lemons and the juice of one to two lemons (whatever your preference) together.

2 Pour the cream into a large bowl and softly whip with the sugar. It’s important not to over-whip the cream, so whisk it until it just starts to thicken.

3 Then drizzle in the lemon mixture and whisk again.

4 Divide between 4-6 small glasses and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5 Just before serving, put six biscuits in a plastic bag. Crush with a rolling pin and sprinkle them over each dessert with a little lemon zest.

If you like, serve each with a ratafia biscuit.

N.B. Check the biscuits are gluten free.

Enjoy!

Fruity Flapjacks

I have always made flapjacks – they have always been a family favourite. Also having Coeliac Disease I can tolerate oats as long as I don’t eat them every day. Usually I make them plain, but whilst sitting in the Dentist’s one day I came across this recipe which I copied out. I cannot remember the name of the magazine or the cook so cannot give them the thanks of how these flapjacks are made. All I can say they are delicious and I find it hard to keep to one a day! Do try them at your peril!

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 Orange
1 Lemon
50g Golden syrup
175g Butter
150g Soft brown sugar
200g Oats (not jumbo)
75g Pine nuts or amount to your liking
75g Raisins or amount to your liking

Pre-heat oven 160C, Fan 140C, Gas 3

1 Grease the inside of a 20cm square baking tin, line with parchment and grease again.

2 Grate zest from Orange and lemon (no pith) into a large saucepan.

3 Measure the golden syrup into the pan too.

4 Add the butter and brown sugar, heat gently stirring until butter melted and sugar melted. Take off heat.

5 Add the oats, pine nuts and raisins to the saucepan and mix thoroughly.

6 Pour into the prepared tin spreading it evenly.

7 Place tin in the oven and bake for 25/35 minutes or until golden in colour. Check the oven after 20 minutes or so.

8 When cooked remove from the oven allow to cool for a few minutes, then mark the flapjack into squares with a knife.

Do eat the first few warm, with coffee or tea, – they are irresistible.

NB: The oats I used are Gluten-free and bought from Waitrose.

Enjoy!