This recipe originally appeared in The Prostate Forum, July 2013: http://www.prostateforum.com/index.html)
Spinach Salad with Spiced Chicken, Currents, Pistachios, Lemon Vinaigrette
Serves 4
The following recipe takes chicken coated with antioxidant rich spices and pairs it with sweet currents, crunchy nuts, a bright lemon vinaigrette, and the supergreen power of spinach. You can make this recipe in all its steps for a healthy weekend lunch, or assemble each part of the recipe, and mix the salad together in smaller batches for a quick workweek lunch. If you have a busy schedule, on your day off roast and pull the chicken, make the vinaigrette, and wash the spinach, then take the ingredients with you to work and assemble the salad right before you’re ready for a lunch break.
Cook and pull the chicken:
1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
6 medium cloves of garlic, peeled, whole
1 tbs. ground cumin
1/2 tbs. curry powder
1 sprig of fresh rosemary (or ½ tbs. dried)
½ tbs. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds
½ tbs. pepper
½ tbs. salt, or to taste
3 tbs. olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the chicken thighs.
3. Place all of the above spices, garlic, and oil in a bowl.
4. Toss the chicken thighs in the spicy oil mixture, and then lift the thighs into a baking dish. Pour the spiced oil over the thighs.
5. Place the chicken thighs in the preheated oven, and bake for a total of 45-50 minutes, or until completely cooked through and infused with the fragrant spices. (After the first 25 minutes, turn the chicken over so that it cooks evenly on both sides.)
6. Take the chicken out of the oven, and let it cool in the remaining oil. At this stage in the process you can place the whole thighs in the refrigerator and complete the rest of the recipe the next day, or move onto the next step.
7. Pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then place it back into the spiced oil.
Make the vinaigrette:
1 large lemon, or two small lemons: juiced and zested
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
1. Wash and zest (or finely grate) 1 lemon
2. Juice the lemon and place the zest, salt, and juice in a glass jar (something like a Mason jar, with a firm lid).
3. add ½ cup of the olive oil
4. Place a lid over the jar and shake the contents until the ingredients emulsify: this emulsification usually occurs after about 15 up and down shakes.
5. Taste the vinaigrette. Lemons vary in acidity and juice, so the amount of oil you will use to balance the acid and juice will vary. If the acid and oil are appropriately balanced and you taste the bright lemon flavor and edge without the harsh acidity, you can move onto the next step, if the mix needs more oil, then add it, and shake the jar another 15 times.
Wash the spinach, assemble the components, and serve the salad:
10 ounces of baby spinach, washed
¼ cup of dried black currents (you can substitute the currents with raisins, or even dried cherries or cranberries)
¼ roasted pistachios or almonds
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. If you buy the spinach from a store, either make sure that it is pre-washed or wash it yourself. For this recipe, I recommend baby spinach, but if you like whole mature spinach leaves, you can use them. After you wash the spinach leaves, dry them in a salad spinner or let them sit in a colander until dry.
2. Pull the chicken pieces out of the spiced oil mix and place them in a bowl, along with the currents, spinach, pistachios, and about ½ cup of the vinaigrette, and gently mix the ingredients. The amount of salt, pepper, and dressing you add will depend on your taste, so pick up a fork and start tasting! Once you find the right amount of vinaigrette and seasoning for your taste buds, serve the salad immediately.
Spinach Salad with Spiced Chicken, Currents, Pistachios, Lemon Vinaigrette
Serves 4
The following recipe takes chicken coated with antioxidant rich spices and pairs it with sweet currents, crunchy nuts, a bright lemon vinaigrette, and the supergreen power of spinach. You can make this recipe in all its steps for a healthy weekend lunch, or assemble each part of the recipe, and mix the salad together in smaller batches for a quick workweek lunch. If you have a busy schedule, on your day off roast and pull the chicken, make the vinaigrette, and wash the spinach, then take the ingredients with you to work and assemble the salad right before you’re ready for a lunch break.
Cook and pull the chicken:
1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
6 medium cloves of garlic, peeled, whole
1 tbs. ground cumin
1/2 tbs. curry powder
1 sprig of fresh rosemary (or ½ tbs. dried)
½ tbs. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds
½ tbs. pepper
½ tbs. salt, or to taste
3 tbs. olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the chicken thighs.
3. Place all of the above spices, garlic, and oil in a bowl.
4. Toss the chicken thighs in the spicy oil mixture, and then lift the thighs into a baking dish. Pour the spiced oil over the thighs.
5. Place the chicken thighs in the preheated oven, and bake for a total of 45-50 minutes, or until completely cooked through and infused with the fragrant spices. (After the first 25 minutes, turn the chicken over so that it cooks evenly on both sides.)
6. Take the chicken out of the oven, and let it cool in the remaining oil. At this stage in the process you can place the whole thighs in the refrigerator and complete the rest of the recipe the next day, or move onto the next step.
7. Pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then place it back into the spiced oil.
Make the vinaigrette:
1 large lemon, or two small lemons: juiced and zested
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
1. Wash and zest (or finely grate) 1 lemon
2. Juice the lemon and place the zest, salt, and juice in a glass jar (something like a Mason jar, with a firm lid).
3. add ½ cup of the olive oil
4. Place a lid over the jar and shake the contents until the ingredients emulsify: this emulsification usually occurs after about 15 up and down shakes.
5. Taste the vinaigrette. Lemons vary in acidity and juice, so the amount of oil you will use to balance the acid and juice will vary. If the acid and oil are appropriately balanced and you taste the bright lemon flavor and edge without the harsh acidity, you can move onto the next step, if the mix needs more oil, then add it, and shake the jar another 15 times.
Wash the spinach, assemble the components, and serve the salad:
10 ounces of baby spinach, washed
¼ cup of dried black currents (you can substitute the currents with raisins, or even dried cherries or cranberries)
¼ roasted pistachios or almonds
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. If you buy the spinach from a store, either make sure that it is pre-washed or wash it yourself. For this recipe, I recommend baby spinach, but if you like whole mature spinach leaves, you can use them. After you wash the spinach leaves, dry them in a salad spinner or let them sit in a colander until dry.
2. Pull the chicken pieces out of the spiced oil mix and place them in a bowl, along with the currents, spinach, pistachios, and about ½ cup of the vinaigrette, and gently mix the ingredients. The amount of salt, pepper, and dressing you add will depend on your taste, so pick up a fork and start tasting! Once you find the right amount of vinaigrette and seasoning for your taste buds, serve the salad immediately.
