Green Paddy's Day Chicken

It's St. Paddy's Day so why not mix things up and make some ... Green Chicken? It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just a different way of having chicken salad with some yummy greens mixed in - give it a whirl. This is great on its own or paired with some salad greens - or even in a wrap!



Ingredients:

2 x 4oz Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, washed and stems removed
1 Large Ripe Avocado, flesh scooped out into a bowl
Juice of a lime (just in case you need more or less)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Place the chicken chunks in a large bowl for easy mixing.
2. In your food processor, place the basil, avocado, about 2 tbsps of the Olive Oil, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper. If you wish, you can add a bit of lime juice to keep the avocado from browning, plus it gives it a little tang. Blend until smooth.
3. Coat the chicken with the avocado dressing and toss thoroughly; taste it and see if you need to add a bit more salt or pepper.
4. Eat right away with some salad greens or chill in the fridge for a bit. I would not recommend holding it for more than a day as the avocado will start browning.

Awesome Asparagus

A is for ASPARAGUS

We are in the tail end of asparagus season, so hopefully you have all enjoyed this tasty and versatile veggie already. Asparagus is a great side dish to any meal in the spring and summer season (even if it makes your pee smell funny LOL). One of the best, and quickest ways is grilling it up on the good ol' bbq - keep it simple and enjoy one of the great flavours of Ontario.

Ingredients

1 Bunch Fresh Ontario Asparagus
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Lemon or Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

1. Cut 1-2" off the bottom of the asparagus - this part if inedible, it is too tough and fibrous to eat.
2. In a bowl, toss the asparagus spears lightly in olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Place asparagus on the grill on medium-high heat with the lid closed. Make sure to turn the asparagus occasionally to cook it evenly. It is done once a charred look is achieved. This takes about 5-6 minutes.
4. Remove from grill and dress it with freshly squeezed lemon, or even drizzle with balsamic.
5. Enjoy it on the side of a nice juicy grilled steak.

BONUS!

Amp up your asparagus, by grilling it wrapped in bacon! Follow the method as above, but before grilling, take a half slice of bacon and wrap the asparagus spear in a spiral starting at the top below the flower tip. Then grill it on a BBQ friendly aluminum foil pan for approximately 4-5 minutes per side. This is a great summer party appetizer - quick, easy, and tasty!

All Hail Caesar!

SUPER CAESAR!

Summer is finally here and there's nothing better than a refreshing salad filled with super greens. Top it with your favourite barbeque grilled meat such as chicken breast, steak or even try salmon - quick and easy on a hot summer's day without spending a ton of time in the kitchen! Yes, this recipe calls for an uncooked egg yolk - don't worry, it is fine to do. But if you are concerned, you can coddle the egg before cracking it to make the dressing. Coddling an egg is simple - bring a pot of water to a boil and place a room temperature egg in it for 1 minute only. Remove the egg and plunge it into ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Let it rest for 2 minutes before cracking - voilà! You just coddled an egg!

Ingredients for the Caesar Dressing

1 Egg Yolk (separate out the egg white - you can save it for something else)
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1-2 Garlic Cloves (depends on how much kick you want!)
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
4 Anchovy Filets (this is optional if you are not a fan)

Ingredients for the Salad Base

2 Cups Organic Baby Kale (these leaves are much softer and easier to digest)
1 Cup Organic Baby Spinach
1/2 Cup Cabbage, julienne sliced (gives the salad some crunch)
2 Slices Crispy Bacon, chopped
Shaved Parmesan (optional if you don't do dairy)

Method

1. For the dressing: In a food processor, with the exception of the oil, combine all the ingredients until they are well blended. Once they are at this stage, SLOWLY pour in the oil so that it emulsifies. If you pour too quickly, you could split the dressing where the ingredients and oil don't mix. Place the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Wash your greens thoroughly and dry very well with paper towel, or use a salad spinner to get all the water out. Place the greens in the bowl and set aside in the fridge to keep them crisp while you finish the rest of the prep.
3. If you are going to add grilled meats to the salad; barbeque the meat, allow to rest, then cut into strips.
4. Toss the greens and dressing together, top with the grilled meat and sprinkle with the crispy bacon and parmesan (optional).