Feeds 4 - 5 as a main
Ingredients
Salad
1/2 a Butternut Pumpkin
1 small Red Onion
Thyme
1 Cucumber
100g Feta (or 200g grilled Halloumi)
250g Beetroot
200g Mixed Leaf Lettuce
Pumpkin Seeds
Balsamic Vinegar
EV Olive Oil
Salt
Chicken
3 Chicken Breasts (about 800g)
Rosemary
1/3 cup White Wine
1 Garlic Clove
EV Olive Oil
S+P
Method
Amounts can all be up to you and the size of the salad you're making. Don't be freaked out by the length of this recipe, I'm just trying to explain each step in detail.
When i'm cooking with meat and veg, I like to cut the meat last so I only need to wash the board and knife once.
Slice your cucumber in half length ways, use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and slice them up.
If you buy raw beetroot you can wash them and boil them whole in water for 20 - 40 minutes, depending on their size, then peel and slice them up. Supermarkets now sell cryovaced cooked beetroot if you're short for time (or can't be bothered!) - you can usually find them next to the tomatoes. I'd choose them over canned.
There are 2 ways to cook the pumpkin, in the oven for about 25 minutes on 250°c or you can use my hack. Begin by peeling your pumpkin and cubing it, next slice your onion and add them both to a shallow microwaveable bowl together with a drizzle of olive oil, water, a sprinkle of salt + pepper and some thyme. Give them a good mix and cover with cling film, poke a few holes in the top and put them in the microwave for 3 - 4 minutes.
While the pumpkin is in the microwave, heat a large frying pan (you'll then use this for the pumpkin + chicken too, remember less washing guys!) and add in the pumpkin seeds. Keep moving them around and once you see them begin to colour, pop and smell nutty remove them off the heat and put them in a bowl - this will only take about 2 - 3 minutes.
Check on your pumpkin, you should be able to poke a knife through them easily but they should still be holding their shape. Once you're at this stage add them to the heated frying pan with a bit of oil. You want to tip out any leftover water as we want to brown the pumpkin and onion and the water will just make them go mushy and you wont get any colour.
Try not to turn them till one side has browned and (if you can) instead of using a spatula just flip them by wiggling the pan back and forth. The pumpkin should take less than 5 minutes - add them back to the same plate you used in the microwave to cool.
Slice your chicken breasts in half (or smaller), do the best you can to cut them evenly but you can always use a tenderiser to flatten them out, this will help you when cooking.
Add the chicken to a bowl with a drizzle of oil, wine, some s + p, a crushed garlic clove and a few sprigs of torn rosemary.
Heat your frying pan again, add a drizzle of oil and place in your chicken, they should only need a few minutes on each side, once they've browned that's a good indication to turn them.
Squeeze half a lemon over the chicken and let them rest while you put the salad together.
For the dressing mix together Balsamic Vinegar, EVOO and salt. I go an extra step and cook the balsamic for about 7 minutes till it thickens a little - this is up to you though.
Add in the leaves, cucumber, pumpkin, crumbled feta and seeds. Pour over most of the dressing and give it all a mix, then place your beetroot on top and drizzle over the rest of the dressing.
You can slice up the chicken and add them to the salad or serve them on the side.
Enjoy x
My Tips: 1. You can fry off little pieces of bread in the pan with oil, garlic and thyme.
2. Cook the feta on a hot oiled pan and it will begin to melt, you can put it straight into the salad - it's amazing!
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