Mango goes Dinner

My local supermarket was offering fantastic sales on organic mango and avocado. I took this rare opportunity to fill the fruit basket. The Mangoes were in a perfect stage between young & ripe. My mouth was watering for Mango Salad…beautiful memory of home…Thailand. After tasting a piece I decided to do a nice dinner salad as my craving had grown.

The mango was still firm and lightly crisp. The flavor was fruitful sweet and sour. As a main dinner course I want add chicken breast. Here we go Mango Salad – the East meets West version and of course with touch of Thai flavor.

Note:

When you purchase the mango make sure it fresh and firm – test by lightly squeeze the fruit. It should not be red or orange –that can be ripe. The measurement of the ingredients for salad sauce may need adjustment, depends upon the tanginess of fresh mango. I suggest you taste it before you start. Keep in mind the combination of 3 flavors – sweet, sour and salty (triple S) to guide you. If you do your shopping at an Asian shop you may have selection of products from Southeast Asia. They can be very sour that depends upon the kind of mango you buy. Please ask the sales person. If your mango is quite sour then reduce the amount of mango you use and adjust the flavor of your salad sauce unless you love very tangy flavor.

Steamed Chicken Mango Salad

For 4 persons 

Ingredients:

For steamed Chicken

1 large Chicken Breast – room temperature

1 fresh lemon grass use only white part, cut into 3-4 cm pieces

½ medium Onion or some green part of Scallions or Spring Onions

Sea Salt

4-5 cups Water to steam the chicken

For Salad

1 ½ to 2 Cups of fresh Mango cut into strips

1 large Carrot cut into strips then soak in cold water for ca 10 minutes, drain. (This makes it crisp)

1 medium Cucumber cut into strips then soak in cold water for ca 10 minutes, drain. (This makes it crisp)

2 large Shallots lengthily sliced

3 Scallions or Spring Onions sliced

3 tablespoons chopped Coriander

1 small Red Sweet Pepper cut into thin strips

1 Red Chili Pepper seeded and thinly sliced

3 cups chopped Arugula Salad

½ cup Roasted Cashew nuts

Salad Sauce

¼ cup fruity Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 ½ to 2 tablespoon of Raw Sugar

1 to 1 ½ Tablespoon of Fish Sauce

Liquid Honey

Sea Salt

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Adjust the amount of Sweet, Sour and Salty according to Mango flavor

Instruction

1.      Heat all ingredients for Steamed Chicken in a small sauce except Chicken Breast until almost boil.

2.      Add Chicken Breast and reduce the heat to low-medium. Let it simmer for ca. 10 minutes or cook through.

3.      Take the sauce pan of the heat and let it sits for ca.12-15 minutes.

4.      Take Chicken Breast out from steamed liquid. Let it cool to room temperature. Reserve liquid to drink after the meal.

5.      Shred Chicken Breast with hands. Make sure the piece it is not too big or too small. You should be able to have a nice bite of chicken breast.

6.      In large salad bowl put shredded Chicken Breast and all vegetables and herbs except chopped Arugula.

7.      In a small bowl mix all ingredients for Salad Sauce and mix well.

8.      Pour small amount of Salad Sauce at a time over the salad mix, gently turning the salad several times. Taste and add more sauce or certain flavor as needed. Think of Sweet, Sour and Salty.

9.      Using large plates, spread chopped Arugula equally in each plate. In center place Steam Chicken and Mango Salad and top with Roasted Cashew Nuts. Please divide salad juice on each plate.

Serving suggestion:

Serve hot liquid from steamed chicken in 4 tea cups after salad. Accompany with the salad with small bowl of Jasmine Rice to complete a wonderful light dinner or Lunch. It is enough for 8 servings as an appetizer. 

More winter stock

Rugula is one of our favorite leave. We eat and prepare this lovely spicy leave in many different ways. Jårg requested this pesto sauce while we were at market trying stocking up our fridge. One great thing about this you can make it and keep it for couple weeks. It’s great to have it on hand for quick snack or meals also to dress up some simple chicken or fish dishes. 

Rugula Sundried Tomatoes and Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

250 gram chopped fresh Rugula or Rocket salad

5-6 medium size cloves of Garlic

1-2 pods hot Chili pepper such Peperochino (optional)

7 Sundried Tomatoes not in oil – roughly chopped

½ fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice plus more if you need

Grated zest of 1 Organic/Untreated Lemon

1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¾ cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese

50 gram Crushed Roasted Walnut (roasted Pine nuts can be substitute)

Freshly grounded Pepper

Sea Salt

With Mortar:

1.        In mortar  grind Garlic, Chilli, and sundried Tomatoes until rough paste

2.      Add Crushed Roasted Walnut grind until walnut and the other ingredients turn rough paste

3.      Add 3 spoons of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil into the paste 

4.   Add Rugula with grated Lemon Peels and grind until Rugula broke into smaller pieces – Important that the paste it should not be fine that you still can chew on pieces of ingredients

5.      Add the rest of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Juice

6.      Add grated Parmesan Cheese and mix well with spoon

7.      Add Salt and Pepper to taste

8.      Let the Pesto sit at least 30 minutes. Then taste it and add salt and pepper if needed

With Blender:

1.       Put garlic, chilli, Sundried Tomatoes, 3-4 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil blend it with LOW-medium speed (depends on your Blender. I use Low speed with my professional blender) for 2 minutes. Make sure that it is not pureed.

2.      Add Rugula/Rocket handful grated Lemon Zest with the last batch of Rugula, the rest of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon Juice. Make sure that Rugula is not puree and still have bit of leaves.

3.      Add Crushed Roasted Walnut or Pine Nut 1 tablespoon at a time, Salt and Pepper and blend at Low/Medium speed. The nut should be in small chunk not fine. It is okay to have few nut chunky.

4.      Put the pesto in to a bowl and add Grated Parmesan Cheese. Mix well with spoon and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then taste it and add salt and pepper if needed

Store the pesto in a glass jar. Pour Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover and seal the pesto after each use. It can be kept for 1 ½ Weeks in cool dry place or refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions: Rugula Sundried Tomatoes and Walnut Pesto is excellence for pasta and/or top with fresh chopped tomatoes or fresh rugula, grilled chicken, spread on toasted bread for bruchetta, grilled fish and sandwiches.