Sumac Chicken w/ Healthy Coleslaw

Sometimes,  when doing a high protein menu plan for the week i kinda get a little too much stuck in the routine of "Protein + green salad". Yawn. In this recipe i've swapped out the salad for a deliciously healthy coleslaw,  thats right, it's not smothered in creamy mayo,  it just uses a small amount and it doesn't feel sickly and heavy when you eat it. It's yummy and moreish,  with all my favourite things in. It really helps to round out the meal and I find a quarter cabbage will make enough for 4 or 5 meals (great to take for lunch the next day). If you want to omit an ingredient or add one thats fine,  I know some paleo peeps might object to my use of bottled mayo and yoghurt.  Feel free to make your own mayo and omit the yoghurt.


If you've never tried sumac go and try it now!  It's got this amazing mouthwatering scent and taste,  similar to vinegar but not as strong and more citrussy,  it works really well on chicken and fish dishes and it complements the middle eastern flavours in the coleslaw.

Actually making the meal is dead easy,  most of the work is in the chopping,  once its chopped you just kinda mix and go.   

Sumac Chicken w/ Healthy Coleslaw

Serves 2 with lots of leftover coleslaw

CHICKEN

• 2 Chicken breasts, sliced horizontally through the middle.
• 2 teaspoons Sumac

COLESLAW

• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/4 whole savoy or red cabbage (or a mix), trimmed and shredded
• 1 large carrot, peeled + coarsley grated
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup toasted salad seed mix (ie. almonds, pepitas, etc)

 DRESSING

• 1/3 cup plain greek-style yoghurt
• 1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• salt and pepper

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper and sumac. Then grill on medium heat 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
2. While your chicken is cooking, make the coleslaw. First, cover the currants in water and then microwave for 1 min on high. Let sit for a few minutes.
3. Combine all the remaining coleslaw ingredients, then drain and add the currants.
4. Finally, to make the dressing,  add all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl,  and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5.  Dress the coleslaw,  tossing well to ensure an even distribution.
6. Serve with the chicken

Grilled snapper with warm salad of grilled vegetables

So for the month of September I am doing a low carb diet.  The real plan is to drop a few pesky kilos that seem to have snuck on over the winter break.  In addition to eating well (ish) I've upped my exercise by going to the gym 4 times a week and riding my trusty bike everywhere (which to be honest I am loving!).  I'll document a few of my absolute favourite recipes here,  sticking to my low carb, high delicious, guidelines and then at the end of September I'll let you know if the plan to drop a few kilos actually worked...

Tonights dinner is based on a salad recipe that appeared in one of those free "Coles" magazines. I love those mags! They always seem to have great, simple and delicious recipes.  I added in some snapper to add a good whack of protein which was lacking in the original salad. 

Grilled snapper with warm salad of grilled vegetables
Feeds two hungry people

Ingredients:

• 2 x Snapper fillets
• Morrocan seasoning or Raj el hanout
• 1/2 sweet potato, sliced and then blanched (ie. stick in boiling water for 1 min. If you don't do this your sweet potato might not cook all the way through)
• 1 capsicum, sliced
• 1/2 eggplant, slice about 1 cm thick
• 400gm can artichokes, drained  and halved (actually I only used about half a can and saved the rest for another day)
• Salad leaves
• walnuts chopped
• parmesan cheese shavings
• Olive oil

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine the sweet potato, capsicum and eggplant with a pinch of salt, a crack of pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2. Heat a char-grill pan up to high and cook your vegies for about 3 mins each side,  until nicely charred (and eggplant should be quite soft).
3. Then do the same for your artichoke
4. Season your snapper with the Morrocan seasoning or Raj el hanout.  Then cook on grill pan while you assemble your salad.
5. To assemble salad,  place some leaves on your plate, top with some of your grilled vegetables, then sprinkle with walnuts and a few parmesan shavings. Finally, drizzle over a little olive oil.
6.  When your snapper is cooked,  stick it on your plate. :-)