Perfect Summer Food

Making the most of what’s in season, is one of Heleen Meyer’s mottos for healthy cooking and eating. This recipe is a great example of just that. This salad is a meal in one and so elegant and flavourful – just what you need when you want to make something special for family or friends.

Strawberries in your salad?

These juicy little fruits with their almost floral aroma, are synonymous with summer and indeed so versatile. Many people would think of using strawberries with breakfast, as a snack or for a summer dessert and some sweet treats, but the combination of their natural sweetness with succulent chicken breast fillets is so good. Add a handful of rocket leaves, crunchy green beans and a homemade dressing with wholegrain mustard and thyme and you have a heavenly summer meal.

Did you know this about strawberries?

• Don’t wash a strawberry unless you are planning on using them immediately. Strawberries spoil and turn mouldy faster if they are exposed to water.
• If you have to rinse strawberries, pat them dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
• Store strawberries on a layer of paper towel in an airtight container to absorb any moisture from the fruit. Place another layer of paper towel on top, to catch any condensation from the lid to further prevent spoilage. Cover with a lid and refrigerate. This way they will last much longer than in the shop-packaging.
• Don’t cut more than just the stalk off when hulling strawberries, otherwise you waste too much fruit. Even if the top is not as colourful as the rest, it can still be tasty.
• Freeze overripe strawberries and use in sauces, smoothies and desserts. Or use them to prepare a coulis or jam or use in baking.
• Enjoy strawberries with both sweet and savoury flavours. From fresh basil to pesto, balsamic vinegar, a wide range of cheeses, (like feta, goat’s cheese, camembert and pecorino), bacon, pork and other fresh ingredients like green beans, cucumber or avocado. Make a quick and refreshing green salad and add some strawberries instead of tomatoes. Serve with a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and plain yogurt are fabulous combinations with strawberries. And a squeeze of lemon juice or some lemon rind is absolutely delicious to bring out the natural sweetness and flavour of strawberries. Have you tried strawberries with a balsamic glaze on ice cream for a surprisingly special summer dessert?

Chicken and strawberry salad

Recipe by Heleen Meyer

Serves 4 – 6

Salad dressing

60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

30 ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar or another fruity vinegar, like raspberry vinegar

10 ml (2 tsp) wholegrain mustard

10 ml (2 tsp) honey

5 ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Salad

6-8 chicken fillets (see tips)

15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

150-200 g thin green beans, whole or halved

70-100 g rocket or mixed lettuce leaves

300 g strawberries, halved

1-2 spring onions, diagonally sliced

edible flowers (optional)

1. Dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together and season to taste. Pour about 45 ml of the dressing over the chicken fillets and allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
2. Salad: Heat the oil over a medium temperature in a frying pan. Fry marinated fillets on both sides until golden brown. Reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until just cooked, but still juicy. Season to taste and set aside to cool down.
3. Place beans in a shallow bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 3-5 minutes, until the beans are just bright green in colour, but still crunchy. Drain the beans, rinse in cold water and drain well again. Shake off any excess water or lightly pat dry with paper towel if needed.
4. Keep the fillets whole or slice diagonally and arrange on a platter with the rocket or lettuce leaves, green beans and strawberries.
5. Garnish with spring onions and edible flowers, if using. Serve with the remaining dressing.

Tips:

1. Chicken fillets can become tough and dry very quickly, so the secret to keeping them juicy, is to not overcook them. Click here to find Heleen’s tried and tested method to prepare chicken fillets successfully every time:
2. When strawberries are not in season, other seasonal fruit, like peaches, mango or grapes will be as delicious in this salad. Add some cucumber, avocado or asparagus when in season, or use as another substitute for the strawberries.

For more delicious salad recipes like this visit Heleen’s website.

Image by Adel Ferreira