Rice Paper Rolls

Capsicum - red and green (in really fine strips)
Carrots (in really fine strips)
Rice vermicelli noodles (soaked in stock until soft and then drained)
Crushed peanuts
Grilled chicken breast (in thin strips) - this is lovely if you marinate it in a honey/soy or an Asian BBQ sauce before grilling. You can also use fried tofu cubes, smoked chicken, prawns or beef strips - whatever you like really.
Mint and basil leaves
Rice paper rounds

Dip a rice paper round into warm water until soft and then lay it out on a plate.
Add the ingredients into the middle of one edge. Don't overload it!
Roll up the rice paper, tucking in the sides as you go
Lie the roll on a fresh plate with the lose edge down and it will seal as it dries
Repeat with remaining rolls making sure you cover the completed rolls with a tea-towel.
Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

These are great with either a store bought peanut sauce or -

Home made dipping sauce:
1/2 red chilli (deseeded and chopped very finely)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar.
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 -3 teaspoons palm or caster sugar
Mix together well. Keep in the fridge until serving. Enjoy!

OR

Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe
1 cup (8 oz) hoisin sauce (if sauce is thick, add about 1/4 cup warm water to reach desired consistency)
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs rice vinegar
2 garlic, crushed
1 minced thai chili, or more for desired spiciness

Smoked chicken, apricot and feta salad

After some delicious bruscetta with avocado & vine ripened tomatoes for an entree I made this lovely salad for dinner tonight. I didn't have any red wine vinegar or watercress but it was delicious anyway. I think it would go really well with rocket & will try that next time.

Smoked chicken, apricot and feta salad
2 smoked chicken breasts
3 tablespoons chopped dried apricots
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley (I used less as I'm not a huge fan of lots of parsley)
80g (1/2 cup) toasted almonds
2 large handfuls picked watercress
75g marinated feta
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tabespoon red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper

Finely shred smoked chicken and put it in a bowl with dried apricots, parsley, almonds and watercress. Crumble over the feta and gently toss with olive oil, red wine vinegar and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper.

Smoked Chicken Salad

Well, I've barely managed to survive another year of Christmas gorging and my poor body is craving salad - and lots of it! So who am I to deny it...

Tonight I gave my fav salad a slight makeover as I've been drooling over the yummy Danish fetta that has been in my fridge since before Christmas and tonight I could no longer resist.

So here is the recipe:
Smoked Chicken Salad
1 smoked chicken breast, skin removed and discarded (into my trendy new indoor composter :-) and shredded
1/3 red capsicum, diced
1/2 lebanese cucumber , diced
handful of greeen beans, ends removed and cut into 2cm pieces
handful of snow peas, ends removed and cut into 2cm pieces
1 small tin chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 small tin super sweet corn kernals, drained & rinsed
1 carrot, pelled and diced
1 avocado, chopped into large chunks
1/3 pack Danish fetta, crumbled

Place all ingredients into a large salad bowl and toss well. The fetta and avocado will coat the vegetables and create a delicious dressing.

Serves 2

Variations:
I usually dry fry some pine nuts or almond slivers in a small frypan and throw them in.
I don't usually add fetta but this was a nice addition - although it did make it less healthy and a bit heavier (I'm feeling like I need to go for a walk...not good!)