CHICKEN, ALMOND & BASIL OPEN SANDWICH

When I found out that my life would consist of no wheat/gluten, you would think that buttery croissants, cakes, cookies and pasta may have first crossed my mind in a sad sorrow. However, I mostly left hollow that eating sandwiches were no longer an option. If you know me well, you will know that I spend the first 2 years living out of home surviving on purely sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Looking back, it may have been the immense consumption of whole-meal and multigrain bread that led to my gluten intolerance. Anyways, no sandwiches felt like a death sentence (or how I could imagine one in my head). Until my father introduced me to gluten-free bread, which over recent years has become much tastier than it started out as. Toasting gluten free bread and eating it with avocado and sea salt has become my new vice, after I was specified no-dairy no-wheat existence. Today for lunch I mixed it up with some cucumber, celery and almonds.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g chicken breast, cut into even bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup roasted slivered/flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons 99% fat free mayonnaise
• 1 lebanese cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• sea salt & pepper
• 4-6 pieces gluten-free bread, toasted

COOKING 

1. Heat a small frying pan with sesame oil and swirl to coat. Cook chicken over medium heat until chicken is lightly golden and no red flesh remains. Remove from heat. 

2. Combine chopped celery, cucumber, basil, almonds and chicken. Season to taste with salt & pepper and place over toasted bread. Serve with hard boiled egg if you wish. 

Serves / 2 - 3 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 6-8 minutes 

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JAPANESE POTATO & HAM SALAD

Potato salad always makes me think of picnics, which makes me think of summer, which makes me think of parks, which makes me think of free-spirited children running without a care in the world. I made potato salad today as I was feeling a little nostalgic for Brisbane summer, as the weekend was cold (for our city), rainy and dreary. This salad is adapted from Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook ‘Japanese’ cuisine, however I think the use of mayonnaise is a little too Western for authentic Asian cooking (as is fried chicken sushi!). We Westerners can really bastardise other cultures cuisines, can’t we? Saying that, this fresh herb salad really does taste delectable! 

INGREDIENTS

• 700g pink potatoes, peeled and cut into small even chunks
• 80g gluten-free ham (such as Milano), cut into thin strips
• 1/2 a continental cucumber, chopped into small pieces 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives 
• 1/3 cup 97% fat-free mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• sea salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoon sesame seeds

COOKING 

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add chunks of potatoes and cook in boiling water for around 12 minutes or until the potato is tender (that is, a fork can be easily stuck through a piece of potato). When cooked, drain in cold water twice, draining well. 

2. Meanwhile, make the mayonnaise dressing by combining the mayonnaise, parsley, chives, sesame seeds, salt & pepper and vinegar in a small bowl and stirring to combine. 

3. Place cooked potato in a large serving bowl, along with ham and cucumber. Add dressing to the potato and toss well to combine. Stand for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve cold. 

Perfect for a picnic! 

Serves / 4 as a salad or side

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

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