Spicy Chicken Salad - Yo Sushi Style

I do love a bit of sushi and sashimi - and yet if I go to Yo Sushi!, I can't resist a bowl of their spicy chicken salad whilst I'm there!

So, one not-so-fine Saturday afternoon, after a discussion about edible seaweed, I was craving a bit of Japanese food and got it into my head that I really fancied a Yo Sushi! style chicken salad. Not living in the vicinity of a Yo Sushi!, I did a bit of scouting around the internet for a recipe... and a bit more... and for once, it really wasn't very successful, so I had to make up my own!

Apparently, they have a cookbook (which I don't have), and I was able to find the ingredients (minus quantities) online on Eat My Books - however... maybe it's an old book, or they've changed things now, as they just didn't seem quite right compared with the colour and flavour of the chicken I was used to eating at Yo Sushi, and the other ingredients in the salad. I'm accustomed to a spicy, orange-coloured, highly-flavoured chicken on a bed of lettuce, julienned carrot, edamame beans and a few bean sprouts etc., but I couldn't find anything that convinced me it would recreate this. I couldn't even find a Japanese name for the salad - although I'm quite familiar with Japanese food - and to be honest, although delicious, the flavours of the chicken had always seemed a little out of sorts with my experience of Japanese food.

Turns out there's a reason for that! 

Sticky Sichuan Chilli Chicken Wings (including Instant Pot Pressure Cooker method)

Whether on the BBQ, or under the grill, you can't beat spicy, sticky chicken wings!

With only four ingredients, and no chopping, these wings couldn't be simpler, and they have a unique umami kick from the Sichuan chilli bean paste.

          

There's no need to marinate (although you're welcome to if you'd like to!), and you can pop them in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes before barbecuing or grilling to ensure your wings are perfectly moist and tender inside with crispy sticky skin on the outside.

Serves: 1kg chicken wings will serve four to six people as a starter, or as a main with another dish of similar proportions (e.g. with one quantity of my Sweet and Sour spare ribs).

Yucatecan-Spiced Chicken Skewers (with Thermomix method)

Why not try some Mexican flavours on the BBQ for a change?

Warm spices, citrus and toasted oregano give these a real depth of flavour and they're delicious served with rice (like my easy Mexican 'green' rice - with a method for making with cauliflower rice to cut the carbs and calories if you prefer) or in a wrap, with my quick and easy Mexican-style beans, shredded lettuce or Napa cabbage (Chinese leaf/lettuce), a little sour cream, fresh Mexican Tomato Salsa and maybe some Yucatecan pickled red onions, or even just with a nice big salad if you're being saintly - although tomatoes, avocados, red onions and corn would be great additions, with a squeeze of lime and some fresh coriander... do as much or as little as you fancy!

This quantity will serve eight, but it's easily halved - or you could make it up, marinade it and then freeze portions for a tasty treat another time! Or you could just make up the spice blend, then use half of that along with the rest of the other ingredients halved.

Calories per serving - 151 if using chicken breasts, 208 if using thighs. [Calories in square brackets]

Gai Satay (Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad)

Who doesn't love chicken satay skewers with a peanut sauce?

Threading pieces of marinated chicken onto skewers, then serving them with a dipping sauce or sauces seems to have an almost universal appeal, and this recipe is no exception. You can make it *really* special, by making your own Thai red curry paste (my recipe is here) to use in the peanut sauce (as well as other delicious recipes, like my Thai duck red curry), or for convenience use a good brand of bought red curry paste, such as 'Thai Taste', which I highly recommend.

Serves 4 (or more people as a starter), 330 calories per person as a main meal if you're counting, you can add 40g uncooked Jasmine rice (per person) for 132 calories each if it’s your main meal (bringing it up to a total of 462 calories), or have cauliflower rice, if you don't eat grains, or for less calories (38 per 100g) and/or a nice big salad! Don't forget to reduce the calories if you substitute sugar for stevia etc.

Satay is a popular dish, you could easily substitute pork, beef, lamb, king prawns or a selection of vegetables such as courgette, aubergine, large chunks of mushroom and peppers (or even use quorn meat substitutes if desired). If you’re using wooden/bamboo skewers, don’t forget to soak them for at least 20 minutes so they don’t burn when you cook the chicken.

Larp Gai (Thai Spicy Minced Chicken Salad) - including Thermomix instructions

I first fell in love with this in Sheffield, of all places, when a friend of mine made it...

But a trip to Thailand soon followed. This is one of the really well known Thai salads, and is incredibly refreshing and full of flavour. It's also very easy to make, full of flavour, healthy and can be a great sharing food if you provide the leaves of baby gem lettuces to use as little cups for the salad (or assemble them in about 12 small baby gem lettuce leaves, for canapes for friends to help themselves to).

Serves two (or more as a starter, or sharing platter), easily doubled.

Calories per serving (between two) 203 for chicken salad, 37 calories for suggested vegetables

A popular spicy chicken salad, originating from the North East of Thailand, served with raw vegetables. Eaten cool, so great to prepare ahead, or even make as a meal the night before, then put the rest into your lunchbox (with vegetables/salad in a separate tub) for the next day. 

[Calories in square brackets]

Tea-Smoked Chicken, Mango and Asparagus Salad with a Toasted Sesame and Soy Dressing

A simple salad to throw together - you could use any cooked chicken, or tea-smoke your own!

Tired of eating the same old salads? Bored of bland, dry, chicken? Want something that is equally delightful as a light meal or an impressive starter if you make the smoked chicken yourself?

All you need to smoke the chicken yourself is a wok, some foil, and either wood-dust, or a tablespoon each of tea leaves, sugar and raw rice. And you can make it a day or two before-hand, and just slice and serve.

More about that here.

Otherwise, you could use char-grilled, barbequed, or roasted chicken breasts, or even the leftovers from Sunday lunch and you will still have a delicious salad to go.

Keep the dressing separate, and you have a delicious lunch to take to work with you (or even make for your nearest and dearest, ahhhh). Got your tastebuds tingling? And it's only 262 calories per portion, or 131 calories as a starter! Serves two as a main, four as a starter. Here's the recipe:

Tea-infused Wok-smoked Chicken Breasts

Smoking in a wok (or large pan) is surprisingly easy!

Inspired by the Sichuan method of smoking duck, and having used the tea/sugar/raw rice method of smoking with delicious results with my Tea-smoked Teriyaki Trout in an outdoor, lidded barbeque, I thought I'd have a go indoors, with poultry. Except...

I thought I'd have a go at infusing the tea into the chicken using brine first, to give it extra flavour and moistness and add a different kind of 'tea' dimension. As Earl Grey is one of my favourite teas, I used this and added some fresh orange and zest to the brine, to accentuate the bergamot flavour.

Which was good - really good! If you've never had a go at smoking your own food before, and don't want to invest in additional equipment of any kind, I'd highly recommend giving this a go (just remember to have your extractor fan on, and maybe open a window or two if your fan isn't that strong!). You don't have to brine the meat first, you can just smoke it plain if you'd prefer.