(This is a test post. If it interests people, I will consider making an entire blog of it. Please Like and Reblog if it does!)
Read Part 1 (Fried rice with pork and red pepper) here.
This week’s menu:
Monday: Lamb hotpot, baked potato.
Tuesday: Fried rice with pork and red pepper.
Wednesday: Chicken salad.
Thursday: Beef and Broccoli stirfry.
Friday: Quiche and salad.
Saturday: Chicken satay.
So last night I actually had a takeaway as I was out watching a fringe show, but I made the chicken salad this morning for my lunch.
I was going to grill the chicken, but I wanted something more fatty, so this is a quick chicken kara-age with mixed leaves, tomato and a sweet mustard dressing.
TIME: ~30 mins
SERVES: Two (/one student [with leftovers]).
COST (if you need to buy everything): £11.96 - £14.17
COST (if you already have 5-spice, lard/vegetable oil, soy, sugar and flour*): £6.99
COST per portion (ie cost of actual amounts used, and assuming your cupboards are bare to begin with): £1.46 - £1.49
*Long list, I know, but these are things I keep in my cupboards.
Ingredients
(Prices are from Sainsbury’s.co.uk)
I got the mixed leaves on sale: two bags for £1; and I always buy a whole chicken and joint it, keeping the carcass and leg bones for stock. It’s the most economical way to eat chicken, and if you don’t know how to joint a chicken, I highly recommend you learn!
A chicken leg and breast - ~£2 (£5 for a whole chicken)
Some soy sauce - ~7p (99p/150ml)
Chinese 5 spice - ~2p (£1.68/57g)
3tbsp Plain flour (I use gluten-free) - <1p (£0.52/1.5kg) [regular]/ ~4p (£1.70/1kg) [gluten-free]
3 tbsp lard/vegetable oil, for frying - ~8p (49p/250g) [lard]/ ~5p (£1.52/1L)
1 bag mixed salad leaves - 50p
1 tomato - 15p (£2/kg)
For the dressing:
1/2 tsp mustard powder - ~5p (£1.34/57g)
1 tsp brown sugar - <1p (£1.29/500g)
1 tsp soy sauce - ~5p (99p/150ml)
If you’re feeling flush:
a dash of sherry or rice wine in the dressing
some sesame seeds for a garnish
Method
Chop up your chicken breast and leg into bite-size strips and chuck them in a bowl with the soy, 5-spice and flour. Mix it up with a spoon or your hands, until it’s all coated.
Melt the lard, or heat the oil, in a small saucepan, over quite high heat. Get an apron, because this will spit. Put the chicken-y mix into the saucepan and leave it be. You want to get a bit of a crust forming, so only stir it occasionally. Turn the heat down if it burns.
Meanwhile, slice the tomato thinly, and wash the salad leaves. Put the leaves in a bowl.
Now, make the dressing in a small bowl or glass. Put the mustard powder in, and mix it to a watery paste by adding a little too much water, slowly. You don’t want any lumps so do it gradually. It should look like this:
Tip the dressing over the salad leaves and toss. By now the chicken should be done (~15 mins). Serve with a garnish of sesame seeds, if you are so inclined.
Join me tomorrow/later tonight for Beef and Broccoli stirfry, a staple of mine!
