Apparently is the week of pumpkin but this recipe is full of ingredients to make you feel grounded. Well, it does that for me. A couple of reasons…Miso being one of my favourite flavours on earth, pumpkin a serious comfort food and chicken so easy to pull together into a nourishing meal – and it’s always about finding the easier ways in health right?
But the health? Let’s talk it and it might explain why this dish makes me and all the others who have tried it feel so good…
+ Miso is a fermented food, fermented foods give love to the garden that is your gut flora. Happy gut flora, good absorption, great energy. Win.
+ Pumpkin is a root vegetable which are in essence grounding because they are so closely connected or ‘rooted’ to the earth. Many ancient and traditional medicines focus on these properties in food to help people balance their health
+ Kale. I still you love you. Fibre central and sulfur rich brassica – these are major nutrients in liver detoxification pathways.
+Poached chicken. Easy, tasty, tender, can be made in advance and used for a meal like this or for a quick protein snack. Generally when I snack on a small piece of protein (say 100g) such as chicken breast I feel a mountains better.
For now you need to be amongst this ripper of a dish – and make sure you share it with your friends, although one bite you’ll be thinking “I don’t want to…”
BAKED PUMPKIN AND MISO CHICKEN SALAD
GF : DF : SF
Serves 6 as a side
1kg piece jap or queensland blue pumpkin, cut into 3cm thick segments
2 tablespoons olive oil
450-500g chicken breast, trimmed
4 kale leaves, stems removed, leaves roughly torn
juice of1/2 lemon
3 spring onions, white part only, finely sliced lengthways
1/4 bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Sea salt and black pepper
Miso Dressing:
1 1/2 tablespoons red miso paste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
juice of half a lemon (approx 3 tablespoons lemon juice)
Preheat oven to 200C and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Place pumpkin pieces on the tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and turn to coat each piece, then place in oven to cook for 40 minutes.
Whilst pumpkin is cooking bring a large pot of water to the boil, add whole chicken breasts, bring to the boil, then turn off heat, cover with lid and poach for 30 minutes. Once poached, remove from water, cover and set aside to cool.
Marinate the kale by placing kale leaves in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and juice of half a lemon then massage the leaves with hands for a few minutes. Set aside.
Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.
Build your salad to serve by placing half the ingredients onto a large serving platter and drizzling with half the dressing, followed by the next layer and finishing with the sesame seeds and herbs.
