Sunflower Chicken Salad

Only buy organic chicken because free-range chick is not what it seems – the meat is only as nutritious as what the animals are fed - poor quality grains and genetically modified soy. And please don’t buy a BBQ chicken because nothing good lives in that flesh. There’s a reason the meat is tasty. They pump it full of man-made flavours and toxic salts. Make sure your seeded mustard is bought from a health food shop. The only ingredients you want are: mustard seeds, vinegar, water and salt. It will cost you about $3.50. Supermarket mustards have sugar and additives.

INGREDIENTS

Sunflower Chicken Salad

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces

• 1 medium/large zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces

• 3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced or finely pressed

• 2 to 3 cups broccoli (florets and stalks okay)

• 1 heaping cup sugar snap peas

• 2 to 3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

• about 3 cups kale

• 1/2 cup craisins (diced Medjool dates or raisins may be substituted), optional

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I use lightly salted)

Dressing

• 1/3 cup sunflower seed butter, well stirred and mixed

• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use agave or maple syrup to keep vegan)

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

• garlic, optional and to taste

• 1 to 2 tablespoons water, only if necessary to thin it out a bit; it's okay if dressing is on the thicker side

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Salad - To a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, chicken, zucchini, and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked through. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.

2. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir frequently.

3. Add the broccoli, sugar snap peas, evenly drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, evenly sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir to combine, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

4. Turn the contents from the skillet out into a large bowl, add the kale, green onions, optional craisins, sunflower seeds, and stir to combine; set aside.

5. Dressing - To a medium bowl, add all ingredients, except the water, and whisk to combine. Taste dressing to check for seasoning balance; add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, honey, etc. if desired. If you think the dressing is overly thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out. I don't find water necessary because as you pour the dressing over the warm vegetables, it will naturally think out.

6. Evenly drizzle the dressing over the salad and stir to combine; you may not use or need all of the dressing. Add a little at a time, stir, taste, and add as desired. Salad can be served immediately or chilled and served. Salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days, noting that it will become softer and the vegetables will release their natural juices as time passes.

Variation: Roasted Chicken and Veggies

• Chicken (Air fryer or bake 390F for 1 hour, turning 1-2x)

  • 1 lb chicken thighs (with skin, rubbed in oil, salt, garlic and thyme below)

  • 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

  • Celtic salt and pepper

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 3 sprigs thyme, leaves taken off

  • 1/3 c boiled filtered water with ½ tsp powdered bone broth dissolved

• Roasted Veggies (bake at 390 F, 30 min)

  • mixed in pan of cooked dhicken juices)

    • Jap pumpkin, 5 wedges about 1.5cm thick and then cut into chunks (I keep the skin on), and mix in last bc mushy)

    • 2 carrots, sliced in half down the middle and down the middle again of each half. Cut these into 5cm lengths.

    • 1 large zucchini, cut into slices on the diagonal

    • 2 beetroots, cut into bite size pieces

    • 1 sweet potato, cut into small chunks

    • ½ red onion, cut in half and into wedges

    • Extra virgin olive oil

    • Celtic salt and pepper

• Raw Salad

  • 1 corn cob, steamed for about 7 minutes and cut off the cob (no tinned corn!!)

  • 1 red capsicum, seeds and pith removed, cut into thin slices

  • ½ red onion, very finely sliced

  • 4 radishes, finely sliced

  • 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

  • 2 handfuls baby spinach

  • A couple of handfuls of tamari almonds, roughly chopped

• SALAD DRESSING (mix in glass jar and shake)

  • 6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 Tbs white wine vinegar (good quality)

  • 1 tsp seeded mustard

  • Good pinch of Celtic salt

• RAW bowl (per person)

  • 2 dessert spoons sauerkraut

  • ½ carrot cut into sticks

  • ¼ avocado

  • Portion of steamed broccoli

• Note - Work out the amount of broccoli needed, steam as a whole, then cut into portions once cooked. This helps retain more of the nutrients. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon or a capful of apple cider vinegar and season with Celtic salt and ground black pepper.

• Squeeze each portion of avo with a little lemon and season with Celtic salt and pepper.