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A Healthy Christmas Recipe to knock the socks of your Guests!

Want a Healthy Christmas Recipe to knock the socks of your Guests? I’ve got one for you!

I started making this gorgeous salad about 10 years ago and it’s become one of our family’s favourite eats at Christmas. It’s a Kylie Kwong original. (Thanks Kylie!)  It is so healthy and absolutely yum! I promise you and your guests will enjoy it immensely.

I’ll give you a run down of some of the ingredients from a TCM point of view so you can see how good it is for you.

Celery

  1. Benefits the Stomach; improves digestion, cools stomach heat and can reduce appetite due to stomach heat
  2. Tonifies or benefits the Spleen/Pancreas, tonifies or strengthens Spleen Qi (Qi=vital energy)
  3. Soothes an irritated Liver, cools heat in the liver (especially important during celebrations such as xmas!).
  4. Dries dampness in the body that often comes with Spleen Qi Deficiency or dietary choices.
  5. Purifies the blood
  6. Pacifies or reduces “wind” conditions as vertigo and nervousness
  7. Promotes sweating
  8. Cools excess heat conditions in the body as burning urine, blood in the urine, acne and canker sores

Chicken

  1. Is sweet and warm
  2. Benefits the Spleen and stomach
  3. Warms the center (Middle Burner) and boosts Qi
  4. Boosts essence, nourishes marrow, supplements the five organs (Zang)

Prawns

  1. Prawns are sweet, slightly salty and warm in nature.
  2. Prawns warm the kidney yang, benefiting impotence.
  3. Prawns also eliminate sputum and benefit the stomach.
  4. Prawns should be avoided by people with skin diseases.
  5. Prawns are good for people with a weak immune system ie if you catch colds easily etc however for people with overactive immune system syndromes like diabetes, cancer lupus etc prawns should be avoided.

Lemons

  1. Lemon’s are cooling
  2. They affect the Liver, Gall Bladder, Stomach, Lung
  3. Lemon harmonizes the stomach and aids in digestion and replenishes fluids.
  4. Lemon cleanses the liver, kidneys, blood, mouth, and urinary tract while making the body more alkaline in pH.

Onions

  1. Sweet, slightly pungent, warm;
  2. Liver, spleen, stomach and lung are affected
  3. Onions relax the intestines, regulate qi, harmonize the stomach, strengthen the spleen, dispel wind-cold and promote digestion.
  4. They help with poor appetite, indigestion, hypertension and nasal obstruction.

Raisins

  1. Warm, sour and sweet
  2. Good for the kidneys, spleen and stomach
  3. Tonify Qi and blood
  4. Good for bones and fluid retention.

So here is the recipe!

Poached Chicken and King Prawn Salad with Mustard Fruits, Celery and Lemon

Ingredients

  • 3 spring onions
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 4 small sticks celery
  • Whole poached chicken (see below)
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup sliced ginger
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup mustard fruits (obtain from speciality store)
  • 1 cup red onions finely sliced
  • ½ cup parsley
  • 1 tbsn white peppercorns
  • ⅓ cup raisins
  • ½ cup hot black tea
  • 2 tspns chardonnay vinegar
  • 500 g uncooked king prawns

Method

Poach the perfect chicken.

  • Bring to the boil 6 L of stock containing: 3 spring onions, 10 garlic cloves, 1 cup sliced ginger, 2 tbspns salt, 1 sliced red onion, 1 tbsn peppercorns, 6 bay leaves, ½ bunch flat leaf parsley.  
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
  • Rinse chicken and then place in stock breast down.
  • Poach for 14 minutes.
  • Take pot off stove and allow chicken to steep in stock for 3 hours at room temperature.

 

  • Pour tea over raisins and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Drain.
  • Combine onions in a bowl with sugar and salt.
  • Mix well and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
  • Add lemon juice and leave for another 30 minutes or until onions are softened and slightly pickled
  • Add prawns to a large pan of boiling salted water and boil for 2-3 minutes.
  • drain , refresh in iced water and drain immediately.
  • Peel and devein prawns, then cut in half on the diagonal.
  • Add celery to a pan of boiling salted water and blanch for 30 seconds.
  • Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again.
  • (Alternatively you can use fresh and uncooked. It works just as well).
  • Using your hands, tear meat from chicken in large pieces and place in a bowl with raisins, onions, prawns, celery, mustard fruits, lemon zest, salt, oil, vinegar and parsley.
  • Arrange on a platter and drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.

Let me know if you make this and if you liked it!