Warm Chicken Salad

Just because the weather is getting a little cooler does not mean that salad isn't a perfect healthy lunch. This warm chicken salad with homemade garlic and mustard dressing is a great lunch or light supper with a glass of white wine.
Start by preparing the dressing.
Dressing: (Do not be lazy and buy a mustard dressing, this is quick, easy and delish!)
2tsp Dijon mustard
2tbs red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove crushed
60ml olive oil
Half tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients with a whisk and give a shake! Dressing done...now you can move to preparing the salad.

Salad:
1 loaf ciabatta bread (you will use this to make your own croutons)
4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
4 leaves cos lettuce/or rocket
2 avocados peeled and sliced
10 cocktail tomatoes cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and cut the bread into cubes. toss these in olive oil and bake bread for 5-10min or until golden and crispy.
2. Fry and season chicken in a pan until cooked through, any chicken spice is great.
3. Toss remaining ingredients, warm chicken and croutons together and serve with dressing you made earlier.

(This recipe is from Fresh Living and is a hit! Thanks Marisa for showing me the way:)

Baked Risotto with Spanish sausage, thyme and peas

This risotto is easy to make and you don't need to spend time stirring the pot and adding stock. Perfect for when you have people around as it feeds a big group easily and who doesn't like risotto?! Recipe served 4-6 people but you could double ingredients for a larger group.

You will need:
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 large onion chopped
1 and a half cups risotto rice
Half cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock heated
Thyme leaves removed from stems (I love thyme so use 10g)
1 pack spicy sausage (I used the Spanish sausage from Woolworths)
2 cups peas
Half cup Parmesan cheese
Half a cup of almonds (heat in pan till toasted)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and fry onions sausage and garlic in olive oil till cooked through and onion soft. Stir through risotto rice and the wine. Cook for about 1 min. Spoon the mixture into a large ovenproof dish and pour stock over. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 15 min. Give it a good stir, add cheese and the peas and put back in for 30min. Give a final stir and top with the toasted almonds.

What Sup: Clarke's Diner in Bree Street Cape Town

This little gem is situated in trendy Bree street and is our SA version of the an all American diner. Its service, staff and food are fantastic and the sandwiches include winning combinations of mustard, sweet pickles and pulled pork subs. I just loved the fact that you can see all your food being prepared as you sit at the counter. You simply cannot beat good quality ingredients served fresh from the grill. Well worth a visit!