On the sixth day of Solstice my Thelma gave to me...

A recipe for a great summer salad! MKR over at My Kitchen Robot requested salads to trial and adapt to Thelma and here is my recipe. Pop over to her blog to see photos, the changes she made (including adapting it to quinoa so it was gluten-free!) and some great ideas for subbing mango for what's on hand and local! I've copied her adaptation method here though to show how you can take a recipe and Thelma-ise it.

My tastes like summer salad recipe would be great!

1 cup Israeli cous cous (or other small pasta)

1 cup good vegetable stock

1/2 cup water

300g-500g green salad leaves

100g goats cheese or feta

1 mango

1 small chicken breast

1 tablespoon spices such as chilli, cinnamon, coriander seed, cumin, salt and pepper

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix spices together and rub on chicken. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Place stock in a saucepan and bring to simmer. Add cous cous and then the water - it should just cover the cous cous. Simmer covered for 10 minutes or until the cous cous is soft. Drain, reserving the stock. Toss the oil and lemon juice through the warm cous cous. Pan fry the chicken with a splash of oil and 1/2 cup of reserved stock, covered with a lid so it almost poaches. Remove from pan and leave to cool a little before shredding.

To assemble salad, cut up the mango and cheese then put the greens in a bowl, add the chicken and mango and tomatoes and cheese, then the cous cous. Toss gently to combine. A sprinkle of chilli is perfect on top if you want extra kick. 

To adapt to gluten free, sub cous cous for quinoa. Vegetarian - swap tofu for chicken. Dairy free - swap the cheese for avocado and/or toasted nuts (pine nuts, sliced almonds, cashews). Add fresh herbs to compliment. 

Serves 6 as a salad or 3-4 as a main.

Thelma adaptation from My Kitchen Robot

1. Add spices to TM bowl, toast on Varoma temperature at speed 1 for 5 minutes. Grind on speed 9 for 1 minute to turn the spices into powder. Coat the chicken breast in with the spice mix and a little olive oil and the. Put aside for 10 minutes.
2. Fill the bowl with water up to the 1 litre mark and add the stock concentrate. Add the chicken to to lower level of the Varoma steamer and spread the quinoa on the upper tray. Steam for 20-25 minutes, until both the chicken and quinoa are cooked.
3. While the chicken and quinoa are cooking, wash the salad leaves and tomatoes and slice the peaches.
4. Once cooked remove the chicken and allow to cool before slicing. Dress the quinoa with the lemon juice and olive oil while still warm. To assemble the salad, put the greens into a bowl, add the sliced peaches, tomatoes, chicken, quinoa then crumble the feta over the top. Toss gently to combine.
Serves 6 as a side salad or 3-4 as a main.