Chicory Turkey Salad with Mandarin Orange Wedges
Sometimes, you need food that tastes like summer - especially when it’s cold and dreary outside. So I grabbed a head of chicory and tried to turn it into something light and summery. And for a moment, in my kitchen, I was able to trick myself, and it smelled (and tasted) as if winter wasn’t approaching. One point for me. The weather will catch up again eventually ;)
Ingredients (serves 1):
1 head chicory (sometimes referred to as a 'Belgian endive')
100g turkey filet
30g chick pea sprouts
30g spring beauty (we call it winterpostelein, if you can't find it just alternate with another type of lettuce)
2 radishes, sliced
1/4 cucumber, sliced
2 mandarin oranges
(*if you want to serve this with an orange vinaigrette, you will also need 5dl orange juice and 1dl mild flavoured olive oil)
Cut the chicory in half, lengthwise. Heat some butter in a skillet add the chicory, cut side facing down. Squeeze half a mandarin orange over and sautée for about 5 or so minutes over medium heat, cut side facing down. It's not so much about cooking it thoroughly - chicory can also be eaten raw - as it is about glazing the bottom and softening it a little. The added mandarin juice helps counter the bitterness a little.
In the meantime, heat a ribbed grill pan, add a dash of olive oil, and grill your turkey filet over medium-high heat. How long you will need to grill it will depend on the thickness; the filet I had was so thin it was cooked through in 5 minutes. I tossed my chick pea sprouts in there too and grilled them along with the turkey. When done, season your turkey with salt & pepper.
Separate the remaining 1 1/2 mandarin orange into wedges, and combine with the spring beauty, cucumber, chick pea sprouts and radish. Arrange on the plate with the chicory & turkey.
As dressing, I drizzled it with a bit of mandarin juice, but it would also go really well with an orange vinaigrette, if you're up to one last thing to prepare.
For the orange vinaigrette: Pour 5 dl orange juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Condense until only 1 dl remains. When it cools, it will thicken in consistency. Add 1dl of mellow-flavoured olive oil, and you have 2 dl vinaigrette. Covered in the fridge, it should keep for 2-3 weeks.
Ingredients (serves 1):
1 head chicory (sometimes referred to as a 'Belgian endive')
100g turkey filet
30g chick pea sprouts
30g spring beauty (we call it winterpostelein, if you can't find it just alternate with another type of lettuce)
2 radishes, sliced
1/4 cucumber, sliced
2 mandarin oranges
(*if you want to serve this with an orange vinaigrette, you will also need 5dl orange juice and 1dl mild flavoured olive oil)
Cut the chicory in half, lengthwise. Heat some butter in a skillet add the chicory, cut side facing down. Squeeze half a mandarin orange over and sautée for about 5 or so minutes over medium heat, cut side facing down. It's not so much about cooking it thoroughly - chicory can also be eaten raw - as it is about glazing the bottom and softening it a little. The added mandarin juice helps counter the bitterness a little.
In the meantime, heat a ribbed grill pan, add a dash of olive oil, and grill your turkey filet over medium-high heat. How long you will need to grill it will depend on the thickness; the filet I had was so thin it was cooked through in 5 minutes. I tossed my chick pea sprouts in there too and grilled them along with the turkey. When done, season your turkey with salt & pepper.
Separate the remaining 1 1/2 mandarin orange into wedges, and combine with the spring beauty, cucumber, chick pea sprouts and radish. Arrange on the plate with the chicory & turkey.
As dressing, I drizzled it with a bit of mandarin juice, but it would also go really well with an orange vinaigrette, if you're up to one last thing to prepare.
For the orange vinaigrette: Pour 5 dl orange juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Condense until only 1 dl remains. When it cools, it will thicken in consistency. Add 1dl of mellow-flavoured olive oil, and you have 2 dl vinaigrette. Covered in the fridge, it should keep for 2-3 weeks.
