Flicking the Bean....3 Bean Salad

Growing up, my only real experience of beans was the kind that are smothered in tomato sauce and served with toast as a cheap and filling meal. Thankfully my haricot-related knowledge has expanded somewhat and I now enjoy a much better relationship with the oft forgotten legume.

Last week I got a massive craving for a bean salad; something that I've seen a lot but never really had much of but knew I wanted. Perhaps it is the high amounts of protein that appealed to me.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can use any type of beans that you wish. You could use cannellini beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans etc. Basically any beans that you can place your hands on. This recipe can be made in minutes and is great as a side salad with a main course, as lunch, or just a snack.

Ingredients:

1 Tin Red Kidney Beans

1 Tin Cannellini Beans

1 Tine Garbanzo Beans

1 Red Onion (Finely Chopped)

1 Clove Garlic (Finely Chopped)

100g Flat Leafed Parsley (Chopped)

100g Chives (Chopped)

100ml Appl Cider Vinegar

50ml Olive Oil

1 tbsp Honey

2 tbsp Mustard

Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper

Method:

• Rinse beans under cold water. Drain.
• In a bowl, mix the Beans, Onion, Garlic, Parsley & Chives.
• In a seperate bowl, add the Vinegar. Whisk in the Olive Oil, Mustard & Honey.
• Season with Salt, Pepper & Cayenne Pepper to taste.
• Add to the Beans & mis in thoroughly.
• Enjoy

About Time: Chicken with Sage Cream Sauce

First of all I must apologise for my lack of postings. I've been extremely busy of late. But never fear, I'll be posting more regularly from now on.

I made this for my parents when I was home at Christmas. As my mom said "I forgot what good food tasted like!", so that is definitely a seal of approval. Either that or they've been dining on frozen food since I moved away.

As with all of my recipes, this one is quite simple to make and very versatile. It's a succulent chicken breast topped with a creamy sage infused cream sauce. You can cook the chicken whole and serve with vegetables or chop the chicken into chunks and serve over pasta...so a perfect meal for a weekday or for entertaining friends (or feeding hungry parents).

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breast Fillets

4 tbsp Unsalted Butter

6-8 Sage Leaves (Chopped)

600ml Cream

Salt & Pepper

Method:

• Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan & fry the chicken until nicely browned & the juices run clear. Remove from pan & set aside. 
• Melt the rest of the butter in the pan, stirring any bits from the bottom of the pan. When the butter begins to foam, add the chopped sage leaves & cooked for a few seconds.
• Add the cream, bring to the boil & allow to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt & pepper.
• Add the chicken & any accumulated juices and simmer for another few minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Enjoy