Lemon Basil Carrot Bundles

Here's a veggie plate suggestion fresh from the garden.  The carrots can easily be prepared in advance and reheated at the last minute.  They taste as good as they look!

• 8 large carrots (about 2 pounds)
• 8 stems of green onion
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

1. Pare or scrape carrots. Then cut into strips about 3 inches in length.
2. Cook carrots over medium heat until tender crisp.
3. Remove from heat.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
4. Place onion greens in a covered dish in the microwave.  Cook on high for 30 seconds.  Cool and use limp onion greens as ropes to tie the carrot bundles.
5. Gather carrot strips into eight bundles.
6. Tie each with a green onion stem. Trim off ends of carrot bundles to even out lengths, if desired.
7. Place bundles in a shallow bowl and drizzle with lemon basil mixture.
8. Cover and chill until serving time. 
9. Reheat in the microwave oven for about 3 minutes or until piping hot.
10. Serve on a bed of steamed fresh green peas, if desired!

Serves 8

Enjoy!

Ginger Chicken Wonton Tacos

These little bundles make a nice appetizer or light lunch over a bed of cole slaw.

Tender pulled chicken in a spicy sweet ginger sauce wrapped in Wonton Wrappers. 

Shredded poached chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (this is enough for approximately 25) 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 package Wonton Wrappers (Found in the fresh food isle of the grocery store. They come in a stack and are about a 3"x3" squares)
• 1/2 cup of your favourite thick bottled spicy ginger sauce, plus more for drizzling over slaw
• 1/3 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
•  slaw mix, chopped very fine
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
• avocado, sliced

1. Poach chicken by placing both chicken breasts in a pot and covering with water. Add bay leaf, salt and pepper. 
2. Bring to a boil, turn down and allow to slow boil for 10 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat, cover and let chicken sit in water for another 10 minutes.
4. Remove chicken from water to a cutting board and immediately shred chicken, using two forks. ***see photo above***
5. Add ginger sauce, cheese, and cilantro to the shredded chicken. This can be made ahead of time.
6. When ready to bake, assemble Wonton Tacos by taking one Wanton Wrapper in the palm of your hand and laying a strip of meat filling from one point to the next. (about 2 tbsp per wrapper) 
7. Pull up other two points as shown in photo below and pinch together. 
8. Melt butter and using a pastry brush, and lightly brush the outsides of each bundle.
9. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake in 400º oven for 19 minutes.
10. Finely chop slaw and red pepper. 
11. Place baked Wonton Tacos on top of bed of slaw that has been lightly drizzled with more ginger sauce. Garnish with avocado slices and serve immediately.

Filled and pinched Wantons

Brushed with butter, ready to go into oven.

Ginger Chicken with Hot Potato Salad

 

 Along with this chicken, I served a German Potato Salad and thought I'd share it as a meal combo idea. It's a nice menu for four adults or you can multiply as you like.

Ginger Chicken Marinade

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger root*
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Montreal Chicken Spice

1. Mix all ingredients and let sit for an hour or so to blend flavors. Pour over 8 boneless chicken thighs and allow to marinate for about one hour before grilling.

* An easy way to have fresh ginger on hand is to peel a piece and freeze it. To use, simply grate on fine part of grater while still frozen and return the unused portion to the freezer.

Hot German Potato Salad

• 16 - 20 nugget potatoes (about a pound)
• 4 - 5 slices bacon, fried, drained and  diced (keep drippings)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 4 tablespoons water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 - 3 tablespoon cream (optional)

1. Cut potatoes in half and cook, leaving the skin on. This will take about 10 - 15 minutes. Drain.
2. In the meantime, prepare bacon, set aside and cook onion in drippings until golden/transparent looking. Stir in sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Let simmer.
3.  Just before serving, add bacon, then add mixture to potatoes in the pot. Stir in cream and reheat.
4. Garnish with parsley or minced green onion.