5-Spice Chicken Salad

By Alqualonde

It's quick and warming enough to feel like a real dinner but not heavy at all.

Ingredients

• enough for 2:
• 2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice
• 1-2 small red chillies, chopped
• 450 g (1lb) chicken thighs fillets or breasts, sliced into thumb sized pieces
• 1-2 limes
• 4 handfuls washed salad leaves

Preparation

Step 1

1. Pop a frying pan or wok on a medium-high heat.


2. Combine 5-spice, chilli with 2 tablespoons of oil (I used macadamia but any neutral flavoured oil is good) and a little salt. Toss chicken to coat in the oil.


3. Cook chicken for about 2 minutes on the first side.


4. Turn and cook, covered for another 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.


5. Remove from the heat and squeeze over some lime juice.


6. Divide salad between 2 plates. Top with hot chicken and serve with lime on the side.


VARIATIONS
vegetarian - replace chicken with slices of halloumi.

vegan - try Chinese 5 spice tofu.

different meat - pork fillets or firm white fish will also be great. Adjust cooking time accordingly.

can't find Chinese 5-spice? - make your own. Combine 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground star anise, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, 1.5 teaspoons ground fennel seeds, and 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper. Keep leftovers in a glass jar or ziplock bag.
different greens - play around with the salad leaves, St Nigel used snow pea sprouts as well as the salad leaves. Steamed bok choy would also be lovely.

more saucey - make a lime 'aioli' by stirring the zest of a lime and a crushed clove of garlic into some good quality mayo.