Healthy means different things to different people – try this great recipe we found – rich in nutrients, fantastic flavour, wonderful taste and texture and most importantly ultra-healthy!

Ingredients

• 500 g skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
• freshly ground or cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 4 coriander stalks, including roots and leaves
• 100 g rice stick or vermicelli noodles
• 3 cups Chinese cabbage (wombok), finely shredded
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 4 spring onions (including green tops), ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, loosely packed, roughly torn
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 2 tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbs water
• 40 g unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Place both chicken breasts in a medium saucepan with enough water to just cover. Season with black pepper.
2. Add garlic, coriander roots and stems, reserving leaves.
3. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 2 minutes.
4. Switch off heat, cover and leave chicken to rest in the liquid stock while preparing salad.
5. Place the noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Drain well.
6. Add cabbage, carrot, spring onions, bean sprouts and mint to noodles. Roughly chop mint leaves and add to salad ingredients.
7. Remove chicken and garlic from liquid stock and set aside to cool slightly.
8. To make dressing, mash cooked garlic in a cup and combine with lime juice, sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and water.
9. Coarsely shred or thinly slice the chicken then add to the salad with dressing and combine.
10. Serve immediately, topped with peanuts.

Hint
This dish can be made in advance, but dressing and peanuts are best to be added to salad just before serving.

Variations

• Replace the rice noodles with 100g fresh egg noodles. If using dried egg noodles, you will have to cook it according to the packet directions.
• Substitute poached chicken for 2 skinless breasts of a cooked roast chicken.

Serving Suggestion: For added spice, add a chopped red chilli to the salad mix or sprinkle with white pepper.

Recipes and images supplied courtesy of LiveLighter Victoria.