Sustenance after the seder

LAUREN BOOLKIN

During Chol Hamoed, I try to make food that extends over two meals. So, the extra chicken will become a chicken salad for lunch, and the left-over quinoa ends up in my quinoa tabbouleh.

Mouth-watering grilled chicken

(Using Deb Perelman’s braaing method)

Double the vinaigrette as it can turn into a delicious dressing for a green salad. The juiciness comes from brining the chicken, but don’t do this for longer than six hours.

Ingredients

2 chicken braai packs

4 lemons or limes halved

Brine

8 cups cold water

2 Tbsp sugar (brown if you can find)

2 Tbsp kosher salt (it’s kosher for Pesach)

Method

Soak the chicken pieces in the brine. When ready to cook, dry them well. I like to braai the chicken, but you can use a hot skillet pan.

Lightly oil your braai racks. Arrange the chicken on racks, cover with lid, and cook until well browned, turning over once, about six to eight minutes in total for smaller parts (wings, thighs, and drumsticks), and eight to 10 minutes for breasts.

Once the chicken is well-browned, if you’re using a gas braai with multiple sections, turn off the centre heat, and move the chicken pieces onto it. If you’re using a gas braai with one heat control, reduce it to medium. If you’re using a charcoal braai and have left an area free of charcoal, move the chicken onto it. Cook the browned chicken, covered with a lid, moving the chicken around the braai as needed and turning over occasionally until cooked through, anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the deepest part of your piece of chicken is 160 to 165 degrees centigrade.

When the chicken is almost done, place lemon or lime halves, if using, cut sides down, uncovered, over lit burner until grill marks appear, about two to three minutes.

To finish: transfer the chicken to a bowl. Toss with vinaigrette and to coat evenly. You can also cover this bowl with foil to keep it warm until needed. Serve grilled chicken with grilled lemons or limes, if using, and any extra vinaigrette on the side.

Vinaigrette

Whisk six tablespoons lemon juice, two garlic cloves, six teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or oregano or a mix thereof, one teaspoon kosher salt, and three quarters of a teaspoon cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in three quarters of a cup olive oil, whisking the whole time. Stir in six tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Quinoa tabbouleh salad

This salad is stunning as part of a meze meal with roasted baby marrows, aubergine dip, and of course, the braaied chicken. The chicken can also be added to the salad for an easy healthy lunch.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2 Tbsp Italian parsley chopped

1 Tbsp mint chopped

1 small red onion diced

3 Roma tomatoes deseeded and diced

Radishes if you like them are great too, as are spring onions

¼ cup lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

Scant tsp salt

Black pepper

Method

Bring the quinoa to the boil in two cups of water. Once it reaches boiling point, turn it down to the lowest setting and time 15 minutes. Leave it to cool before placing it in your bowl.

Add the chopped vegetables

Beat the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper together, and pour over the salad

Nutella cake (without the Nutella)

Ingredients

4 eggs (read the whole recipe before starting)

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cups ground hazelnuts (grind before measuring)

1 Tbsp cocoa

¾ cup almond flour or ground almonds

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 ½ Tbsp olive oil (must be mild otherwise use sunflower oil or melted Cardin)

Method

Grease and line a baking pan. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees centigrade.

Separate two of the eggs, and set aside the whites.

Beat the other two eggs with the additional two yolks and six and a half teaspoons of the sugar until it’s thick, white, and fluffy. Add the olive oil, and beat again just until blended.

Add the ground hazelnuts, almond flour, cocoa, and chocolate chips.

Mix until smooth.

Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.

Fold it into the nut mixture, and pour into your baking pan.

Bake for 40 minutes.