Chicken, Garlic Flowers and Strawberry Santa

Chicken would have to be the most versatile type of protein available for cooking. It is affordable, delicious, and easily sourced. I have never met an adult or child who turns their nose up at chicken. I’ve even come across vegetarians whose resolve buckles when faced with the distinctive, mouth-watering aroma of a chicken dish home cooked with care. Chicken can be dressed up to the nines for a special occasion or quickly cooked at the end of a busy day. This Chicken, Capsicum and Garlic-Lemon Stir-Fry is a casual dish and a favourite with everyone in my family. 

Ingredients to serve 7 – 8 people (halve the quantities if cooking for fewer people). 
1.5 kg chicken off the bone – I used free range chicken breasts with the skin on, but skinless thighs or juicy tenderloins would also work well. 
Juice of 2 lemons
8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 red capsicums, stalk and seeds removed
2 small trays of Australian grown baby corn
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh coriander finely chopped
2 bunches broccolini – optional

Put the barbecue on to heat. 

Slice the chicken and capsicums into finger-width lengths. Put them in a large glass mixing bowl with the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, baby corn, salt and half the coriander. Combine all the ingredients as pictured. 

Pour the entire contents of the bowl onto your hot barbecue plate. If you have a small BBQ, you will need to do this in 2 lots. If you have a lid on your BBQ, then close it for about 4 – 5 mintues. Then toss the mixture gently as though you are tossing a salad, in order to cook all sides. cook with the lid up for another 4 – 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. 

Scoop this tasty combination into a serving bowl and scatter the remaining coriander over the top. I lightly steamed the broccolini in the microwave and added this to the dish. Serve the lot with a bowl of steamed long grain rice. 

Garlic flowers look like lilac or ivory coloured pom poms and grow at the very top of the garlic stalk. While the robust bulbs are nestled beneath the soil, the garlic flowers form an eye-catching display well above ground, waiting to be picked and eaten. My fellow foodie friend Kerrie gave me a box of the garlic flowers (pictured above) to try out in my home cooking. They came from a grower in the Macarthur region of NSW called Werombi Farm Produce  http://werombifarmproduce.bjork.net/.

Those delicate flower fronds pack an impressive amount of distinctive garlic flavour. In raw form they have a sharp taste, but when cooked, they release a more mellow savoury flavour and aroma. 

There is no need to fuss about with peeling individual cloves, then slicing or crushing as is often done with a commonplace garlic bulb. Simply pluck out the the amount of garlic flowers needed for a dish, give them a light rinse under running water and toss them in with your other ingredients. Easy!

This evening I incorporated the garlic flowers in a spaghetti dish with mushrooms, lemon and extra virgin olive oil finished off with a good grating of fresh parmesan. It was fast, simple and sensational. 

Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Garlic Flowers and Lemon to serve 2 adults
The quantities can easily be multiplied for a larger group. 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
200 grams Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
1 lemon – the juice and finely grated rind
1/3 of a garlic flower head (about 1 tablespoon)
good grind of sea salt and black pepper to taste
250 g spaghetti – I used Barilla number 5

Put a pot of lightly salted water on to boil and once bubbling, add the dried spaghetti and cook for the recommended time. Meanwhile set about making the rest of the dish. 

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large fry-pan. Add the mushrooms, lemon rind, salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms turn glossy and deepen in colour but do NOT allow them to overcook and become limp. 

Add the garlic flowers and stir through until your nostrils twitch with delight at the aroma. Squeeze over the lemon juice, add a couple of tablespoons of pasta water and give the pan a quick shake. Remove from the heat, add the drained pasta and toss through.

Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan and a chilled, crisp wine. 

Now this is a new and festive way to make the most of summer strawberries – edible Santas! My children’s Godmother Linda found the recipe in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Goodfood section on the 20th December. Here is the link for a closer look – 
 http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/strawberry-santas-20131220-2zp57.html

Linda is one of my  most fit and health conscious friends and so decided to substitute the whipped cream for light cream cheese with just a dash of icing sugar. The result? Well, the Strawberry Santas disappeared in less time than it took for Linda to make them. 

There is no need to wait until next Christmas to try out this recipe. Strawberries are large and juicy at the moment so put a couple of extra punnets in your shopping trolley, pull out the piping bag and give it a go. It’s also a manageable home cooking activity to do with the kids on the school holidays.