Crunchy chicken salad that packs a health punch

October 30, 2013 by Angela 3 Comments

Last night’s dinner was inspired by a dish call Metuvlun Saland from a local restaurant called Cafe Jerusalem. A cabbage-centered dish (stay with me), which is uber-tasty, filling and delivers a powerful punch when it comes to the health department.

Cafe Jerusalem-inspired crunchy chicken salad

Dice almost half a medium cabbage (enough for two people), remembering that this is the bulk of the meal. Add finely chopped parsley and cooked bulgar wheat to the cabbage and mix with diced red onion, olive oil, lemon and salt to taste. Make a salsa-sauce with plain or Greek yoghurt by adding shredded fresh mint, diced cucumber, paprika, tumeric and lemon juice. Make hummus by blending or smashing a tin of chick peas, adding a good tablespoon of tahini, and lemon, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and paprika to taste and mix to the desired consistency. Cook diced chicken in olive oil and salt, and add shredded fresh basil for the final minute or so. Serve the cabbage mixture as the bed with finely grated carrot on top, add the chicken mixture on top of that, then top it all off with hummus and the mint yoghurt. Dust with paprika and tumeric – and you are dine!

You could serve this on individual plates or as a central platter with pita pockets for stuffing. Also serve some extra yoghurt salsa-sauce for the table, as people might like to mix more into their dish.

Contribution from my garden

Mint yoghurt with spices and cucumber

Mix cabbage, bulgar wheat, parsley and lemon juice

Chicken and fresh basil

The finished product – crunchy chicken salad

What the nutritionists say

Most of this dish is raw and brings with it a number of health benefits:

• Cabbage is said to aid nail health, liver detoxification and fighting cancer
• Parsley (a seemingly super food) is said to help prevent cardiovascular disease, fluid retention, inflammation, and assists kidney and liver function
• Chickpeas are a good source of calcium, fibre, iron and protein
• Yoghurt is a source of calcium for bone strength and probiotics that aid digestion
• Cucumber provides potassium for heart health and aids the nervous system
• Carrots contain beta-carotene for healthy vision and falcarinol for cancer prevention
• Mint and basil (or herbs in general) contain phytochemicals, including antioxidants for fighting free radicals
• Lemon prepares the stomach for digesting food and for maximizing nutrient absorption
• Tumeric aids joint and heart health, and reduces inflammation