For the Light and Tasty column, today I offer you a chicken salad with cabbage, grapes, apple, and walnuts. A very simple and tasty recipe, truly delicious. 😋
I must say that this week the Team really put me to the test! 🤭 Choosing the recipe was… challenging! It might be because eating meat at our house is not a priority, but this time buying these slices of chicken was truly a challenging feat! I wasn’t inspired, I didn’t know what recipe to make, I couldn’t decide what to buy between breast, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, capon, wings… what to choose? this one or that one? this doesn’t inspire me, I don’t want this one, how do I cook this one, this….
Moreover, right next to me there was a turkey breast staring at me saying buy me! buy me!, while I replied hush you, I need to buy the chicken! I need to buy the chicken! In short, zero connection with chicken.
In the end, I decided on chicken breast, for the slices, undoubtedly the most versatile. And throughout the grocery shopping, I felt like I had a giant question mark printed on my forehead, which I imagined everyone could see while I wandered around the supermarket looking for ideas I didn’t have. But how on earth did the Team come up with the idea of organizing a release titled “autumn chicken”?? No way, I can’t do it! 😅
In this wandering, I put various typical autumn things like chestnuts, mushrooms, grapes, pumpkin in the cart, basically everything the fruit and vegetable section offered with an autumn theme. No, not even a vague idea on how to use – and if – all those goodies, but better to have one more thing at home than one less!
Epilogue: Ok, I joked a bit (but not that much! 😂), in the end what counts is that when I get into the kitchen, ideas clear up, doubts turn into decisions, maybe with the help of one of the cookbooks I have handy on the shelf, and slowly, piece by piece, something good comes out, like… just to give a random example, this chicken salad with cabbage, apple, grapes, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, and a hint of cumin.
And so, for this time, no chestnuts, no mushrooms, no pumpkin. And now I’ll have to come up with other recipes to use up everything I’ve bought! 😄
Three more of my chicken recipes:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Griddle
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for 2 servings
- 2 chicken breast slices (about 5.6 oz)
- 200 g cabbage
- 1 apple
- 6 walnuts
- white grapes (to taste, I used 8 grapes)
- 1 pinch cumin seeds (optional)
- balsamic vinegar (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- q.s. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp milk kefir (for marinating)
- hot paprika (to taste, in the marinade)
Tools
- Griddle
Steps
Pour the kefir (or yogurt) into a dish or bowl and season it with a sprinkle of paprika.
👉 In addition to paprika, you can also add other spices like turmeric or curry.
Marinate the chicken slices in the kefir for about an hour.
Prepare the salad with cabbage, apple, and grapes: wash and dry the cabbage, apple, and grapes, thinly slice the cabbage, slice the apple, and cut the grapes into rounds.
Divide the salad into two plates, or place everything in one bowl, add the walnuts and season with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of cumin seeds.
👉 Cumin has a somewhat particular taste, I really like it paired with cabbage, I find it combines very well. But I like it only if there is a little, just a few seeds here and there, otherwise its flavor becomes overpowering. If you have never tried it before, do a taste test in a corner of the plate. Alternatively, it can be replaced with caraway.
Cook the meat on the griddle or grill, without draining it too much from the marinade.
When the slices are well-cooked, let them cool slightly, cut them into pieces, and add them to the cabbage, apple, and grape salad.
Serve the chicken salad at room temperature, finishing with balsamic vinegar and a pinch of pepper.
Enjoy your meal!
Carla Emilia: Chicken strips with mushrooms
Daniela: Chicken stew with chestnuts and mushrooms
Elena: Chicken fillets with mushrooms
Franca: Chicken rolls and crumbly potatoes
Milena: Chicken rolls with kale and shallots
Serena: Chicken thighs with broccoli
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On my WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest and in my two groups: Catia’s Group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter.
Salt-Free Tips
This chicken salad (autumn/winter) is a perfect low-sodium recipe: the chicken is seasoned with paprika, the griddle cooking enhances the flavor of the meat, the cabbage is naturally “salty,” the grapes add a sweet note that enriches the whole dish, and finally, the balsamic vinegar gives that extra touch. Therefore, no added salt in this recipe. 😊
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
– Decrease salt gradually, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
– Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
– Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
– Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
– Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
– Use my salt-free vegetable granule
– Prefer fresh foods.
– Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (griddle, foil, steam, microwave)
– Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
– Occasionally break the rule. It lifts your mood and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
