Summer Lunch Menu

Since both my husband and I are teachers, we have the flexibility of entertaining other teacher families during the week. No need to wait for the weekend to make a lunch date. It also becomes easier to plan get togethers as the kids have soccer three times a week in the evenings. A lunch date will be over by the time we need to be heading out to the soccer fields.

I am always raving about the recipes from my favourite (free) magazine, Food and Drink, from the LCBO. This time, I found a couple sweet and savory salads from the turkey cookbook insert that came along with the magazine. Really, get togethers are an excuse for me to try new foods, and not worry about having leftovers for over a week. I am hoping we will be able to entertain a few more times this summer, but I could always try out new recipes when we are visiting my parents or my friends in Edmonton.

Both recipes have meat (turkey or chicken) in them, but could easily be made vegetarian. Both recipes also have similar ingredients (mint, coriander, citrus), so they complement each other. I served them deconstructed because my husband does not like cold meat, but our guests enjoyed the meal. Of course, my children did not try either salad, and opted for bread, cheese and hummus. I had a fruit and veggie tray on the side as well.

TURKEY MANGO SALAD

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 tsp (5mL) sesame oil

1 8-oz (227g) extra lean ground Ontario turkey

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp (25mL) fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp (15mL) fish sauce (or sodium reduced soy sauce)

2 mangoes, peeled and chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp (25mL) fresh cilantro (or basil) chopped

2 tbsp (25mL) fresh mint, chopped

2 tbsp (25mL) lime juice

Pinch granulated sugar

Dash hot pepper sauce

In large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat and cook, turkey, garlic, ginger and fish sauce, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove from heat.

In large bowl, blend mango, pepper, cilantro and mint. Add turkey mixture to bowl and stir. Drizzle with lime juice, sugar and hot sauce; stir to combine.

Makes 4-1 cup (250mL) servings.

I left the hot sauce on the side, not knowing how spicy our guests like their food. Plus, if it is not spicy enough, they can add more.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture the day of the meal, so this does not do it justice. One of the mangoes was ripe, the other was green, but it was nice to have to contrast of the sweeter mango with the more tart, green one. Trinidadians make a dish called mango chow, that uses green mangoes, peppers and lemon juice, so I am partial to the flavour of green mangoes.

 

APPLE WHEATBERRY TURKEY SALAD

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 12 minutes

Makes: 7 cups (1.75 L) or 7-1 cup (250 mL) servings

1 cup (250 mL) wheat berries (hard or soft wheat kernels)

1 apple, cored and diced

1 orange, peeled and diced

2 green onions, chopped

5 tbsp (75 mL) each chopped cilantro

2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh mint

1 cup (250 mL) orange juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg (about 400 g) Ontario turkey breast slices or tenders

2 tbsp (25 mL) canola oil

2 tbsp (25 mL) cider vinegar

2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard

Pinch each salt and pepper

In large pot of boiling water, cook wheat berries partially covered for about 1 hour or until tender but still slightly chewy. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well and place in large bowl. Add apple, orange, green onion, mint and 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the cilantro; set aside.

Bring the orange juice, garlic and remaining cilantro to boil in a skillet. Add turkey, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, turning once or until no longer pink inside. Remove turkey from orange mixture and chop into bite size pieces. Add to wheatberries.

Bring remaining orange juice mixture to boil for about 2 minutes or until almost all the juice is evaporated. Whisk in oil, vinegar and mustard and pour over turkey and wheatberry mixture. Toss to coat evenly and stir in salt and pepper.

Tip: This salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Cook wheatberries ahead and drain and let cool completely. Place in resealable bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw before using in the recipe.

I used chicken breast instead of turkey, and served the chicken cut up on the side. This gave my husband the option to heat up his meat, and the guests could select as much meat to put on their salad as they would like. I did not have access to wheatberries, so I used barley instead. It did not require a full hour to cook. If you let it simmer in a broth for 45 minutes, you should be fine. I also served the dressing on the side.

When entertaining, make sure you are careful about serving drinks. Our guests brought their own beer, as we do not have a lot of alcohol in our home. They only had one each, and left a few hours after finishing them. I made some homemade watermelon iced tea (from David'sTea) which went along nicely with the mint and citrus flavours of the meal.

Looking forward to some more summer get togethers to try out new recipes!

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