Go green with chicken

IF THERE's a colour soothing to the eye it is green. Green vegetables are the life of life and the salad is now the staple part of a menu. Chef Gomes has added greens to chicken, to create a nutritious and mouth watering dish. "I've used garden greens with chicken for the health value that each ingredient has", he says. This is the best summer chicken you can try out at your home. What's more there's no oil content to it at all.

For best results, use young asparagus shoots. While it is low in low in calories and sodium content, it is a good source of folic acid, potassium, fibre and rutin. From the cabbage family, broccoli is high in vitamin C and soluble fiber and contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. The leaf actually contains more beta-carotene than the florets.

Chives are one of the finest herbs of French cuisine. The smallest species in the onion family, they are rich in vitamins A and C, with traces of sulphur and iron.

Baby chicken breast with celery puree and garden greens

Ingredients:

2 pieces chicken breast

200 grams green celery

60 grams green beans

60 grams broccoli

60 grams leeks

50 grams asparagus tips

50 grams Brussel sprouts

10 grams chives

15 grams spring onion

15 spinach leaves

1 teaspoon mustard

1cup chicken stock

1 portion butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Take the chicken and de-bone it, clean properly, marinate with salt, pepper and mustard and keep it for 1 hour. Clean the vegetables well in cold water, pre-boil them and keep them in ice cold water. In a baking dish, arrange the chicken with celery, chives, spring onions and little chicken stock. Cook the chicken for 10-14 minutes. When ready, remove from the dish and keep it aside.

For the puree, take the remaining ingredients from the baking dish, put them in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper along with the butter portion. Cook for 2 minutes or warm it. Before serving, re-heat the green vegetables in boiling water (salted).

For presentation, arrange the chicken and green vegetables along with celery puree.

Co-ordinated by Punam Mohandas