Byron Sprout Salad with Chargrilled Chicken

The theme for this month’s #LetsLunch bunch cookup is “Cold entree” which, translated into Australian means a main course that is served at room temperature, usually in the hot summer months. Right? Righto. SO what to do this time? Since it is the middle of winter here at the moment it is hard to be inspired by this sort of dish. However, I just closed my eyes, imagined it was February and I was sitting on Wategos Beach at Byron Bay soaking up the sun. What would I want for lunch???

We spend a lot of time in Byron Bay, a beautiful semi-sleepy surf town in Northern NSW. Every Thursday there is a wonderful farmer’s market where one stall sells a most fantastic assortment of sprouts – including sprouted chickpeas, lentils, mungbeans, peas, alfalfa as well as delicious soaked almonds. Every week I would buy bags of sprouts, and this became our favourite do-ahead vacation lunch for those steamy summer days when I like to get the hot cooking out of the way early in the day.

Byron Sprout Salad

Salad

• 500 g mixed sprouts (sprouting chickpeas, lentils, peas, mung beans etc)
• 100 g snow pea shoots or other green shoots, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch watercress or rocket (arugula), roughly chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup cubed, roasted beetroot (red beet)
• 1 avocado, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped, reserving ¼ cup for garnish
• 8 – 10 chicken thigh fillets, marinated in a dash of olive oil and verjuice

Dressing

• 150 ml olive oil
• 50 ml verjuice or white wine vinegar
• sea salt and pepper

Season the marinated chicken with lots of salt and pepper. Cook on a very hot barbeque until almost cooked through. Set aside, covered with foil, until needed, at least 1/2 hour in advance.

Mix all salad ingredients together. Dress, seasoning well with salt and pepper to taste. Tear the chicken into large lobes and pile on top of the salad. Sprinkle reserved almonds on top of the chicken.

Serves About 8

For some other LetsLunch posts this month, check out the following:

Cheryl’s Spicy Sichuan Sesame Noodles at A Tiger in the Kitchen.

Charles’ Cold Olive Oil Poached Chicken, Potato and Watercress Salad with Buttermilk Tarragon Dressing at The Taste of Oregon.

Charissa’s Smoked Salmon BLT with Dill-Horseradish Aioli at Zest Bakery.

Danielle’s Couscous with Cilantro Pesto & Halloumi at Beyond the Plate

Eleanor’s Cold Noodles with Hoisin Pork, Spicy Shrimp and Stir-fried Vegetables at Be A Wok Star.

Emma’s Mul Naengmyun (it makes me think of this) at Dreaming of Pots and Pans.

Linda’s Gazpacho Rolls at Free Range Cookies.

Lisa’s Byron Sprout Salad with Chargrilled Chicken at Monday Morning Cooking Club.

Maria’s Croque Monsieur with Cheese Bechamel at Maria’s Good Things.

Rebecca’s Rack of Lamb with Mustard and Rosemary at GrongarBlog.

Rashda’s Gazpacho with an Indian Twist at Hot Curries & Cold Beer.

Victor’s Seafood Napoleon at The Taste of Oregon.