Surprise mom with a family picnic on Mother’s Day

Celebrate your mom by whipping up a delicious family picnic in her honour and be inspired by one of our favourite recipes.  

Well-known food writer, Ilse van der Merwe of www.thefoodfox.com, shares her light and spicy tandoori chicken salad recipe for the whole family to tuck into as the perfect taste partner for Roodeberg Classic Rosé.

“Your mom will love this light yet filling salad with the most deliciously creamy ranch-style dressing. It also makes a tasty filling for soft rolls – ideal for a family picnic on Mother’s Day,” Ilse explains about her Roodeberg Rosé inspired recipe.

A wine for all occasions, Roodeberg Classic Rosé is vibrant with bright bursts of strawberry, blueberry and raspberry and an enchanting twist of Turkish delight. This meticulously crafted blend of classic red grape varieties loves seafood, chicken or pork skewers and is pure joy with creamy salads.

Roodeberg Classic Rosé 2022 is available at leading stores countrywide at around R79 or shop online by visiting https://kwv.co.za/product/roodeberg-rose-2022/

 

Tandoori Chicken Salad with Minted Ranch Dressing

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the chicken:

4 x chicken breasts, skin-on (bone-in or boneless)

1 cup plain double cream yoghurt

A knob of ginger, peeled & finely grated

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

2 tablespoons garam masala or mild curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon paprika

Finely grated zest and juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

A few whole baby gem lettuces (rinsed, drained and quartered)

½ cucumber, sliced or peeled into slivers

 

For the ranch dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup fresh mint leaves, stalks discarded, roughly chopped

½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped (plus extra for serving)

Salt and pepper to taste

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

  

Method

To prepare the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth sauce. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

To prepare the chicken: In a bowl, add the yoghurt, ginger, garlic, masala/curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and salt, and mix well. Place the chicken in another bowl, pour over the yoghurt mixture and toss to coat on all sides. Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate for a few hours or overnight. Oven bake skin side up at 200°C for about 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts and whether the meat is on the bone or not. If you prefer to prepare the chicken on the braai, place over a medium hot fire and braai on both sides until just cooked. Remove from the heat, then leave to rest for a few minutes. Remove the bones, then slice the breasts into thin slivers. Arrange the lettuce and cucumber on a platter, then top with the sliced chicken and ranch dressing. Top with more chopped dill and serve at once.

Chef’s tip: We prefer using chicken breast on the bone for a lovely succulent bite with crispy skin. You can also opt for skinless, boneless breasts, just reduce the cooking time.