I love the taste of cooked chicken and this chicken and goats cheese salad is also a great way to use left over chicken. It makes for a very tasty lunch.

Irish goats cheese is creamy, mild and delicious. It does not have a strong taste. We are using one from Bluebell Farm’s Artisan Cheese in the restaurant for a while now and it goes down very well. It is produced in Charleville, Co Cork by Victor and Breda O’Sullivan and I am happy to recommend it.

For this tuna and pitta salad you will not find better than Shine’s Wild Irish Tuna from Killybegs. It is widely available around the country and it is delicious. A lot of people enjoy tuna and another simple meal is to have it with some pasta.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Chicken and goats cheese with baby leek and roasted pepper salad

Serves four

12 baby leeks, trimmed and cut into slices on the diagonal

olive oil, for cooking

2 roasted yellow peppers, cut into strips (or use a jar of mixed chargrilled peppers)

good pinch chopped fresh thyme

squeeze of lemon juice

dash of balsamic vinegar

handful pitted black olives

1 cooked chicken, meat shredded off into bite-sized pieces (discard all skin and bone)

4 x 2.5cm (1in) slices goats cheese log

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

crusty bread, to serve

  • 1 Heat a large flat griddle pan until very hot. Toss the leeks in a little of the oil and then add to the griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then scatter over the yellow peppers. Sprinkle with thyme and then drizzle over a little more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook the leeks and peppers until lightly charred, turning regularly. Just before they’ve finished cooking add a squeeze of lemon and a dash of balsamic vinegar, then transfer to a serving plate. Scatter over the olives and cooked chicken pieces.
  • 2 Wipe the griddle pan clean and put back on the hob over a high heat. Brush both sides of the goat’s cheese with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until nicely toasted. Place on top of the salads and have a separate basket of the crusty bread to serve.
  • Tuna and pitta salad

    Serves four

    25g (1oz) butter, melted

    2 oval pitta breads

    2 beef tomatoes, diced

    1 cucumber, cut into quarters lengthways and diced

    6-8 radishes, trimmed and thickly sliced

    1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

    400g (14oz) jar tuna in olive oil, drained

    For the dressing:

    juice of 1 lemon

    1 garlic clove, finely chopped

    10 fresh mint leaves, finely shredded

    good pinch paprika

    6-8 tbsp extra-virgin rapeseed oil

    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark four). Brush the melted butter on both sides of the bread and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy and lightly golden. The idea is to dry out the bread without burning it. Remove and set aside to cool.
  • 2 Cut the cooled pitta breads into bite-sized pieces and put into a large salad bowl. Add the other ingredients and lightly toss together.
  • 3 For the dressing; whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl or use a jam jar with a lid and shake well. Season to taste. Then whisk or shake again until well emulsified. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat before serving.