Esther’s Chickpea Salad Bowl

Salad
 ½ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
 ¼ cup fresh cilantro, and/or parsley, roughly chopped
 1 tbsp fresh chopped green onion (or chives)
 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained
 4 ears grilled or steamed corn, kernels only (3 cups of corn)
 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
 1 avocado, diced

Vinaigrette
 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
 1 shallot, finely chopped (small red onion)
 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, the zest of 1 lemon
 2 tsp honey
 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
 kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions
1. To make the salad: Add the basil, cilantro, parsley, chives/green onions, chickpeas, corn,
tomatoes and cucumbers to a large bowl.
2. To make the vinaigrette: Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil
shimmers, add the shallots, cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool
slightly. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and red wine vinegar. Season with salt,
pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with avocado.
 Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pao Chicken)
Ingredients
 For the Chicken:
 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces (170g) each, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
 1 teaspoon (5ml) Shaoxing wine (see note)
 2 teaspoons light soy sauce (10ml)
 2 teaspoons cornstarch (about 5g)
 Large pinch kosher salt
 For the Sauce:
 1 tablespoon honey (15ml)
 2 tablespoons (30ml) Chinkiang vinegar (see note)
 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (15ml)
 2 teaspoons (10ml) light soy sauce (see note)
 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (about 2g)
 Water or homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, as needed
 For the Stir-Fry:
 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (45ml)
 6 to 12 small dried red chiles (such as árbol), stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces with scissors,
seeds discarded
 1 teaspoon (about 2g) Sichuan peppercorns, reddish husks only (stems and black seeds discarded)
 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks or grated
 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
 3/4 cup roasted peanuts (about 5 ounces; 150g)

Directions
For the Chicken: Combine chicken, wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl and
turn until well mixed and chicken is evenly coated in a thin film of the cornstarch paste. Set
aside.
For the Sauce: Combine honey, vinegar, wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir
together with a fork until no clumps of cornstarch remain.
To Stir-Fry: Pour a small amount of oil into the bottom of a large wok or skillet and rub around
with a paper towel. Place over high heat and preheat until smoking. Add remaining oil and
immediately add chiles and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry until fragrant but not burnt, about 5
seconds. Immediately add chicken and stir-fry until there are no longer pink spots on the
exterior (chicken will still be raw in center at this stage), 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.
Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add scallions and peanuts
and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add sauce ingredients and stir-fry until all the ingredients are coated evenly and the chicken is
cooked through, about 1 minute, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary to keep the
sauce from clumping. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.