Last week I was at the grocery store the day before a big reality television shoot I was directing. Those of you out there who’ve spent a sixteen hour day dealing with divas and drama, you know how exhausting it can be. As I trounced through the aisles with my three year old and three week old in tow, I decided that I would create the ultimate pre-production meal. A meal that would feed my body with nutrients, taste great and not weigh me down when I need to be on my game.
Lately, I’ve really been into kale, so I decided to make an Asian Kale and Chicken Salad. The last thing you want to do before a shoot is eat heavy, non-nutritious food. It makes you lethargic and can cause major stomach issues the following day. On a video shoot of any kind you need to have energy and be ready for anything!
Here is what you will need to prepare this delicious video production fuel. The recipe, that should feed four includes;
SALAD
2 Bushels of Organic Kale, Shredded
2 Green Onions
1 Red Vine Tomato, Diced
1 Red Onion, Sliced
25 Red Grapes, Sliced
3 Stalks of Crisp Celery
1/2 Cup of Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup of Crushed Walnuts
1 Can of Lite Mandarin Oranges
1 Can of Sliced Water Chestnuts
3 Large Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tbsp of Sesame Oil
Sea Salt (to taste)
1/4 Cup of Organic Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Sesame Seeds (for sprinkling)
DRESSING:
2 Tbsp – Wasabi Paste
1/4 Cup – Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp – Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup – Organic Low Sodium Soy Sauce
STEP 1: Kale Preparation
1. Wash the kale.
2. Lay the kale out flat and slice along each side of the center stem.
Step 2: Roll The Kale
1. Once you have your two kale pieces lay them on top of each other and then roll them up as tight as you can.
2. Slice the kale into thin strips.
Step 3: Cut The Onions.
1. I cut the green onions into 1/2 inch pieces but you can really do whatever the hell you want.
Step 4: Slice Red Grapes. NOW!
1. I love grapes so I cut up a bunch. Again, add as many or as few as you want. If you hate grapes I suggest a sliced Granny Smith apple.
*I also recommend Granny Smith apples for craft services on your video production set. They’re affordable, sweet, and packed with nutrients.
Step 5: Make Some Yum Yum Onions.
1. Heat a little sesame oil in a cast iron skillet and cook up some red onions until they are browned and soft.
Again it’s all about your personal taste. Have more. Have less. Have none. It’s up to you and makes no difference to me.
Step 6: Cool Those Onions And Build Your Salad Base!
1. Take the cooked onions and put them on a plate. It can be a paper plate or a dinner plate, again it’s about what you want!
2. Put them in the freezer for five minutes. Then set them on the counter until it’s time to build the salad.
3. Once cool, build the salad base. Start with the kale at the bottom.
Step 7: Grill The Chicken Breasts.
1. Go to the store and don’t be cheap! Buy organic, free range chicken. It just tastes so much better! If you can’t afford good chicken then buy the cheap Wal-Mart crap, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
2. Heat the grill to 400 degrees.
3. Place the chicken on the grill and brush with a mixture of sesame oil and organic soy sauce.
4. Cook on the open grill for five minutes, then angle the opposite direction so you can get some good grill marks!
5. Flip, brush and repeat.
6. After you have good grill marks on both sides I typically shut the grill for five minutes and turn off the gas. If you are using a charcoal grill, wrap the breasts in aluminum foil and grill with the lid on for five minutes. Either way, you want an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
7. Pull the chicken off the grill and let it rest for five minutes, covered.
Step 8: Make The Sesame Soy Dressing While The Chicken Is Cooking.
1. You’ll need the following ingredients.
2 Tbsp – Wasabi Paste
1/4 Cup – of Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp – Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup – Organic Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2. Mix the contents until the wasabi paste is no longer chunky.
3. Taste it! If it needs more kick add more wasabi. If the soy is overpowering, add some more sesame oil. It took me a few times to get it exactly how I like it.
*This is a very powerful dressing so don’t go crazy with it or you won’t taste the veggies and fruits.
Step 9: Cut Your Tomatoes And Celery.
*I keep this towards the end because I like my celery crispy and my tomatoes cold. I typically do this while the chicken is resting.
Step 10: Slice The Chicken.
1. After the chicken is finished resting, cut into quarter inch strips or small bite size chunks. Again this is personal preference.
Step 11: Add Chicken, Tomatoes, Celery, And Dressing To Your Salad.
1. Toss in the celery and tomatoes.
2. Add the chicken. Make it look good. You work in video production, so esthetics matter!
3. Drizzle on the dressing.
And now we have a beautiful salad that will be guaranteed to fuel you for your busy day making great content.
Don’t forget to have a delicious glass of red wine which is not only good for you but it makes you feel damn good (and you’ll sleep like a baby).
* I recommend a nice Coppola Pinot Noir with this dish.