One Wok, One Pot, One Pan: Pasta Salad with Mixed Mediterranean Vegetables, Marinated Feta and Chicken in Citrus Mustard Dressing

(serves 8)

Recently i was asked as part of my bridesmaid's duties to cater for 'lunch on the go for the bridal party' for my friend Connie's special day! There were a few criteria that were set: bite-size fork-able pieces, not too oily or heavy or with risk of spilling or getting caught in teeth... haha, have to love her for thinking of every potential disaster? ;)

Beautiful picnic location, Dawes Point

This pasta salad was what i decided on - colourful, flavoursome, not too complicated to prepare but hopefully was tasty and special enough to leave a good impression! Didn't have time to document it the first time, but made it again recently for lunch on a day hike for a few people and have decided it's definitely a great salad for picnics and the like!

Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:
2 medium Sweet potato
1-1.5kg Chicken Maryland
3 red or yellow Capsicum
100g Sun-dried tomatoes
50g Olives, marinated and pitted
120g Marinated Eggplant (optional)
100g Marinated Feta
200g Mixed Lettuce leaves
500g Pipette rigate (or another short pasta)
2 tsp Thyme
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tsp Seeded mustard
2 tsp Sumac

Dressing:
Juice and rind of 4 Limes (or 2 lemons if limes not in season)
2 tsp Brown sugar
3 tsp Seeded mustard
Olive oil

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
2. To poach the chicken, heat a large pot with boiling water and submerge the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes on high heat, then put in a thermal cooker for 30-35 minutes. Check it's cooked by piercing with a knife, if no blood water comes out then it's cooked through. Remove from heat and cool.
NB. If you don't have a thermal cooker, then cook on high heat for 10-15 minutes, then leave off the heat for another 15-20 minutes, again checking it's cooked before removing to cool.
3. Meanwhile, peel and cut the sweet potato into 1.5cm x 1.5cm cubes and dress in olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spray a foil-lined tray with oil and then put the sweet potato on it, leaving a bit of space between them and bake for 20- 30 minutes until crisp. Remove from the heat and cool.
4. Cut the ends off the capsicum, remove the seed and cut in half, leaving each capsicum as 2 rectangles. Grill skin side up under high heat for 5-8 minutes, or until it's mostly black and wrinkly on top. Remove from the heat and enclose in a take-away box for 5 minutes.
NB. The moisture from the heat will help to soften the skin and make it easier to remove.
5. Peel off the skin and cut the capsicum into thin slices.

6. Cut the sun-dried tomato and eggplant into thin slices, and cut the olives into quarters or eights.
7. Make the dressing by combining the rind and juice of the limes, brown sugar, 1-2 T of oil from the marinated feta, salt, pepper and mustard.
8. Shred the cooled chicken into thin slices and dress with quarter of the dressing, 2 tsp seeded mustard, 2 tsp sumac and salt and pepper to taste.

9. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the instructions until al dente. Drain and place in a big mixing bowl.
10. Dress the pasta with half the dressing, add in the torn salad leaves and the rest of the dressing and toss through. Separate into 2 big mixing bowls.
11. Evenly add in the chicken, sweet potato, roasted capsicum, sun-dried tomato, eggplant and olives into each bowl and toss through.