National Culinary Review

CHICKEN SKEWERS
with Root Vegetable Slaw and SunButter Sauce
Joel Schaefer, CCC, CHT, President / Allergy Chefs, Inc. / Jacksonville, Fla.
Yield: 3 servings ( 3 skewers each)

20 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, trimmed, cut in 1 oz. cubes

2 T. herb or garlic oil

1/8 t. salt/white pepper mix

9 (6-inch) wooden skewers,
soaked in water overnight
SunButter Sauce (recipe follows)

Toasted sunflower seeds, as needed for garnish (see safety tip*, below)

Crushed red pepper flakes, as needed for garnish

1) Mix chicken cubes, oil and salt/
white pepper mix in mixing bowl.
Cover; marinate in refrigerator for
2 hours or overnight.
2) Skewer chicken cubes, 3 per
stick. Preheat nonstick grill pan
or griddle over medium heat;
brown chicken on each side for
1-2 minutes. Transfer to oven-safe
sheet pan lined with parchment
paper. Place in 350°F oven; bake
for 5 minutes.
3) At service: Place 4 oz. slaw on
each allergen-safe plate; portion
2 oz. sauce in each side dish.
Place 3 chicken skewers on each
plate. Garnish sauce with toasted
sunflower seeds and crushed red
pepper flakes.

Root Vegetable Slaw with Pineapple 1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup lemon juice
2 oz. fresh ginger, peeled, minced
2 oz. fresh garlic, peeled, minced
1 small jalapeño, stem removed,
seeded, chopped
1½ cups canola oil
2¼ t. salt/white pepper mix,
divided

4 oz. daikon radish, peeled, julienne cut

4 oz. carrots, peeled, julienne cut 4 oz. parsnips, peeled, julienne cut ¼ cup chives, chopped 2 oz. beets, peeled, julienne cut

1) For slaw dressing: Combine
water, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice,
ginger, garlic and jalapeño in
blender or food processor; blend
until smooth. With machine
running, remove top and slowly
add oil in steady stream. Season
with 2 t. salt/white pepper mix.
2) Put daikon, carrot, parsnip and
pineapple in mixing bowl with chives,
1 cup slaw dressing and remaining
salt/white pepper mix; mix together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Cairns, Wet Orange Studios

them create and modify recipes that meet the needs of people afflicted with multiple food allergies. The book also discusses special dietary needs of those with autism, celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance and phenylketonuria (PKU), as well as diets for people who are vegetarian or vegan.

“If a restaurant is known to be allergy friendly, it can only
serve for its betterment,” Schaefer says. “Someone with food
allergies will tend to go to a restaurant that will accommodate
dining restrictions and requirements, which means those people
will bring other people with them who may or may not have
food allergies, and frequent that restaurant more often.”
However, asking a guest if he or she has a food allergy is a
double-edged sword. While the restaurant is taking precautions

Cover; place in refrigerator. Place beets in bowl of ice water to help bleed out color. Just before service, add beets to vegetable mix; toss.

SunButter Sauce

1 cup SunButter (chunky sunflower seed spread)

1 t. ground ginger ½ t. kosher salt

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes 4 t. rice vinegar ¾ cup rice milk, divided

Method: Combine SunButter, ginger, salt, red pepper flakes and rice vinegar in bowl; mix with stiff wire whisk until smooth. Add ¼ cup milk; combine slowly. Add remaining milk; whisk until sauce is blended.

*Check allergen statement on toasted sunflower seeds to see if they have been processed in plant with peanuts and tree nuts. Share information with food-allergic guest.

to serve safe food, a guest may take advantage of the situation. It’s not uncommon for guests to ask that an ingredient be omitted from a dish, not because they are allergic to it, but because they don’t like it.

“I don’t recommend that restaurants ask guests if they are allergic to certain ingredients, but, rather, include a statement on the menu [as is required by the Massachusetts law] to mention to the wait staff if a food allergy exists,” says Schaefer. “It’s really up to the consumer to speak up first and let the restaurant staff know they have a food allergy.”

ROB BENES, A CHICAGO-BASED JOURNALIS T, WAS PREVIOUSLY EDITOR OF CHEF AND CHEF EDUCATOR TODAY. HE HAS MORE THAN NINE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WRITING ABOUT CHEFS, FOOD, WINE AND SPIRITS FOR TRADE AND EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS.