Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

Last week I mentioned healthy eating and unhealthy choices, such as buying burgers for dinner instead of cooking a nutritious meal. So I began to wonder about the causes of the growing obesity crisis that has been raising statistics in many countries.

Of course there are many factors but one important line of research arguably suggests GMO crops and glyphosate based herbicide can hold to ransom our nutrient uptake.

As a consequence we keep eating more because we are not getting all the nutrients.

The health of a nation depends on its government to monitor the safety of all our food crops.

Unfortunately for us the Trans-Pacific Partnership threatens to take these important food safety aspects out of our control.

What can I do? Besides studying food labels, keeping chickens, growing vegetables and staying spray free, probably not a lot.

The Authorities will track me down and fine me for letting the chickens cross the road, spray drift will float across from next door, the white butterfly will return, but all is not lost.

There is hope. Some seeds from last season have sprouted, and my first batch of basil is small and pungent.

So here is some trendy barbecue pulled chicken, with new potatoes and microgreen pesto.

Barbecue pulled chicken and new potatoes

Ingredients
500g boneless skinless
chicken thighs
1/2 cup oil
1 large onion. diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2cups barbecue sauce
1-1.5kg new potatoes
2 cups mixed microgreens
150g flaked almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
50-80g parmesan cheese
Juice from 2-3 lemons

Method

Cook the diced onion with some olive oil in a heavy pot, until translucent, then add minced garlic and smoked paprika.

Add chicken pieces one by one, stirring well with the onion, then add the barbecue sauce and bring up to a simmer.

Transfer to casserole dish with a heavy lid and bake for one and a half hours with the lid on at 180c.

Cook the potatoes, which can be diced into salad-sized portions, drain, season and set to one side.

When the chicken is tender, shred with two forks after removing from the liquid, which can then be further reduced.

Keep the shredded chicken moist with a little of the sauce.

To make the pesto, whiz up most of the microgreens with the almonds and the lemon juice drizzle in the oil and add the parmesan last.

Taste it all to make any adjustments. To assemble place shredded chicken on a crisp salad leafs and top with reduced barbecue sauce.

Toss the potatoes in the microgreen pesto and scatter around the chicken, then sprinkle with more microgreens and serve.

The combination of textures makes this a perfect and trendy meal and can make the most of your free backyard food supply.