- Serves 2 to 3 - Ready in 35 minutes -
Gather together…
6 skewers (wooden or metal).
2 large, skinless chicken breast fillets (300g meat in total).
1 tbsp rapeseed oil / olive oil.
1 lemon (juice and zest).
1 clove garlic, peeled chopped (or 1 tsp lazy garlic).
1 tsp smoked paprika (or curry powder).
1 tbsp oil (to grease oven tray).
1 cup of dried couscous (200g if weighed on scales).
1 handful raisins / sultanas.
1 tsp butter.
375ml (1.5 cups) boiling water.
1 handful chopped Parsley (I grow / buy herbs in bulk and then chop and freeze them, so they are ready to use quickly in recipes).
Serve with…
2 tbsp yoghurt per person.
Pitta breads, toasted and halved, (1 per person).
Get cooking…
1. Slice each chicken breast into 3 long strips (so you have 6 strips in total).
2. Marinate the 300g of chicken strips in a large bowl, in a mixture of the 1 tbsp of oil, lemon juice from 1 lemon, HALF of the lemon zest, the chopped garlic clove and the 1 tsp of paprika, for 5 minutes (whilst you gather the other ingredients together).
3. Meanwhile soak the wooden skewers (if using) in water for 5 minutes, so that they don't burn. Or just use metal skewers. If you don't have skewers, just lay the meat onto the greased baking tray.
4. Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan) or gas mark 4.
5. Thread each strip of chicken onto a skewer and bake, on an oil-greased tray, in the oven for 20 minutes (turning over halfway though).
6. Meanwhile, boil half a kettle of water.
7. Place the 1 cup of dry couscous in a shallow, heat-proof bowl (with a lid if possible) and stir through the remaining lemon zest, and the handful of raisins / sultanas. Add the 1 tsp of butter (be aware that it won't mix in properly until it is melted by the hot water).
8. Pour 375ml (1.5 cups) of just-boiled water over the dried couscous. Stir. Cover (with a plate or lid) and leave for 5 minutes.
9. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork. Fold the the handful of chopped Parsley through it.
10. Serve the skewers on top of the couscous, with the toasted, halved pitta breads and yoghurt.
Adapted from a recipe in the Coop magazine http://www.co-operativefood.co.uk/food-magazine/