Spiced chicken with warm green herb grains, asparagus, avocado & pistachio

Name: Spiced chicken with warm green herb grains, asparagus, avocado & pistachio
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pack No.1 Free Range Corn Fed Chicken Thigh Fillets; 1 clove/s garlic, chopped; 1½ cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 echalion shallot, chopped; 25 g pack coriander; 1 tsp Belazu Balsamic Sun-Dried Tomato Paste; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 lemon, juice; 2 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Garam Masala; 100 g No.1 Strained Natural Greek Yogurt; 15 ml tbsp ZOE Daily30+; 4 apricots, halved and stones removed; Watercress, to serve

Mary Gwynn's recipe is inspired by the flavours of coronation chicken. Her version is lighter on carbs with plenty of veg (which you can vary depending on what’s available) and fragrant with preserved lemon, garam masala and ZOE Daily30+. The dish can be served warm or cold – it’s delicious either way.

5 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe

HealthyHigh protein2 of your 5 a day

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook35 mins
Total time55 mins
PlusPreparation time 20 minutes + marinating

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For the chicken

1 pack No.1 Free Range Corn Fed Chicken Thigh Fillets
1 clove/s garlic, chopped
1½ cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 echalion shallot, chopped
½ x 25g pack coriander
1 tsp Belazu Balsamic Sun-Dried Tomato Paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juice
2 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Garam Masala
100g No.1 Strained Natural Greek Yogurt
2 x 15ml tbsp ZOE Daily30+
4 apricots, halved and stones removed
Watercress, to serve

For the salad

150g bulgur wheat with white & red quinoa
200g asparagus, trimmed (or 150g podded fresh peas and/or podded broad beans)
1 avocado, destoned, flesh cubed
1 preserved lemon, skin only, roughly chopped
50g pistachio kernels, toasted and roughly chopped
25g packs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ x 20g pack tarragon, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
15ml tbsp ZOE Daily30+

Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Place the chicken in a shallow dish. Put the garlic, ginger, shallot, coriander, tomato paste, olive oil and half the lemon juice in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Add the garam masala, 3 tbsp of the yogurt and some seasoning. Stir in the ZOE Daily30+ and pour over the chicken, turning the meat to coat in the marinade. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a roasting tin (about 30x20cm) and tuck the halved apricots around them, so there are no gaps, spooning any remaining marinade over the apricots. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, basting the meat with the juices halfway through cooking, until there is no pink meat and the juices run clear.
Meanwhile, make the salad. Boil 1L of water in a large saucepan. Add the bulgur wheat mix and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender and most of the water has been absorbed. Cook the asparagus for 3-4 minutes in boiling water until just tender, then run it under cold water briefly to stop it cooking. Drain both the asparagus and the grain mix thoroughly.
Cut the asparagus into 3cm lengths and place in a bowl with the grains. Add the avocado, preserved lemon, pistachios and chopped herbs. Whisk the remaining lemon juice and oil together, season and pour over the grains. Stir to combine and transfer to a serving dish. Scatter with the ZOE Daily30+.
Remove the chicken and apricots from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Put the roasting tin back on a low heat and stir the remaining yogurt into the pan juices. Stir together and heat through thoroughly, but don’t allow it to boil as the yogurt will split. Spoon this over the chicken and serve with watercress and the grain salad on the side.

Cook’s tip

The grain salad is very versatile – substitute with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, peppers or salad onions depending on what is at its best. I like to use chicken thigh fillets for their flavour and meaty texture, but you can use breasts or marinate a whole chicken in the spice mix and roast it until cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear, then finishing on the barbecue if you like. If cooking a whole bird, add all the yogurt to the marinade.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe