I absolutely adore this harissa chicken and rice salad. For me, it’s pure summer on a plate; bursting with vibrant sun-ripened colours and flavours. Think of combining refreshing cucumber, mint and lime, with the mildspice of red chilli, ginger and harissa. Afterwards, you can cool and complement all this with thick and creamy Greek yoghurt and fresh herbs.
I’m giving you the recipe for 4 people, but we sometimes double up the quantities if friends are coming round for a barbecue. It’s a complete meal in itself if you want it to be, but it also makes a great accompaniment to other marinated chargrilled meats or fish. You could also just make the salad without the chicken, and serve it with these these ginger and coriander crab cakes. I like to enjoy my harissa chicken and rice salad with a freezer cooled beer topped with a slice of lime.
Think of combining refreshing cucumber, mint and lime, with the mild spice of red chilli, ginger and harissa. Then cooling and complimenting all this with thick and creamy Greek yoghurt and fresh herbs...
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, boneless but with skins on
95ml Greek yoghurt plus a couple of tablespoons to serve
2 tbsp rose harissa and a little extra to serve
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red chilli powder
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
225g basmati and wild mixed rice
½ cm ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
½ cucumber, deseeded and cut into small cubes or slices
1 tbsp sesame oil
Small splash of soy sauce
The juice of 1 lime and the zest of ½ of that lime
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Mix the harissa, garlic, olive oil, ginger, soy sauce, yoghurt and mint in a bowl, then add the chicken thighs, coating them all in the marinade. Set aside for at least 20 minutes to absorb the flavours.
Whilst the chicken marinates, cook the rice in salted boiling water until tender, normally around 10 to 12 minutes. Drain it, then rinse it through briefly with cold water.
Drain it again and put it into your salad serving bowl.
Once cool, mix in the cucumber cubes, lime juice and zest, and the red chilli powder.
Turn the grill onto high. Arrange the chicken on a grilling tray and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked throughout and golden in colour. I recommend crisping up the fatty side first.
Once the chicken is cooked, cut it into thickish slices and mix about half of it straight into the salad. Top the salad with the rest of the chicken and sprinkle over the fresh coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix a little more yoghurt and harissa together and serve in a little bowl with a teaspoon along with the salad.
Notes
Requires about 20 minutes marinating time in addition to the preparation time.
A Chinese-style lemon chicken dish that you can make at home. Serve it with plain boiled rice or a medley of yummy veggies. For more Chinese chicken recipes, why not try this hot and spicy chicken with almonds?
Ingredients:
475g chicken breasts, boneless
2 tsp dry cornflour, and 1 tsp cornflour mixed with water
1 egg white
A generous pinch of salt
245ml groundnut oil
The juice and zest of 4 lemons
90ml chicken stock
A generous dash of dry sherry
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
A slug of sesame oil
1 clove garlic, skin removed and finely sliced
1 bunch spring onions, very finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli pepper, finely sliced
1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and shredded
Salt and pepper to season
Steps:
Make the chicken coating by mixing the egg white, dry cornflour, and salt together in a bowl.
Cut the chicken breasts into strips and stir them into the mixture, coating them well all over, and leave to one side for 25 minutes.
Whilst the chicken is resting, juice and zest the lemons and prepare the remaining ingredients.
Put a large wok on a high heat, and once very hot, add the groundnut oil and heat until it begins to smoke. Take it off the heat and add the chicken, moving it about to prevent it from sticking, and stir-frying until it becomes white all over. Remove the chicken, and drain off the oil – be careful as the oil may be extremely hot, so drain it over a heat-proof bowl. Leave the chicken to one side. Let the cooking oil cool, discard it, and then clean out the wok with kitchen paper.
To make the lemony sauce, add the following to the wok: lemon juice and zest, chicken stock, soy, dry sherry, sugar, garlic, ginger and chilli. Bring the mixture up to the boil and then stir in the cornflour and water mix. Turn the heat down to a simmer for 20 seconds, adding the chicken pieces and half of the spring onions. Move the chicken pieces about to coat them all over and ensure that they are thoroughly heated.
I’ll confess that being a food lover and staying consistently slim have occasionally been a hard combination for me to successfully achieve. I’m always looking for ways to enjoy a rich and varied diet whilst trying to keep to, or get back to, my ideal weight. There have been some seasons where I’ve relied quite heavily on the delights of chicken caesar salad as a stock lunch because it’s lightish, healthyish and very, very tasty.
It makes a good staple during these times with plenty of crunchy romaine lettuce, which I sometimes mix with spinach leaves for extra iron. And when I need to, I just go easy on the dressing, or swap it for a lower calorie version, and choose a leaner bacon. You can also try this lamb’s lettuce salad with serrano ham and apricots for a light and healthy lunch.
Chicken Caesar salad was said to have been invented in a moment of kitchen sparseness, on a very busy day in his restaurant when lack of supplies got Caesar Cardini’s creativity flowing – making the best of what was left in the cupboards. Something I love to do myself.
Said to have been invented in a moment of kitchen sparseness, on a very busy day in his restaurant when lack of supplies got Caesar Cardini’s creativity flowing...
Ingredients
5 skinless chicken breasts
A couple of pinches of mixed dried Italian herbs
4 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
195g streaky smokey bacon
2 garlic cloves, chopped in half
3 slices of thick white or brown bread
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Romaine or Cos lettuce heads, washed and thickly chopped into ribbons
2 large ripe avocado pears, stones and skin removed, and sliced
8 tbsp ready to use Caesar salad dressing
A handful of fresh basil
A pinch of cumin seeds
Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Turn the grill on to high. Make a slash in the chicken breasts, season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the mixed herbs. Place under the preheated grill for around 15 minutes, or until cooked throughout. After 5 minutes of grilling, add the bacon slices, sprinkle over with the cumin seeds and cook until crispy.
Slice the chicken diagonally across the width and chop up the bacon. Wrap them in foil and place to one side.
Toast the bread under the grill; rub well with the garlic, adding a little minced garlic to the top if you like a bit of extra bite. Drizzle over the olive oil and either leave whole or chop or tear the bread into rough croutons.
Divide the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, bacon and chicken across 4 shallow serving bowls and top with the croutons, some dressing and the fresh basil. Season again with salt and pepper if you wish.
Here is a simple recipe bursting with flavour.  Chicken marinated in herbs and garlic with roasted red peppers is quick and easy to prepare, so don’t let the long name fool you! You can be getting on with other jobs whilst the peppers are roasting in the oven – and before you fry the chicken.
Place the peppers drizzled with oil onto a roasting tray, sprinkle over with the herbs, and season with salt and black pepper.
Roast the peppers in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on their size.
Whilst the peppers are roasting, place the chicken fillets into a bowl, cover with the oil, stir in the garlic and the fresh parsley. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 20-25 minutes.  For extra flavour and softness, marinate the night before.
About 15 minutes before serving, take the chicken out of the fridge, and in a large frying pan, spoon in the oil from the marinade. Heat the oil on high, testing that the oil is ready for the chicken by dropping a bread crumb in. If the crumb sizzles, the oil is ready! Fry the chicken with the rest of the marinade, making sure that each piece of chicken fully touches the bottom of the pan. First seal the chicken on a high heat for a few minutes on each side, then turn the heat down to medium and continue to fry until the chicken is cooked throughout, about 10 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the fillets.
Present the whole peppers with the chicken on a plate. Serve with fresh granary bread or rocket leaves drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
Recipe for: 4 main courses
Duration:15 minutes to prepare (some of this is done during the peppers’ roasting time) and 45 minutes to 1 hour cooking time.
Paprika garlic chicken with beans and potatoes is a meal I cook at least once a month. It’s a modern twist on a classic meat and two veg dish: simple, wholesome and healthy. Something for the weekend.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast fillets, about 1cm in thickness
4 garlic cloves, peeled and pushed through a garlic press
2 medium to large potatoes, skins on, chopped into 1.5cm rounds
Pack of fresh runner beans, topped & tailed, then sliced into halves lengthwise before cutting at a shear angle into 4-5 cm lengths
Juice of ½ lemon
Fresh ground black pepper
Steps:
Put the chicken in a bowl, pour over the olive oil, and stir in the garlic and a pinch of salt. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can do this some hours, or even the night before, if you like.
When you are ready to prepare the meal, steam the potatoes for 5 minutes before adding the beans and steaming both together for about another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked and tender. Try to retain a slightly firm consistency in the potatoes so that they don’t fall apart at the next stage.
Whilst the vegetables are steaming, pour a little of the marinade oil along with the garlic into a frying pan over a fairly hot heat. Seal one side of each of the chicken fillets in the frying pan. During the sealing, sprinkle a pinch of paprika over each chicken breast fillet, and when you turn the chicken to seal the other side, sprinkle paprika across the other side of the breast too. Continue to fry the chicken until cooked throughout. Remove from the heat.
Here’s a one pot Chinese chicken dish that’s fast to prepare and is full of wonderful oriental flavours. It’s a great mid-week meal which is simply yet beautifully presented; with finely sliced spring onion and plenty of coriander sprinkled over hot and zingy chicken and rice. Sometimes I substitute the ginger for fresh, finely sliced lemongrass to give this dish more of a Thai twist. It is one of our staple recipes that comes out every couple of months.
We had the family over to stay this weekend, and we cooked this dish because it is so tasty, and you can prepare it quickly in the kitchen; leaving more time to catch up with loved ones that you haven’t seen for a while. It was the first time my husband’s parents made the 4 hour drive to come and stay under our roof, and a special time was had by all. For another spicy chicken dish, try this chicken tikka masala.
Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and bring the stock up to the boil.
Add the rice, stirring once to separate it out evenly in the pan.
Bring the stock back up to the boil and then add the chicken thighs.
Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender; and the stock has been absorbed into the rice.
Sprinkle over the coriander and the finely sliced spring onions; spoon into bowls and serve with soy sauce.
Fresh ribbons of pasta topped off with soft livers, and plenty of crunch; chestnut spaghetti with chicken livers is an unusually satisfying dish.
Let’s face it; chicken livers are not everybody’s favourite; perhaps they’re one of those things, like Marmite, that you either love or hate! If you’re one of the lovers, you’ll enjoy the combination of the soft livers with the crunch of the chestnuts in this dish. If you’re still not convinced, well, what’s the harm in giving it a try? You might just enjoy it, and livers are packed with nutrients, you know.
If livers really don’t float your boat, you could make this prawn and courgette tagliatelle instead. I recommend fresh pasta for this meal; or for the deeply committed pasta lover, you may want to make it yourself for the most delicate of textures and the best of tastes.
Fresh ribbons of pasta topped off with soft livers, and plenty of crunch; chestnut spaghetti with chicken livers is an unusually satisfying dish.
Ingredients
250g fresh chicken livers, each chopped in half
300g fresh spaghetti
1 small onion, peeled and finely sliced
120ml chicken stock, hot
100ml dry white wine
1tbsp butter
1tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced or minced
100g chestnuts, cooked and peeled
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Crème fraiche to serve
Olive oil to drizzle when serving
Parmesan shavings to serve
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to season
Instructions
Heat the white wine and chicken stock together in a saucepan, reducing the liquid to about one third.
Melt half of the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan, turning it up to medium-high. Sprinkle salt generously over the chicken livers and flash-fry them in the butter for 1-2 minutes, browning them all over but so that they remain pink in the centres. Then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side.
Now, with the heat turned down a bit, melt the rest of the butter, combine it with the oil in the pan and cook the onions for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
Add the chestnuts and the garlic to the frying pan and fry on until the onions are translucent, at which point add the reduced wine stock. Return the livers to the pan, season well with salt and pepper and stir everything together, including the crème fraiche.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for 3-4 minutes until soft.
Stir the flat-leaf parsley into the livers. Serve the pasta with the chicken livers on top, a drizzle of oil and some Parmesan shavings.
Risottos are a filling and healthy food to prepare on a budget. Chicken risotto with green peas is a refreshing blend of spring vegetables, chicken and lemon. (I also recommend this mushroom risotto.)
Ingredients:
600g risotto rice
2 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A generous splash or two of Martini, or white wine
6 chicken breasts sliced into diagonal strips about 1.5cm wide, skin removed
1.5L prepared, hot chicken stock
300g peas
300g courgettes, halved then sliced into long, thin strands – or however you prefer them
2-3 tbsp crème fraiche or double cream
2 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
A generous twist or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Add the rice to the pan, coat it all over with the oil and juices and fry for a couple of minutes. Splash in the Martini, turn the pan down to a simmer and reduce away all of the Martini.
Spoon in a ladle or two of the hot chicken stock. Stir it in and with the pan uncovered, simmer the rice until the stock is absorbed. Continue to add ladlefuls of stock in this way until the rice is fully cooked. Stir the contents of the pan regularly. Some of the chicken will fall apart in the cooking process, but this is normal and just contributes to the texture of the dish.
Use your judgement to gauge when the rice is around 10 minutes from being cooked, adding in the peas at this point, and stirring everything together.
Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat, season the pan well with salt and pepper, spoon in and combine the crème fraiche, twist over the lemon, and sprinkle over with half of the coriander and all of the parsley.
Serve into pretty bowls and garnish with the remaining coriander.
Duration: 30 minutes to prepare, 40-60 minutes to cook
Chicken fricassee is a bright and colourful dish which combines the meat with a mix of vegetables which are roasted together in a stock.
You can thicken the sauce into a white gravy at the end of the roasting time with cream if you wish, but here is the light version for you. It’s a great meal for a Sunday to share with family or friends. Enjoy it with a light and fruity red wine, or a crisp dry, herby white. (For a vegetarian version, try this lentil fricassee.)
Ingredients:
4kg chicken pieces; breasts and legs, skins on, boned
6 cloves garlic whole and with skins left on
90ml extra virgin olive oil
225g shallots, with skins left on and cut into halves
300g courgettes, cut in half lengthwise and then into chunky strips
200g cauliflower, cubed
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into medium-size rounds
900ml chicken stock
10 whole mixed colour peppercorns
2 bay leaves
A couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary
Salt flakes and fresh ground pepper to season
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
In a large heavy-based frying pan, heat half of the oil on a medium to high heat, and brown the chicken pieces all over as you seal in the juices. This only takes a few minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown.
Take the pan off the heat and put the chicken in a large roasting tray, along with the rosemary, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves.
Back to the frying pan now! Give it a little wipe with a piece of kitchen paper to remove any browned pieces of meat and vegetables, and then pour in the chicken stock. Bring the liquid up to the boil, season it with salt and pepper and pour it over the chicken and vegetables in the roasting tray.
Roast the fricassee in the oven for between 40 minutes and an hour, or until all of the chicken pieces are cooked throughout.
Duration: 25 minutes to prepare, 40 – 60 minutes to cook