Flavoursome and Satisfying January Recipes

This week, we're venturing to different corners of the globe with these flavour packed recipes. Healthy, free range and delicious.

Chicken Souvlaki 

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• juice of 1 large fresh lemon
• for serving: pita bread, fresh baby arugula (or chopped Romaine), thinly-sliced red onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, chopped fresh parsley, tzatziki sauce

Method

1. Combine chicken pieces, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, black pepper and lemon juice in a large ziplock bag or mixing bowl, and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.  Seal/cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.
2. Remove chicken from bag/bowl, and discard the leftover marinade.  Thread chicken onto skewers**.
3. To Cook Chicken On The Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high. Place skewers on the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.  Transfer skewers to a separate plate, and set aside.
4. To Cook Chicken In The Oven: Preheat broiler, and place the rack about 5-6 inches from the top of the oven.  Place skewers on a large baking sheet, and broil for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.  Transfer skewers to a separate plate, and set aside.
5. To assemble the chicken souvlaki pitas, lay a piece of pita bread out on a flat surface, and top it with a few pieces of chicken and your desired toppings and tzatziki sauce.  Serve immediately.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients 

• 500g chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 sweet potatoes 
• 2 celery 
• 2 spring onions
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
• Optional: 1/4 shredded cheese

Method

Sweet Potato: 

1. For the sweet potato jackets, pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
2. Wash the sweet potatoes and pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub generously with olive oil and place on a baking tray. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Bake for 45 mins until the skin is crisp and the potatoes are soft to touch.
3. Remove from the oven and carefully cut in half to expose the soft potato. Top with a knob of butter and sprinkle over chopped chives or spring onion, if using. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken:

1. Add 1 tsp olive oil to a pan and heat.
2. Add chicken and ½ cup water.
3. Once the water begins to simmer, reduce heat and cover.
4. Cook chicken for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Move chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly before shredding with two forks.

To Assemble:

1. Mix chicken, celery, onions, peppers and Buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Toss well. 
2. Spoon sweet potato out of the skin and place your mix in. Re-adding what you spooned out once your mix is in. 
3. Place in the oven at 200C for a further 10-15 minutes. 

Serve. Adding your cheese on top if desired.

Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

Ingredients

For the chicken: 

• 1 whole medium sized chicken
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the marinade: 

• ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Peruvian Green Sauce

Method

For the Roast Chicken:

• Line a medium, rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a metal rack over the baking sheet. Cover the metal rack with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure to leave space around (or at least on opposite ends of) the edge of the metal rack for chicken juices to flow into the rimmed baking sheet. (Alternately, a well-seasoned and oiled cast iron skillet can be used for roasting the chicken.)
• Remove giblets and carefully rinse the chicken, inside and out. Remove any excess fat or skin and leftover pin feathers. Use paper towels to pat the entire chicken dry and set the chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
• Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.
• Truss the chicken. 
• Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken and brush the chicken with 1/4th of the marinade.
• Refrigerate the chicken 8-48 hours, uncovered, until ready to cook.
• When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and heat oven to 450°F.
• Turn the chicken, breast side down, onto the wire rack and set the chicken in the oven (middle rack).
• Cook the bird 30 minutes then turn it breast-side up.
• Cook an additional 30 minutes. (If the chicken is getting too brown, cover it with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (Don’t wrap the foil around the chicken – just set the foil on top of the chicken.)
• Turn off the oven, baste the chicken with reserved marinade, and set the chicken back in the oven. Replace the foil and leave the chicken 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thighs registers 175°F-180°F.
• Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack and tent with foil. Allow it to rest 15 minutes before serving.

For the Marinade:

• Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl.
• Pour 1/4th of the marinade into a smaller dish and use this portion to brush over the chicken.
• Divide the remaining marinade into two smaller dishes and reserve one dish for basting the chicken during cooking and another to serve alongside the cooked chicken.
• Keep the marinade refrigerated in airtight, glass containers until ready to use.

To Serve:

• Carve the chicken and place on a serving tray. Drizzle reserved marinade and Peruvian Green Sauce over the chicken and serve.
• Serve any extra green sauce and marinade in bowls alongside the chicken.
• Serve with your favourite rice.
• Enjoy!