Chicken Skewers with Caramelised Vegetable and Couscous Salad
This is a great way to serve a good number of people without breaking the bank. The simple but punchy flavours of garlic and paprika make chicken taste six times better that it normally does and if you can cook this over a charcoal grill – even better. Make sure you soak the bamboo skewers for an hour or so before so cooking so they don’t burn.
Serves 4-6
Chicken
1 kg chicken breast or thigh, cut into 2cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
2 tablespoons smoky paprika
Salad
600g pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into fine wedges
100g skinned hazelnuts
2 brown onions, trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced
2 leeks, trimmed, washed, and cut into thin long strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lemon
400g instant couscous
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoon yoghurt
Juice two lemons
½ cup finely chopped parsley, mint and chives
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Place the cubed chicken breast in an airtight container with the garlic and paprika and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive. Seal and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
Before cooking the kebabs, make the couscous salad by preheating the oven to 200ºC. Lay out the pumpkin on a baking tray covered in baking paper and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. While the pumpkin is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions and leeks for 10 minutes. Add the cumin and lemon juice and cook for a few minutes more until the juice has evaporated. Season with a little salt, remove the leek and onions from the pan and set aside.
Remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven. Spread the walnuts over an oven tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove. Make the couscous according to the instructions. Place in a bowl. Mix the tahini, yoghurt, and lemon juice with four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt to a smooth consistency in a cup. Pour over couscous and mix through. Add the cooked vegetables, hazelnuts and herbs and gently mix through the couscous. Place on a large serving plate.
Thread the chicken on soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Alternatively, grill on the BBQ for 2-3 minutes each of the four sides or until cooked through. Season. Serve the skewers on the couscous salad.
This cous cous salad can be served with the chicken skewers but is also great as a side salad for any main course.
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Chicken Skewers with Caramelised Vegetable Cous Cous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken breast or thigh, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 2 tablespoons smoky paprika
- Salad
- 600g pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into fine wedges
- 100g skinned hazelnuts
- 2 brown onions, trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced
- 2 leeks, trimmed, washed, cut into thin long strips
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Juice of one lemon
- 400g instant couscous
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoon yoghurt
- Juice two lemons
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley, mint and chives
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Place the cubed chicken breast in an airtight container with the garlic and paprika and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive. Seal and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
- Before cooking the kebabs, make the couscous salad by preheating the oven to 200ºC. Lay out the pumpkin on a baking tray covered in baking paper and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. While the pumpkin is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions and leeks for 10 minutes. Add the cumin and lemon juice and cook for a few minutes more until the juice has evaporated. Season with a little salt, remove the leek and onions from the pan and set aside.
- Remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven. Spread the walnuts over an oven tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove. Make the couscous according to the instructions. Place in a bowl. Mix the tahini, yoghurt, and lemon juice with four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt to a smooth consistency in a cup. Pour over couscous and mix through. Add the cooked vegetables, hazelnuts and herbs and gently mix through the couscous. Place on a large serving plate.
- Thread the chicken on soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Alternatively, grill on the BBQ for 2-3 minutes each of the four sides or until cooked through. Season. Serve the skewers on the couscous salad.
