These tasty kebabs are perfect on the barbecue, but work really well on a grill, too. The couscous absorbs the chicken juices, combining the Moroccan flavours of the couscous and the spiced chicken skewers.
These tasty kebabs are perfect on the barbecue, but work really well on a grill, too. The couscous absorbs the chicken juices, combining the Moroccan flavours of the couscous and the spiced chicken skewers.
Typical nutritional content (per portion)
For the Chicken:
4 x 100g / 4oz skinless free-range chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1⁄2 teaspoon each ground cumin, turmeric and paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
8 small wooden skewers
For the Couscous:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, crushed
1⁄4 teaspoon each ground cumin, cinnamon and ginger
50g / 2oz stoned dates, chopped
50g / 2oz dried ready-to-eat apricots, chopped
50g / 2oz toasted flaked almonds
225ml /8fl oz no-salt vegetable stock
225g / 8oz couscous
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, plus extra sprigs to garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
4 lemon wedges and low-fat crème fraîche, to garnish
To prepare the chicken:Cut each chicken breast fillet in half lengthways and place in a shallow non-metallic dish with the olive oil, garlic, cumin, turmeric, paprika and lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Cover with cling film and leave to marinade for about 2 hours in the fridge or up to 24 hours is fine. Thread the chicken pieces onto 8 x 15cm / 6 inch wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
To prepare the couscous:Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon and ginger and cook for another minute or so. Mix well and season with pepper. Stir in the dates, apricots and almonds and take it off the heat. Place couscous in a large bowl. Heat the vegetable stock until boiling and then pour over the couscous. Cover tightly with cling film and leave to stand for 5 minutes before gently separating the grains with a fork. Fold in the lemon juice and coriander with the dried fruit and onion mixture and season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside. Cook the marinated chicken skewers for 5-9 minutes on each side ensuring there is no pink meat left on the chicken pieces. Arrange on plates with the dried fruit couscous. Garnish with the coriander sprigs, lemon wedges and crème fraîche to serve.