Citrus Quinoa with Spiced Chicken and Chickpeas

As I sit and write this post, rain spatters against the window panes of my study and a whoosh of wind makes it through my lovely – and completely un-eco – sash windows.  Apparently, spring just taunted us with her effervescent presence in the form of a week of vitamin D laden sunshine, only to abandon us to a week of wind, rain and disappointing days out.  Often, on rainy days like these, I want only to cook comfort food – simple flavours, often creamy, always heartening.  Certainly, my Leek and Bacon Creamy Pasta Bake counts as such a dish, as does Creamy Chicken and Coconut Curry or Butter Beans with Sweet Potato and Chilli.  All soul-soothing, simple and delicious.  But today I was reminded of a phrase that I’ve long liked: ‘It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you handle it that counts’ – I paraphrase, obviously.  And I thought to myself, in between trawling through sunny spa destinations on my laptop, if I can’t feel the warmth of sunshine on my face, then I shall just have to bring it to my kitchen.  I’m not entirely sure that’s how the original phrase was meant to be interpreted, but I went with it anyway and made this vibrant, fragrant and delicious meal of Citrus Quinoa with Spiced Chicken and Chickpeas. 

The spice is produced by a marinade of harissa, cumin, coriander, mint and garlic, the citrus by cooking the quinoa in a medley of orange and lemon juice.  The textures and levels of flavour are really something lovely and I already know that this is going to be a firm favourite of mine.  You can buy harissa in most supermarkets and specialist shops, though you must check the ingredients carefully.  You can also make your own very easily; indeed, there is a recipe for a simple harissa paste in my book, The Intolerant Gourmet.  Alternatively, here’s a quick version to crack on with: 4 dried red chillies, deseeded, 1 fat clove of garlic, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander, 2 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt.  Soak the chillies for an hour in hot water, then place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blitz until you have a paste.  This will make about 2 tablespoons worth so you can store the remaining in the fridge, a little extra oil poured over to preserve it.

CITRUS QUINOA WITH SPICED CHICKEN AND CHICKPEAS

Serves 4

For the quinoa

175g quinoa

The juice of 1 lemon

The juice of 1 orange

A large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 chicken breasts

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tsp harissa

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried mint

1 tbsp olive oil

Score each chicken breast 3 times, making a ½ cm deep diagonal cut into each breast.  Combine the spices, harissa, olive oil and crushed garlic into a sealable freezer bag; add a generous pinch of salt, the chicken breasts and the chickpeas.  Squeeze out any excess air, seal the bag and then massage the marinade into the chicken and chickpeas.  Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180c.  Squeeze the lemon and orange juice into a measuring jug and then top up with water until you reach 500ml.  Place the quinoa into a saucepan, pour over the citrus water, cover and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid.  Fluff up with a fork and set aside.

Tip the chicken and chickpeas into a roasting tin, ensuring that the chicken is scored side up.  Roast in the oven for 16 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.  Leave to rest for a few minutes before cutting the chicken breasts into ½ cm thick slices.  Spoon the quinoa into a large serving bowl, stir through the chicken, chickpeas and parsley, season to taste and then serve.

Roast Cauliflower with Spiced Peanut Sauce

Cauliflowers are totally in right now - seasonally and nutritionally - and I have here yet another delicious way of eating them.  In younger years I tended to avoid such things – and by things, I mean cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts – like so many, school experiences of over cooked, watery veg put paid to any interest in them on my part.  These days, I’m a genuine fan.  Creamy, crisp – if cooked right – and sustaining, they lend themselves to rich, unctuous sauces – cauliflower cheese being a case in point.  This Spiced Peanut Sauce is a complete mongrel interpretation of Gado Gado, the Indonesian Peanut sauce based on a collection of mild chilli spice, with garlic and ginger undertones, made rich a combination of peanuts and coconut.  My sauce is a total cheat – using harissa and peanut butter, for shame - but no less delicious for it!

Mildly spiced, aromatic, slightly sweet, rich and creamy, I’ve been making a version of this sauce for years and it never tires.  I always serve it with a mixture of vegetables: sweet potato, squash, peas, courgettes, beans, cauliflower, spinach, fennel; nearly everything works with it.  Sometimes I cook the vegetables in the sauce and on other occasions, such as this, I’ll roast them first and then pour the sauce over, adding another layer of flavour to the dish.  If you haven’t roasted cauliflower before, don’t panic, it’s completely delicious and transforms it from the watery mess of childhood nightmares to a mellow, velvety, grown-up affair.  Serve with a bowl of brown basmati rice and the ubiquitous fresh coriander.

Normally I would make this using crunchy peanut butter, but if you have a nut allergy then you can make an alternative version using sunflower seed butter.  Bev, creator of I Bake Without, has a brilliant recipe on her site – so quick, easy and delicious –you can also buy it from health food shops, though I will tell you that Bev’s version is by far the nicest.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND SWEET POTATO WITH SPICED PEANUT SAUCE

Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower

1 sweet potato

2 large leeks

3 tbsp olive oil

For the Spiced Peanut Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 heaped tbsp harissa

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp peanut butter, preferably crunchy or Sunflower Seed Butter

Preheat oven to 180c.  Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 inch chunks.  Trim the ends from the leeks, slice in half lengthways, rinse thoroughly under water to get rid of any grime and then slice into thin half moons.  Trim the leaves and base from the cauliflower and cut into even sized florets.

Lay the leeks into the base of a large roasting dish or tin.  Scatter the sweet potato and cauliflower over the top, pour over the oil, season well and roast for 40 – 45 minutes or until the potato is tender, the cauliflower golden and the leeks softened.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.  Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic, season well and fry gently until soft – about 10 minutes.  Pour in the tomatoes, add the harissa and peanut butter (or sunflower butter) and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Once the vegetables are roasted, lay out on a large platter or bowl and pour over the sauce.