Mediterranean Chicken with Marinated Tomato & Cucumber Salad, Lemon Parsley Couscous and Tahini Sauce
Yogurt and spice marinated chicken, marinated tomato and cucumber salad, lemon parsley couscous and an herby tahini sauce to tie it all together. It’s safe to say that this dish is absolutely chock full of flavor!
Although there are several components to the dish, each one is easy and you can even make a couple of them in advance.
Feeds 2-3 people, but the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled
Ingredients:
MARINATED TOMATO & CUCUMBER SALAD:
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
½ cucumber, chopped
1 small red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 sweet or bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c. parsley, chopped (use dill, basil or cilantro if you’d prefer)
¼ c. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
generous sprinkle of salt and pepper
CHICKEN:
1# boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
½ c. greek yogurt
juice from half of a lemon
1 tsp. each cumin and paprika
½ tsp. each of turmeric, salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. neutral oil
LEMON PARSLEY COUSCOUS
1 c. pearl couscous
1 ½ c. broth or water
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. neutral oil
juice and zest from ½ of a lemon
¼ c. parsley, chopped (use dill, basil or cilantro if you’d prefer)
salt to taste
HERBY TAHINI SAUCE (Feel free to skip this and use tzatziki instead!)
½ bunch parsley (or change it up and use dill, basil or cilantro)
2 cloves garlic
¼ c. tahini
½ c. water
½ c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
juice from 1 lemon
honey, to taste (optional if you want it a touch sweeter. I added about a teaspoon)
TO SERVE (optional!)
Naan
Hummus
Directions:
Make the marinated tomato and cucumber salad: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add in the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic and parsley. Stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min but the longer the better. This can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Make the marinade for the chicken: In a medium bowl mix together the greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and spices. Add in the chicken and stir to coat well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Make the tahini sauce if using (can substitute tzatziki sauce instead): Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and add a little honey if you find it could help balance the tahini out. This should be pourable but not soupy!
Start the couscous: in a medium saucepan, add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil over medium-low heat. Add in the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add in the dry couscous and toast over the heat for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the broth or water and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 8-10 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, parsley and season with salt.
Cook the chicken: In a large skillet or grill pan, heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil over medium-high heat. Using tongs, add the chicken pieces to the pan without adding the excess marinade but also not wiping any of the marinade off of the chicken pieces. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side- you want to see some dark brown pieces and even a little char is fine. Make sure the temperature hits 165 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate.
Assemble: Divide the couscous, chicken and marinated tomato and cucumber salad onto your plates. Drizzle with tahini sauce (or tzatziki) and serve with hummus and warm naan (optional, but strongly suggest the naan for sure!)
Extra note: naan topped with the tahini sauce and tomato & cucumber salad is *chef’s kiss*! I am absolutely considering recreating this recipe as a naan flatbread. Warm up naan in the oven until the bottom is slightly crispy, spread the tahini sauce, top with the marinated tomato & cucumber salad and the chicken too, if I’m feeling it! Yum!
