Miso Chicken and Quinoa
Depending on who you are feeding and the time of day when serving this, it could be bowl food as in the photograph, or in separate dishes so it looks like a more abundant family lunch which may also work for fussy eaters.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 free range skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Buttermilk
2tsp of gluten free white miso paste
200g quinoa, rinsed and cooked in 700ml water
1 onion diced
1 handful currants
Olive, rapeseed oil or other plain oil
1 large aubergine
2 courgettes
4 cloves garlic
4 tbsp tamari (gf soy sauce)
3 tbsp maple syrup, rice malt syrup or honey (you may like to make extra to put in a jug at the end, depending on how much you use in step 5.)
Coriander, Parsley and or Basil
You do not need to use the buttermilk if you have tender pieces of chicken. I find that sometimes chicken can be a little tough and putting it in buttermilk before cooking can help to tenderise it. If you are confident in the tenderness of your chicken, skip the first step.
Place the chicken in the buttermilk and marinade for 1 -48 hrs.
Cook the quinoa in water, according to packet instructions. Allow to cool.
Dice an onion and cook over a medium low heat until glossy but with a little bite.
Pound the garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar and mix with tamari soy sauce and honey (or whatever you have chosen to use).
Slice the aubergine or courgettes lengthways and paint lightly with the garlic dressing from the pestle and mortar.
Heat a griddle pan with oil.
Cook the vegetable slices until soft and cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk. Lay it between sheets of baking parchment and smash with a rolling pin until thin (about 1-2 cm thick).
Fry the chicken in the same griddle pan used for the vegetables., adding more oil if necessary.
When you can no longer see pink, add half a teaspoon of miso paste to each chicken breast.
When it is cooked through, remove the chicken and set aside on a chopping board.
Assemble the dish by mixing the quinoa with the onion and currants. Top with the vegetables and then slice the chicken and place it on top with any juices from the pan.
Put any leftover dressing in a bowl (you may want to make extra) from which you can help yourself. Garnish with fresh coriander and parsley.
