Today we’re heading from Chile to Peru (in Blogworld – not reality ) to enjoy some quinoa (pronounced keen-wha). Quinoa is an organic vegetable protein that’s packed with essential amino acids and vitamins and it’s gluten and cholesterol free. And the Quinola selection has been sourced from the best Peru has to offer.
One of their new ranges is the Quinola Express. There’s a selection of flavours that come in handy pouches that you can heat in the microwave for 90 seconds or eat cold. I decided to try the Express Quinoa with Indian style chickpeas and came up with these delicious chicken tikka kebabs to accompany it.
To find out more about the full range of Quinola products visit quinola.com
CHICKEN TIKKA KEBABS
Serves 2
2 chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
150g plain yogurt
50g unsalted butter
80g fresh ginger, chopped
Half a tsp ground cumin
Half a tsp ground coriander
2 dried red chillis, crumbled
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp tomato puree
A dash of vegetable oil
To make the marinade mix all the ingredients in a blender until you have a thick, smooth paste.
Pour the marinade into a large bowl and add the chicken. Coat well and leave to marinate for at least 6 hours, overnight would be ideal.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers.
Heat the grill or barbecue.
Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning regularly and basting with the yogurt marinade.
While the chicken is cooking, microwave the Quinola.
Spoon the hot Quinola into a round biscuit cutter and leave for 2 mins.
Remove the round and serve with the kebabs.
HOW TO PLATE LIKE CHEF
The way your food is presented is so important. How many times have I waxed lyrical about the way dishes have looked in restaurants I’ve been to?
If a plate of food looks good I definitely believe it’s going to taste more delicious. And it’s really not that hard to do.
When you’re serving quinoa, rice, couscous or anything similar, place a biscuit (cookie) cutter on the plate and spoon it in. Press it down gently and leave for a few minutes. Carefully remove the cutter and you’ll be left with a lovely round, restaurant-style.
