thebigfatnoodle

Yoghurt spiced grilled chicken breast on cumin-roasted squash and wilted spinach and mushrooms

Posted by thebigfatnoodle on October 31, 2011 · 11 Comments 

Yoghurt-spiced grilled chicken with cumin-roasted squash on a bed of wilted spinach and mushrooms

A different kind of of Sunday dinner

When the weather’s crisp but not freezing cold yet, I’m loathe to start thinking about full-on roasts on Sunday. So I think this Indian-inspired marinade for grilled chicken is perfect for that in-between time of year.

It’s best if you can marinate the chicken overnight but don’t worry if you can’t.

We ate this super-moist chicken on a bed of cumin-roasted butternut squash and some wilted fresh spinach and chestnut mushrooms. There’s no real chilli-heat to this dish, just a mild warming from the cayenne, paprika and ginger, and the yoghurt marinade creates a creamy coat to keep your chicken lovely and moist while grilling.

Grilled chicken marinated in yoghurt and a mix of spices.

As a lighter alternative to our normal Sunday roast, we’re definitely going to be making this again!

A couple of our friends from Singapore gave this Le Creuset griddle pan for Christmas last year and we use it all the time.

Chicken Marinade

2-4 small chicken breasts (each breast pounded flat to double its size)

1 cup plain yoghurt

1 small red/brown onion, peeled and quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 slices of peeled ginger

1½ teaspoon ground cumin

1½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Sizzle sizzle!

Blitz the onion, garlic gloves and fresh ginger in a food processor, and in a large bowl, mix it together with the rest of your ingredients. Drop your flattened chicken breasts into the marinade, making sure the marinade coats every nook and cranny and leave overnight in the fridge. Remove it from your fridge about 45 mins to an hour to allow you to bring it back up to room temperature before you fire up your grill.

On a hot grill or griddle plan, gently place each fillet on the hot grill and leave it for 3-4 minutes. Resist the urge to move it around too much as you’ll only end up scraping off the marinade and you won’t get that nice charring. Turn the chicken breasts over and repeat the grilling process. After they’ve cooked, cover them on a plate with silver foil and allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes.

Super sweet and creamy roasted butternut squash

Cumin-roasted butternut squash

I butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-3 cm cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon sea salt

Spread the squash evenly on a baking tray and ensure they’re coated with the olive oil, salt and fennel seeds. Roast in a 180-200 degrees (celsius) for 45 minutes.

I love the combination of mushrooms and spinach

Wilted spinach and chestnut mushrooms

1 small knob of butter

1 teaspoon of olive oil

400 grams fresh spinach leaves, washed

4-5 chestnut mushrooms

Pinch of salt and black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

In a saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil and stir fry the mushrooms for 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, drop in the spinach leaves and cover the saucepan with a lid to allow them to steam down for a minute. Give the mushrooms and spinach a stir and grate over some fresh nutmeg.

Lovely lunch for two

To serve, first lay a bed of spinach and mushrooms on the plate, leaving a circle open in the middle. Place your roasted butternut squash in the circle, slice your grilled chicken breast on top of the roasted pumpkin. Serve with a very chilled glass of your favourite white wine. 🙂

Yoghurt-spiced grilled chicken, cumin-roasted butternut squash and wilted spinach and mushrooms

Lots of love

thebigfatnoodle