- 75g brown basmati rice
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 250g chicken breast mini fillets
- A handful of coriander
- 1 lime
- 150g 0% fat Greek style yogurt
- 1 green garlic bulb
- 250g cherry vine tomatoes
- 1 courgette
- 150ml boiling water
- Sea salt
- 3 tsp olive, sunflower or coconut oil
- Small pan with lid
- Measuring jug
- Vegetable peeler
- Frying or griddle pan
- 1.
Fill and boil your kettle. Rinse the rice under cold water and tip it into a small pan. Pour in 150ml boiling water, add a pinch of salt, then cover and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and gently simmer for 25 mins till the rice has absorbed all the water and is just cooked. Take the pan off the heat and let the rice sit in the pan, lid on, for 5-10 mins to steam and finish cooking. The rice will stay warm in the pan while you cook the rest of the dish.
- 2.
Measure 2 tsp Cajun seasoning into a bowl or dish and add 2 tsp oil and a pinch of salt. Stir to make a paste. Chop any thick pieces of chicken breast mini fillet in halve, then add all the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat it in the Cajun-spiced paste. Set aside to marinate for 5-10 mins.
- 3.
Meanwhile, finely chop the coriander and pop it in a bowl. Finely zest the lime. Set a pinch of zest aside and add the rest to the bowl. Squeeze in the juice. Add the yogurt with a pinch of salt and stir to mix. Set aside.
- 4.
Trim the top 4-5cm off the green garlic stem and discard it. Slice the stem off the bulb and halve it. Peel the top 2-3 layers off the garlic bulb so the cloves are covered by just 1 layer of skin. Slice the bulb into 4-6 wedges. Snip the cherry vine tomatoes into 2 bunches. Trim the courgette and slice into 1cm-thick rounds.
- 5.
Warm a dry frying or griddle pan on a high heat for 2 mins. When it’s hot, drizzle in 1 tsp oil then add the Cajun-spiced chicken. Fry for 10-12 mins, turning every so often, till golden brown and cooked through – there shouldn’t be any pink if you slice into a thick part of the fillets.
- 6.
Lift the chicken out of the pan and set aside on a warm plate, loosely covered with foil. Turn the heat down a little and add the green garlic, cherry tomatoes and courgette slices to the pan. Fry for 6-8 mins, turning occasionally, till the veg are lightly charred and just tender.
- 7.
Fluff the rice and divide it between a couple of warm plates. Top with the griddled veg and chicken and serve with the lime and coriander yogurt dolloped over the top.
- Tip
GREEN GROWS THE GARLIC
Green garlic is a super seasonal summer treat. Sometimes called wet or fresh garlic, it’s different from its dried form in that the skins haven’t formed so you can use the whole bulb, as well as the stalk .