Serves 4 • 415 calories per serving
This dish is all about the marinade. Rich spices and a punch of garlic create a smoky, aromatic flavour. By gently bashing out the breasts, the marinade can cover a greater area of the flesh. The chicken is perfectly balanced by the light, creamy avocado salad and sweet-spicy salsa made with mango. This fruit is a source of the antioxidant beta–arotene, which among its many other benefits may help delay the onset of cognitive decline in older people.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp crushed dried chilli
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 150g each
For the salad
- 150g spinach
- A handful of fresh coriander
- A handful of fresh mint
- A handful of fresh parsley
- 1/4 red onion, roughly diced
- 1 tsp rapeseed oil
- 2 avocados
For the mango salsa
- 1 mango, diced
- 4 cherry tomatoes, diced
- A handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Method
1 Mix together all the spices, garlic and oil with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and turn them so they are covered with the marinade.
2 Set a ridged griddle/grill pan on a medium heat and leave to heat up.
3 Meanwhile, one at a time, place the breasts on one half of a large sheet of clingfilm, fold the clingfilm over so that the spices are sealed in and gently bash the breasts with a rolling pin to flatten them to about 1cm thick; remove the clingfilm. Place the breasts on the griddle pan and cook for 6 minutes on each side.
4 Make the salad whilst the chicken is cooking. Finely chop the spinach, coriander, mint, parsley and red onion and mix together with the oil in a large bowl. Peel the avocados and remove the stone, then dice the flesh. Add to the bowl and fold in gently. Season with salt and pepper.
5 For the salsa, combine all the ingredients in another bowl. Use your hands to mix, squeezing the tomatoes to create a chunky, juicy salsa.
6 Serve each chicken breast with a big helping of the spinach salad and the mango salsa.
Rich in Vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, C and E • Folate • Potassium • Beta-carotene • Tryptophan • Beta-sitosterol • Fibre
