Spicy Chicken with Zesty Rice Salad

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

This flavour packed dish was dinner in our house a few weeks back, and I just had to share it with you.




 A Zesty Rice Salad packed full of raw, crunchy veggies and livened up with a spicy, zesty dressing. Over that, I served these Spicy Chicken slices. A really versatile marinade and a really easy way to cook the chicken without it turning out dry. I really hope you try this combination for lunch or dinner - it's perfect for these spring days!
Other salad recipes on the blog include Quick Pasta Salad, Spicy Chickpea Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad, Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad and Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad.

Bismillah, let's begin!

First, to marinade the chicken. Grab yourself some Chicken Breast - these have been thinly sliced through the middle by our butcher.

Drizzle in a little Olive Oil.

Pour in Lemon Juice. Use fresh if you have it but bottled is also fine!

Next, some Balsamic Vinegar.

Then, a lot of my favourite spice, Paprika.

Along with Salt and Ground Cumin.

Finally, throw in some Red Chilli and Garlic.

Stir well and leave to marinade for as long as you can.

Now, the zesty salad, take a little Cold Cooked Rice. Mine had been boiled the day before.

Slice up some Baby Spinach, and add that in.

Grate in a few Carrots.

Slice up a few Spring Onions.

And, finally, Fresh Coriander. At this point, throw in a little Cucumber and Tomato, and any other raw vegetable you want.

Stir everything well, and set aside.

Now, the star of the show! The salad dressing! Slice up Red Chillies.

Add in Salt and Black Pepper.

Pour in some Cider Vinegar - my dad's favourite!

Drizzle in a little Olive Oil.

And, spoon in some Honey.

Dinner is nearly ready!

Time to Instagram my progress :)

For the zesty flavour, grate in some Lime Zest.

Finally, squeeze in Lime Juice.

Mix well.

Pour over the salad.

Stir well and taste for seasoning. 

To cook the chicken, place the chicken along with all the marinade into a hot pan.

Bring to the boil.

Simmer the chicken on low for about 30 minutes until it's fully cooked.

Bring to the boil again and dry the chicken out.

Until you have a nice, thick glaze left in the pan.

To serve, pile up the salad onto a plate.

Slice up the chicken and serve on top.

I hope you like it as much as we did! The salad is really versatile, and you can actually add in any combination of veggies that you like.

Full Written Recipe:

Spicy Chicken with Zesty Rice Salad

Adapted from recipes by Mary Berry 

Ingredients

For the Spicy Chicken

1 pound Chicken Breast, sliced

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Paprika

½ teaspoon Ground Cumin

Salt, to taste

1 Red Chilli, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped

For the Zesty Rice Salad

Few handfuls Boiled Rice, cold

½ bag Baby Spinach Leaves, sliced

3 Carrots, peeled and grated

1 bunch Spring Onions, finely chopped

Handful Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

Few Cherry Tomatoes, halved

½ Cucumber, cubed

2 Red Chillies, finely sliced

Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

4 teaspoons Honey

Zest of 4 Limes

Juice of 2 Limes

Method

For the Spicy Chicken, place the chicken and all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl, and leave in the fridge for as long as you have.

For the salad, put the cold rice, spinach, carrots, spring onions, fresh coriander, cucumber and cherry tomatoes into a large bowl and mix well.

To make the dressing, into a small bowl, add the red chillies, salt, black pepper, cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, lime zest and lime juice. Whisk well.

Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix well. Set aside.

To cook the chicken, take a large pan, and heat up.

Add the chicken along with all the marinade, and bring to the boil.

Simmer, cover and leave to cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Turn the heat up for a few minutes, and dry out all the excess liquid – the chicken is now ready!

Serve the Spicy Chicken on a bed of the Zesty Rice Salad, and enjoy!

This Time Last Year:

Terry's Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

More delicious recipes:

Chocolate Shortbread with White Chocolate Drizzle

Cherry Tomato and Mushroom Pasta

Keep me in your duas, please,

Wasalaam!