MIDDLE EASTERN GRILLED CHICKEN WITH ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS

This recipe is so FULL of flavor! The spice blend on the chicken is ridiculously good and the roasting of the garlic makes the hummus really one to remember! Its part of a series i am working on with Lenovo called #CookSmarter. The main idea is to introduce you to recipes and tips and tricks that are easy to make, good for you, FUN to cook, and future thinking. Also please be aware of our competition … you stand a chance to WIN your very own Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 valued at nearly R12k and all you gotta do is MAKE this dish and UPLOAD to your Instagram and tag @Lenovo_Africa #CookSmarter and you could win! Simple and rewarding, cause you get to eat delicious food and stand a chance to win something epic!

WHAT YOU NEED

FOR CHICKEN

500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsps garlic powder
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp cinnamon
½ lemon, juiced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper

FOR HUMMUS

Peeled garlic cloves
Olive oil
2 ½ cup cooked chickpeas (or from canned), skins removed, if possible
4 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp water, more as needed
Salt
1 tsp sumac

FOR GREEK SALAD

½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cucumber, deseeded and chopped
100g feta cheese, drained and cut into cubes
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and drained small handful fresh mint leaves
½ tsp dried oregano
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

WHAT TO DO

FOR CHICKEN

Place the chicken in a baking dish. Add in the garlic powder, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, oregano, turmeric, chilli powder, salt, & ground black pepper.

Toss to combine, coating the chicken evenly in the shawarma marinade.

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your pan to medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cooking for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for a minute or two, then thinly slice.

FOR HUMMUS

Preheat oven to 150’c
Add the peeled garlic to an ovenproof saucepan. Add enough oil to cover the cloves and bake for 3 hours.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a food processor add 4 cloves of the roasted garlic, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and water. Sprinkle salt, sumac. Blend until smooth. You can add a little more lemon juice and salt until it’s to your liking.

Place in a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil.

FOR GREEK SALAD

Cut the onion, tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl and season to taste.

Scatter the feta, olives and mint leaves on top. Sprinkle over the oregano and toss lightly. Drizzle over the oil, lemon juice and season if needed.

To plate: place a super generous amount of the roasted garlic hummus on a plate, followed by the chicken and a side of the Greek salad and a drizzle of olive oil.