Chicken with Tapenade, Couscous and Mediterranean Salsa

Chicken with Tapenade, Couscous and Mediterranean Salsa

One of my favourite combinations is cherry tomatoes, feta and olives. I often make this salsa and use it in various ways. It needs to marinade for about 2 hours to intensify the flavours. Pair this with grilled chicken and couscous for a delicious meal.

There are a number of elements to this meal. The salsa and tapenade can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge. Chicken breasts can be marinaded and cooked whole if you prefer.

Salsa

½ cup cherry tomatoes

2T chopped black olives

¼ cup feta cut into cubes

½ t finely chopped Italian parsley

4T Extra Virgin Olive oil

2T balsamic vinegar

Mix all the ingredients together. Cover and marinade in the fridge.

Tapenade

1 garlic clove, crushed

Juice of 1 lemon

3 T capers, chopped

5 anchovy fillets, chopped

230g black olives, pitted

¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped

freshly ground black pepper

3T extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor, adding enough olive oil to form a paste. Season with freshly ground pepper. Be careful with the salt, the anchovies, olives and capers are all very salty.

Chicken

450g chicken breasts cut into cubes

80ml tapenade

2T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1T olive oil

Mix the tapenade, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Marinade the chicken pieces. Thread the chicken onto skewers. If wooden and cooking on a barbecue or grill, then soak the skewers in water first.

Cook the chicken in a griddle pan, turning to ensure even cooking or cook on the barbecue.

Serve with couscous that has been cooked according to instructions, but using the equivalent of chicken stock as the liquid. Fluff and garnish with Italian parsley. Place a dish of salsa on the side.

Banting: replace the couscous with your favourite side dish.