This warm salad is perfect for when you crave something light and flavourful
Diana Henry
The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
Published
A wonderful, big, sprawling dish. You can extend it by adding black beans to the grains. Offer crumbled cheese on the side.
Requires overnight marinating
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp chipotle paste
- Juice of 1 lime
For the roast tomatoes
- 8 plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp harissa paste
- 1 tsp caster sugar
For the rest
- 200g quinoa (mixed colours if possible)
- 2 small avocados
- Juice of 3 limes
- 250g chorizo
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 25g baby spinach leaves
- 6 spring onions, chopped
- 15g coriander, chopped
- ½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the crème fraîche
- 200g crème fraîche
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus juice of ½
Method
Step
Make slits in both sides of the 4 chicken thighs. Rub with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp chipotle paste and the juice of 1 lime. Leave in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Step
Preheat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6.
Step
Halve 8 plum tomatoes and put them in a roasting tin. Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp ground cumin and 3 tsp harissa paste and pour this over the tomatoes. Leave cut side up.
Step
Sprinkle with 1 tsp caster sugar and season. Roast for 40 minutes, or until partially caramelised.
Step
Meanwhile, toast 200g quinoa in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes, then put it into a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat a little, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Step
Cut 2 small avocados in half and remove the stones. Cut into slices lengthways, then peel the skin off each slice. Season and squeeze over the juice of 1 of the limes.
Step
Heat a griddle pan until it is really hot then put the chicken on it. Let it sizzle for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook until done all the way through, another 4 or 5 minutes. Slice and keep warm.
Step
Cut 250g chorizo into rounds and sauté in ½ tbsp olive oil in a pan for about 4 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Step
Fork the quinoa, season it and put it into a large, broad, flat serving dish.
Step
Gently mix in the chorizo, chicken, 25g baby spinach leaves, 6 chopped spring onions, 15g chopped coriander, the avocado, the juice of the remaining 2 limes, ½ tbsp white balsamic and 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Then add the roast tomatoes.
Step
For the lime crème fraîche, mix together 200g crème fraîche with the finely grated zest of 1 lime and the juice of ½ lime. Serve with quinoa.
Recipe from A Bird in Hand by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, £20)