Harissa-spiced chicken with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas
Roast chicken is a family favourite recipe. This version adds a bit of spice with harissa and is diabetes friendly, gluten and dairy-free. The roasted cauliflower and chickpeas add texture and a welcome fibre boost. This roast chicken is perfect for a family of four to six people, or you can use leftovers the next day to make a tasty lunch. Shred the leftover chicken for sandwiches or make a salad.
Serves: 4-6
Time to make: 1 hr 30 mins
Hands-on time: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 1.6kg whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free harissa paste
- 400g can no-added-salt chickpeas, rinsed, drained
- ½ large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
- 3 radishes, cut into matchsticks
- 120g baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Rinse chicken under cold water. Pat dry with absorbent paper. Cut along each side of chicken’s backbone and discard backbone. Turn chicken skin-side up and press down to the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.
2 Place chicken in a large baking dish, skin-side up with the wingtips tucked under. Rub skin with harissa paste. Arrange chickpeas around chicken. Bake for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C. Add cauliflower to dish. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until chicken is golden and cooked through.
3 Meanwhile, combine cucumber, radish, spinach, lemon juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with cracked black pepper. Toss to combine. Serve the chicken with the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, and cucumber salad.
HFG tip
How to cook a whole chicken
1 Butterfly the chicken by cutting out the backbone (you can ask your butcher to do this for you). This reduces the cooking time.
2 Rub skin with seasoning (spice paste or dry spice blend). Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, if possible, to allow flavours to develop.
3 Place chicken, skin-side up on a baking tray or baking dish. Roast for 45–60 minutes, or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Nutrition Info (per serve)
Kilojoules 1728kJ
Calories 413cal
Protein 33.6g
Total fat 24.3g
–Saturated fat 5.5g
Carbohydrates 11.5g
–Sugars 3.6g
Dietary fibre 6.1g
Sodium 135mg
Calcium 138mg
Iron 3.5mg
Note: Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. For a guide to purchasing healthier packaged goods and general grocery items see here.
For more healthy recipes and expert diet advice go to www.healthyfood.com
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© Healthy Life media Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission prohibited.
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