mix spices
If I had to pick three foods to live off in the event of rationing, I would without a doubt grab a jar of honey, sweet potatoes and chorizo. These three things are my favourite foods of all time and taste amazing when all put together. When I was working in Spain, I consumed so much chorizo I was in danger of turning into one, and compared to England, the homeland of the spicy sausage offered a huge variety of chorizo at all different price ranges and varieties. The chorizo found in Spain was so tasty that I often found myself cooking up a bowl to eat for my dinner all on its own – it was on a whole other level taste wise compared to what can be found at British supermarkets I am sad to say.
Still my love of chorizo has never left me and I use it a lot in different types of dishes ranging from pizza toppings, pasta and salads, to an accompaniment to chicken or roasted vegetables. Here I am putting a spicy twist on the traditional Greek dish of souvlaki, most commonly made using chicken or pork meat and partnered with peppers and onions.
On my recent trip to Rhodes, I brought back a huge amount of herbs, including some fresh from the mountains of Siana, a tiny village famous for its olive oil and honey which are out of this world (so amazing that I am saving the last drops of olive oil I have left for if the Queen ever comes round for tea) I have coated the chicken in the souvlaki mixture which consists of oregano, parsley, cayenne pepper and onion, as well as sprinkling over some paprika to give the chicken a bit of spice.
Souvlaki is great because it can be served as a healthy lunchtime snack, or can be partnered with roasted vegetables, rice, pitta breads or potatoes for a more filling dinner. Of course in the summertime, it is perfect BBQ food and quick and easy to prepare for guests. All that is needed is a bit of Zorba the Greek, cocktail in hand and memories of holidays on the beach.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 courgette
- Half of a chorizo sausage
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
- Mozzarella (I used the dairy free MozzaRisella)
Herbs for the marinade
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
1) Begin by chopping up the chicken, pepper, onion, courgette and chorizo into bite sized chunks.
2) Sprinkle the mixture generously with the herb mixes and season with salt and pepper.
3) Pierce all of the ingredients with the skewers to ensure they are firmly in place and grill until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are going nice and crispy.
4) Heat up the oven and put the tomatoes and any leftover souvlakia ingredients on a baking tray and sprinkle with the herb mix and drizzle over a good amount of olive oil. Roast for around 15 to 20 minutes.
5) Chop up round slices of mozzarella and place on the roasting tray in the last few minutes of cooking to give them time to soften and melt nicely.
6) Once the meat is cooked they are ready to serve.
Potatoes fried in olive oil are a lovely accompaniment to the dish and serve as a healthier alternative.
Tummy Happy 