Sumac Special: Quinoa with crispy kale, chicken and zucchini

(serves 4)

Sumac is a zesty earthy spice that i first heard of in Turkey and an old spice friend that i've been in and out of touch with. Swivelling through the spice rack gave me some new-found inspiration, and thought i'd do a bit of exploring.

The sumac was quite tasty, subtle with the kale but does add a nice tang to this wholesome, healthy quinoa salad ~ full of protein and plenty of colourful vegetables for max nutrition!

Prep time: 20 min

Cooking time: 45 min

Ingredients:

5 stalks kale

300 g chicken breast

1 cup quinoa

1 zucchini

250 g cherry tomatoes

½ red capsicum

5 tsp sumac

Method:

1. Wash the kale and cut off the stalks. Massage olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 tsp sumac into the leaves. Place under the grill on low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes, turning regularly to avoid burning!

NB. There is a fine line between crisp and burnt! I think the trick is to keep it on low heat and just keep an eye on it over the grill or oven... (but then again that could just be because my oven is not the best :P)

2. Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil. Pan-fry on low-medium heat for 15-20min, turning after 10min. Slice through to check it is cooked.

3. Cook the quinoa with 2 C water for 15min. Let it cool.

4. Slice the zucchini into thin slices and lightly coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and sumac. Pan fry or grill for 5-10min until soft.

5. Halve the cherry tomatoes and finely dice the capsicum.

6. Season the quinoa with olive oil, salt, pepper and sumac to taste. Toss in the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, capsicum and quinoa together. 

Healthy, quick and colourful!