I don’t know about you, but grilled chicken is definitely a staple for us. It’s the perfect go to lunch or dinner when you don’t know what to cook! We’ve jazzed it up a bit and flavoured the chicken with our Organic Mesquite Powder! This definitely is the perfect all rounder meal as it provides protein, carbohydrates and greens! It’s also bursting with other nutrients including fibre and iron- not to mention providing a delicious flavour hit you’re going to want to come back to! If you’re time pressed, it can easily be prepared in advanced, frozen then heated up for those days you can’t be bothered cooking!

What is Mesquite you may ask? Mesquite (Prosopis pallida) originates from the Mesquite trees of Peru, where its pods have been dried and used by Native Americans for centuries, thanks to its nutritional goodness. One of the amazing parts about Mesquite is that a 10g serve (1 heaped tbsp) provides 3.6g of fibre. It also provides 15% of the recommended dietary intake for iron, making it a perfect product for vegetarians and vegans to include in their diet.  Iron is an important micro nutrient responsible for different functions in the body; it’s necessary for normal oxygen transport, it contributes to energy production, immune function and blood formation. Mesquite is also gluten free making it perfect for all dietary requirements. It tastes great with savoury foods thanks to its smokey and subtle sweet flavour- hence why we married it with chicken for the perfect satisfying meal!

To accompany the chicken, is our Certified Organic Tricolour Quinoa, another fantastic superfood to include in your diet. Quinoa has definitely become popular world wide for its nutrient content. Our Tricolour Quinoa contains equal amounts of black, red and white quinoa grains; this combination of coloured grains provides a range of antioxidants including flavonoids and polyphenols. Tricolour Quinoa also provides 17.8% of the recommended dietary intake of fibre in a ½ cup serve. So guys if you’re having problems boosting your fibre intake (which a lot of us are!) then this really is the meal for you!!  Just like its mate Mesquite, Tricolour Quinoa provides iron, providing 17.2% of the recommended dietary intake. It’s also gluten free and has a deliciously satisfying nutty taste. 

To really accentuate the delicious flavours, the trick is to allow the chicken to marinate for as long as possible, either the night before or the morning before you make it. Now if you don’t eat meat but want to enjoy the benefits and flavours of this scrumptious dish, you can easily swap the chicken for tofu which works just as well!

Once the chicken has marinated, bake it in the oven for 35 minutes at 170°C. While this is cooking you can prepare your quinoa, cooking it according to packet instructions along with a fresh green salad (we like spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes and avocado drizzled with a dash of olive oil and balsamic- simple but good!).

Serve the chicken breast with fresh lemon slices and parsley for extra flavour along with the cooked quinoa and fresh green salad- delish!

SMOKEY MESQUITE CHICKEN WITH QUINOA

PREP TIME: 20 mins

COOK TIME: 35 mins

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

1 heaped tbsp Morlife Organic Mesquite Powder

1 lemon, juice & rind

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp garlic powder

CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts

1 cup Morlife Certified Organic Tricolour Quinoa

½ lemon, sliced

1 bunch, parsley

STEP BY STEP

Preheat oven to 170°C (fan forced).

In a bowl, add all of the marinade ingredients, mixing well to combine.

Add the chicken & ensure its completely coated in the marinade before placing in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (overnight is best).

Bake the chicken in the oven on a lined baking tray for 35 minutes.

Cook the Tricolour Quinoa grains according to packet instructions, then place into a bowl.

Serve the chicken with lemon slices, parsley & cooked tricolour quinoa.