Chicken Skewers With Zesty Lemon & Basil Yogurt Dip

It’s early in the BBQ season for us but I’m already getting into the swing of preparing my meat/poultry/fish and vegetable offerings in the morning and then leaving them to marinate until the evening for a grill that is full of flavour. In the hot days this week this has reaped dividends and stopped frayed tempers that come with any heatwave as everyone avoids the heat of the kitchen!

Chicken is a favourite for us since a) we all like it b) I can digest the protein easily c) there are always deals around to make it affordable. I would also add that it can be flavoured in countless ways to ring the changes – at the moment I’m into spices in a big way so experimenting with exotic mixes. The recipe below however has more of a herby and citrus feel to it since it has lemon and basil in its make-up.

The chicken is threaded onto skewers with vegetables such as tomatoes, courgettes/zucchini, peppers/capsicums or onion wedges – whatever you fancy or have to hand. After cooking it is served with a creamy dip made with yogurt, garlic, lemon and chopped basil. I’ve been trying out goat’s cheese yogurt just recently – it makes a great base for a marinade, as a dipping sauce or accompaniment to summer berries. It’s a very good alternative if you find cow’s milk or regular yogurt hard to digest.

 

CHICKEN KEBABS WITH ZESTY LEMON & BASIL DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients

METRIC/US

2 tbsp olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

vegetables for skewers (such as tomatoes and courgettes/zucchini)

2 tsp chopped fresh basil to garnish

Dipping Sauce:

250 g/8 oz plain goat’s cheese yogurt (I used Delamere Dairy plain goat’s yogurt)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

 

Method

1.  In a large bowl, beat the oil with the lemon juice, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or longer.
2.  Meanwhile to make the dipping sauce, mix the yogurt with the garlic, lemon zest and juice, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
3.  Thread the marinated chicken and any vegetables onto 8-12 skewers, depending upon size, then grill/broil or bbq until the chicken is cooked through. This will take about 5-8 minutes on each side, turning frequently and basting with the residual marinade.
4.  Serve the cooked skewers with the dipping sauce and sprinkled with the chopped basil. Salad makes a good accompaniment and hearty appetites may like a jacket-baked potato.

 

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: ½

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: 245

PROTEIN: 31.9g

CARBOHYDRATE: 11.3g

FAT: 8.2g

 

Image courtesy of Delamere Dairy