Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers

Preparation and Cooking Time:

• Prep Time: 30 minutes (including marination)
• Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
• Total Time: 40-45 minutes
• Servings: 4

Difficulty:

• Easy

Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 1 red capsicum (approx. 150 g), cut into chunks
• 1 yellow or green capsicum (approx. 150 g), cut into chunks
• 1 zucchini (approx. 150 g), sliced into 0.5 cm rounds
• 1 large red onion (approx. 150 g), cut into chunks 
• 200 g white button mushrooms, halved
• 15mL (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 6 g)
• Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 30 mL)
• 5 g (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Wooden skewers (optional)

Preparation Steps:

1. In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper to make the marinade.
2. Toss the chicken cubes in the marinade, ensuring they're well coated. Cover and pop in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
3. Fire up your grill to medium-high heat.
4. Thread the marinated chicken, capsicums, zucchini, onion, and mushrooms alternately onto the skewers.
5. Grill the skewers, turning them now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender and slightly charred, about 10-15 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve these skewers alongside a quinoa salad, plain or fried rice or a fresh Greek salad.
• A drizzle of yoghurt sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a lovely zing.

Variations and Substitutions:

1. Different Proteins: Feel free to swap the chicken for prawns, beef, or tofu.
2. Veggie Swaps: Mix it up with other veggies like cherry tomatoes or pineapple chunks for a sweet and tangy addition.
3. Marinade Options: Try different marinades, like a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, a herby pesto, or a spicy chilli sauce for a kick.
4. No Skewers? No Worries!: If you don’t have skewers, or prefer a simpler method, just cook everything in a large pan. Heat a bit of oil over medium heat, add the marinated chicken and veggies, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is nicely browned and the chicken is cooked through.

Storage and Reheating:

• Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in the oven or on the grill to maintain the texture. If using a microwave, take the food off the skewers for more even heating.

Customise to Meet Your Nutritional Goals:

• For more carbs: Add in baked sweet potato or corn to the skewers or a side of brown rice or quinoa.
• For more protein: Add in more chicken.
• For more / less fat: Add or reduce the amount of olive oil added.

Nutritional Panel (per serving, estimated using NUTTAB standards):

• Energy: 902 kJ (approx. 216 calories)
• Protein: 31.6 g
• Total Fat: 6 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
• Carbohydrate: 6.8 g
  • Sugars: 6.7 g
• Dietary Fibre: 3.2 g
• Sodium: 300 mg