Bulgur And Herb Crusted Chicken

13 Sep Bulgur And Herb Crusted Chicken

It's funny how in Africa our menu always starts with carbs first; take the title above as an example.. Bulgur and Herb-crusted chicken. In the African culture generally, our diets have always been centered around Carbohydrates (grains, tubers etc) and all other classes of food have been sort of pushed to the background or are at the very most, accompaniments. This is mainly because proteins were viewed as a luxury which many couldn't afford. Even now that proteins are in abundance and relatively affordable, we haven't been able to shake the habit of having token pieces of fish or meat with our meals.

We need to imbibe the culture of the West when it comes to our diet and eat just as much proteins and vegetables as carbs, if not more. So, make a conscious effort today to stock up on Fish, Meat, Seafood, Milk (all kinds), Snails, Vegetables, Leafy greens etc.

Bulgur is a grain and is made from wheat (yep,wheat!). It's a quick-cooking form of whole-wheat that has been cleaned, parboiled, dried and broken into various sizes. It is nutritious with a pleasant slightly nutty flavour and high in fibre, rich in B vitamins, Iron, Phosphorus and Manganese. Mediterranean and middle eastern people have been eating it for centuries
in place of rice and now the rest of the world has cottoned on to it. Below is a recipe perfect for lunch or an early dinner.



INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

For Bulgur:
    Half cup of bulgur(rinsed)
    Tbsp of ghee, EVOO or any oil
    Cup of water
    Medium-sized onion(chopped)
    Half each of green, yellow and red bell peppers(chopped)
    Broad beans (you can use peas or string beans or any veggies you have in your fridge)
    Clove of garlic(crushed)
    Seasoning cube
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Bay leaf

METHOD:

In a deep pan, heat up oil and fry bulgur till translucent
Add garlic, onion and bay leaf,stir-fry for a minute
Add chopped peppers and beans,stir and cover with water
Cook till water is almost dry, season and add salt and pepper.
If bulgur is still a little hard, pour in a bit of water. Do not put in too
much water, you still want the bulgur to have a little bite.
Cover and let simmer till water dries out completely.

For herb-crusted chicken:

2 medium-sized chicken breasts
1 tbsp mixed herbs( Rosemary, Basil, Parsley, Oregano)
2 cloves of Garlic(crushed)
Tsp of Salt
Tsp of Cayenne pepper

METHOD:

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts, put in a resealable bag and pour in
herbs, garlic, pepper and salt. Make sure chicken is well coated. Marinate in
the fridge for 4 hrs or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃/gas mark5, spray a lined oven pan with cooking
spray and place chicken on pan. Cook chicken for 30mins(check at intervals)
or till juice runs clear.
Plate bulgur and layer sliced chicken breast on top!

Enjoy your meal. Yum!

Photo Credit: A Pinch of Spice