Lemon Freekah Chicken with Fetta and Kale

So good it deserves an encore!

Lemony freshness seems to pop out of this photo. All the family loved my version of a delicious Donna Hay recipe. Freekah is roasted green wheat grains which give a rich nutty flavour that works so well with the chicken and kale.  The plumped up lemony currants give it zing whilst the nuts add crunch and the fetta rounds it out with creamy saltiness.

Perfect served warm for a family dinner but equally satisfying as leftovers the next day with a green salad.

Serves 5 -6

Preparation 10 minutes

Cook             50 minutes (of which 40 minutes is simmering time)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Australian olive oil

2 brown onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red chilli finely sliced (optional – to your taste)

1 cup freekah – rinsed well then drained

2 cups (500 ml) Chicken Stock  (Salt reduced)

2 chicken breast fillets – skinless. (250 gm).  Cut into bite size slices

¼ cup pistachios – roughly chopped

¼ cup dried currants – soaked in a dash of lemon juice to plump up

½ bunch of kale. Removed from tough stem and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

200 gram fetta – crumbled

Pepper and salt – if needed.  To your taste.

½ cup mint leaves

¼ cup dill sprigs

Method

Heat a dash of oil in a large frypan. (use one that has a lid for later).

Add the sliced chicken and quickly brown until almost cooked.  Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Cover with alfoil and keep warm.  Chicken will be returned to pan towards ending of cooking.

Add onion to the pan.  Stir until softened slightly then add the garlic.

Add freekah, stock and chilli.  Stir and bring to boil.

Cover pan with lid and reduce heat and then simmer for 40 minutes.  Check and stir if needed.

If it is drying out too quickly, reduce heat slightly and add a little water.

Taste a little of the freekah to check it is cooked and not hard. Adjust cooking time if needed.

Return the chicken to the pan and then stir through the kale. 

Continue simmering the covered pan for another 5 minutes.

Stir through the nuts, currants, zest and fetta.

Taste and add pepper and salt as needed.

Top with mint and dill.

Serve.

                                              Enjoy!  Colleen