Spiced Chicken Thighs with Broccoli & Apple Slaw

We’re having fun with broccoli, apples, oranges and our herbs from the box this week! 

Finely chopped broccoli goes into the slaw raw, so it stays crunchy and catches the dressing. The apples add sweetness, the hazelnuts add another layer of texture and healthy fats, while the fresh herbs bring plenty of flavour and plant diversity. 

Choose your favourite grain: Farro adds fibre-rich carbohydrates and brings a nutty flavour with a chewy texture; this works so well with the crunchy broccoli, roasted hazelnuts and sweet apple. For a Gluten Free alternative, quinoa would work well, or you could even sub in lentils. Or opt for pearl couscous - whatever you have on hand. The chicken makes it a satisfying full meal by adding protein.

Vegetables don’t always have to be steamed or served on the side. Cutting them a little differently, adding a handful of herbs, something sweet and something crunchy can make them the part of the meal you look forward to the most.

Thanks to Em from Enzy Nourished for this recipe.

Ingredients

Spiced chicken

• 600 g chicken thighs

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp honey

• Juice of ½ orange

• ¼ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice mix)

• 1 clove minced garlic

• Salt and pepper

Broccoli and apple slaw

• 1 cup uncooked farro

• Juice of 1 orange, plus water to cook the farro

• 1 head broccoli, florets finely chopped

• 1 apple, julienned

• ¼ cup sliced spring onions

• ¼ cup chopped dill

• ¼ cup mint (keep the leaves whole)

• ¼ cup parsley (keep the leaves whole)

• ¼ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Creamy black garlic dressing (see alternative DF dressing below)

• 2 tbsp full fat Greek yoghurt

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp raw honey

• Juice of ½ orange

• 3 cloves black garlic, mashed

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper

• Water, as needed

Method

1. Marinate the chicken. Mix the olive oil, honey, orange juice, paprika, ras el hanout, garlic, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken thighs and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Cook the farro. Add the farro and the juice of one orange to a saucepan. Add enough water to cook according to the packet directions. Drain any excess liquid, then set aside to cool.

3. Cook the chicken. Air fry on 180c for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through (internal temp should reach 73c), turning once during cooking. Alternatively, pan fry on a medium heat until cooked through.

4. Make the dressing. Whisk together the yoghurt, olive oil, orange juice, black garlic and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper, then add a little water until it’s easy to toss through the slaw.

5. Roast your hazelnuts. Preheat your oven to 180°C, arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through. Watch them closely so they do not burn; if they burn, they will go bitter. They are ready when they smell aromatic and the skins begin to crack or blister.

6. Assemble the slaw. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled farro, broccoli, apple, spring onions and herbs. Toss with the dressing and scatter the roasted hazelnuts over the top.  Serve the spiced chicken with a generous helping of slaw.

Substitutions I had fun with this recipe on a Sunday morning with a little more time up my sleeve. There were a few ingredients I didn’t have - but don’t let this long list of ingredients put you off. It’s easy to make some simple subs and it will still turn out delicious!

• I was missing paprika and ras el hanout - so I subbed in 1 tsp of Butter Chicken Spice mix instead. Most spice mixes will do the trick of adding flavour and interest to the chicken here.

• I had dill and coriander on hand so used these as my herb combo.

• I love the idea of hazelnuts, but as I didn’t have them I subbed in almonds for the textural crunch

• I had some lettuce to use up, so finely chopped this up and added it

• I didn’t have black garlic, and also don’t eat a lot of dairy, so I made this cashew based DF alternative dressing:

DF Creamy Herby Dressing

• 1/2 cup cashews, boiled (or soaked for 2 hours)

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp raw honey

• Juice of 1/2 orange

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2-1 bunch of herbs - whatever you have on hand, and combinations work well if you have half bunches leftover (dill, coriander, parsley, mint, basil)

• water as needed (i used 1/4 cup, plus a bit extra to make the dressing runny)

Pop all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Spiced Chicken Thighs with Broccoli and Apple Slaw