BBQ CHICKEN, BAKED SWEET POTATO & FETA SALAD

I often find that I acquire much of my cooking inspiration by eating out at restaurants. I don’t allow myself to dine out as often as I’d like to, particularly now, as starting a business and moving house is not cheap. However, I’ve recently discovered the importance in enjoying a nice meal out with my significant other and have made it a once a week occurrence. The other night we went to a burger joint in Southbank and ever the gluten-intolerant being; I had no choice but to order a salad. I was already planning my second dinner in my head when my salad came out. Succulent large chicken pieces, baked to perfection eggplant & sweet potato and spicy, yet sweet red onion. This totally blew my preconception about salads being not filling right out of the window. So of course, the next day I re-created this substantial salad in my inferior, but homey kitchen. The bbq chicken seasoning can be pre-purchased as taco or chicken seasoning if you do not have the time or number of spices to create it yourself. Whatever type of lettuce you have on hand will do, just make sure you roughly chop it. If you keep your eyes open, creativity and inventiveness is everywhere around you.

INGREDIENTS

BBQ Chicken Seasoning

• 250g chicken breast, preferably free-range, cut into even 4cm pieces
• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• a generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper each
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped/crushed 
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil

Salad Ingredients

• 300g sweet potato, peeled & cut into thin, even slices
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 60g feta, crumbled or cut into small cubes
• 4 cups of a mixture of baby spinach and any type of lettuce, washed & roughly chopped
• a splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the sweet potato with the teaspoon of oil in a medium bowl and toss well. Place the potato in a single layer on one side of the prepared oven tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 

3. Whilst the sweet potato is baking, combine all the BBQ chicken ingredients in a medium bowl and toss well. Place the baby spinach, lettuce (I used shredded iceberg) and feta in a large serving bowl and 

4. Once the sweet potato has been baking in the oven for 10 minutes, place the chicken in a single layer on the empty half of the prepared tray. Bake the chicken in the oven for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken meat is white inside (to check this find the biggest piece of chicken and cut it in half). Remove the tray from the oven and place the sweet potato and chicken in a large serving bowl. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

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