Lunch/Dinner Recipe 7: Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Dressing and a Black Bean Salad

While I am happy to use tinned beans when beans are a component of a larger meal (such as in the Mexican Feast), when making a full salad based on beans I would definitely go through the hassle of using dried beans that need to soak overnight. While I have only made this salad using black beans you should be able to substitute it with most types of beans as per your preference.

Bean Salad
300 g black beans, soaked overnight and drained
2-3 tblsp olive oil
2-3 tblsp lime or lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper or Herbamare for seasoning
150 g green string beans, steamed and then topped and cut into 2-3 pieces each
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 avocado, sliced

Bring the beans to the boil in a large saucepan; once boiling reduce the heat and simmer for app. 45 minutes or until al dente (follow instructions on the back of the pack). When cooked, drain them well. Put the warm black beans in a large bowl, add olive oil, lime/lemon juice and cumin. Season with salt and pepper or Herbamare and leave to cool.

Blanch/steam the green beans until they are cooked but still crisp; rinse under cold water and cut into shorter pieces. To complete the salad, mix the green beans and spring onion with the beans and top with slices of avocado.

Chicken Skewers
I use chicken breast 'mini fillets' for this and they are easy to put onto a skewer and quickly fry on a griddle (or normal) pan. I estimate 3-4 skewers/mini fillets per person.

Before putting them on the hot pan, season with lemon juice, salt/Herbamare and pepper. I put a tiny bit of vegetable oil on the pan before cooking just to make sure they do not burn to the pan. Cook them for 3-5 minutes on each side until they are cooked through and none of the meat is pink.

Yogurt Dressing
In a food processor or blender whizz together:
150 g Greek yogurt
A handful of coriander
10-15 mint leaves
1 clove of garlic
Zest from one lemon
Season as per your preference with a bit of salt and a small squeeze of lemon juice

Put all the components together on a plate and serve.
Enjoy!