GOLDEN BEET NOODLES WITH HARISSA CHICKEN
We don’t often find golden beets in the shops but we were lucky enough to have some in our weekly organic vegetable box this week. If you can’t find golden beets then use butternut squash instead. If you can find golden beets but they have no leaves (beet tops) attached then use spinach or watercress instead of the beet tops. We love this dish and it’s a very satisfying and filling dish for anyone following a paleo or grain-free diet. It’s an excellent way to introduce a new variety of vegetable to your kids without it looking too unfamiliar. If the harissa paste is too spicy for you, despite using lemon juice and honey to tone it down, then replace it with the same quantity of sundried tomato paste. If you don’t have a spiraliser to make the golden beet noodles then either julienne the vegetables by hand or buy a julienne peeler which should cost no more than £5. Spiralising vegetables is not just a fad, it really is an excellent way to get vegetables into both kids and adults. We love the 4-blade spiraliser by Mueller which costs around £20 and is super easy to use and clean. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken breast
- 2 tbsp Harissa sauce
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 4 single minced spring onions
- 4 large spiralised golden beets
- 1/2 cup bone broth
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 whole freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl with the harissa sauce, add the honey and lemon juice and combine well. Set aside.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Heat gently, add in the garlic and minced spring onions. Let cook for 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant. Then, add in the chicken with sauce and the bone broth (if you don't have any broth just use water). Let cook, uncovered for about 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Turn the mixture over a few times during those 3 minutes so that the chicken cooks evenly.
- Add in the spiralised beets (you should have about 1 cup of spiralised beet per person) and chopped beet greens and season generously with salt. Toss to combine and cover, letting cook for about 5 minutes, or until beet noodles are al dente.
- Once done, place in a bowl and serve straight away or let it cool and store in the fridge where it will keep for 3 days. You can re-heat it or eat it cold. It's delicious either way.
THE SCIENCE BIT
Golden beets are a great source of fibre to help keep your gut bugs cosy and happy with nearly 3 grams of fibre in each 100g serving. Golden beets are also a great source of potassium which aids in electrolyte balance and it’s super important for a healthy nervous system. You will also get a good dose of iron, folate, and similar to many orange and yellow colour fruits and vegetables you will reward your body with plenty of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, lycopene, flavonoids, and zeaxanthin. Eat up!
