Spiced Chicken & Hummus

This is a twist on one of my all time favourite go-to minimal effort meals.

In the past I’ve used ground beef but I was surprised how much I enjoyed this lighter chicken version.

Don’t be alarmed if you’re not familiar with the spice blend baharat. There are plenty of tasty alternatives in the variations below.

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Spiced Chicken & Hummus

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 450 g ground (minced) chicken (1lb)
• 2 teaspoons baharat or ground cumin
• 1 handful flaked (sliced) almonds optional
• 1 cup almond hummus or hummus 240g (9oz)
• 1 bag baby spinach leaves to serve

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Heat a large frying pan on a high heat. Add a few tablespoons oil and the chicken. Cook chicken, breaking up as you go until the chicken is no longer pink and nicely browned.
• Toss in the spice and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Taste and season with salt and more spice, if needed.
• To serve, divide hummus between 2 plates. Top with spiced chicken, almonds (if using) and baby spinach.

Variations

pantry-friendly -baby spinach = steamed or pan fried frozen greens.

no baharat – you can order this delicious lebanese spice blend online or just substitute ground cumin on its own. Another favourite alternative is equal parts ground cumin, ground coriander and smoked paprika.

vegetarian / vegan – replace chicken with the same weight of cooked lentils. Or try cooked chickpeas. or replace chicken with grilled veg such as eggplant, zucchini and peppers.

home made hummus – whizz a drained can of chickpeas with 3 tablespoons lemon juice, canning liquid (or water) and tahini. Add a crushed clove of garlic if you like.

more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with pita, roast sweet potatoes, warm tortillas, couscous, quinoa or cooked brown rice.

more substantial (low carb) – almond breads, extra almonds, extra virgin olive oil.

paleo – serve with sweet potato hummus , cauliflower hummus, Almond hummus or broccoli hummus.

keto / ultra low carb – use cauliflower hummus or broccoli hummus, almond hummus or lemon tahini sauce.

more veg – lovely with grilled veg such as eggplant, zucchini and peppers. You could also soften an onion before cooking the chicken and toss in a few handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes.

hot! – toss in a few chopped chillies to cook with the chicken.

different meat – lovely with ground beef or lamb.

low carb – replace hummus with cauliflower hummus.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

minced (ground) chicken – freeze it.

baharat or ground cumin / sliced almonds – keep them in the pantry.

hummus – will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Can be frozen.

baby spinach – either pop them in the freezer or wilt down in a covered pot with a little olive oil. This way they’ll keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Problem Solving Guide

dry – minced chicken does tend to be pretty low fat. Balance this with a big drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

bland – use more spice and/or salt. A splash of lemon or lime juice at the table can also bring things to life.

too much spice – difficult to fix! Best strategy is dilution so try serving with more hummus or salad. Next time be more cautious when adding the spice.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the hummus, spiced chicken, almonds and baby spinach separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, warm chicken in a pan with a little oil.

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