Lean Machine Chicken Skewers

Name: Lean Machine Chicken Skewers
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Pine nuts; Garlic clove; Red chilli; Parmesan cheese; Sun-blushed tomatoes; Olive oil; Chicken; Flat-leaf parsley leaves

Ingredients

50g pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1 red chilli (optional)
50g Parmesan cheese
200g sun-blushed tomatoes in oil (you may also need some extra olive oil)
500g chicken (preferably thigh – see what dad says, below)
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves

SPECIAL KIT LIST

Blender or food processor
Skewers (if they are wooden, soak them for 20 minutes in water before using so they won’t burn or catch fire under the grill!)

Cooking instructions

SERVES 4

First, toast the pine nuts: place a frying pan over a medium heat and put the pine nuts into the pan for about 5 minutes, moving them around often so they don’t burn. Tip them on to a small plate.
Peel the garlic clove and crush it to a paste in a garlic crusher.
Remove the seeds from the red chilli, if using, and dice into small pieces
Grate the Parmesan cheese, using the fine side of the grater, and being careful not to grate your fingers!
Drain the sun-blushed tomatoes over a measuring jug so you catch all the yummy oil. Have a look how much oil you have – you need 175ml so if you have less than this, top up with olive oil.
Put the crushed garlic, toasted pine nuts, sun-blushed tomatoes, chilli (if you are adding it), Parmesan cheese and oil into your blender and, with the lid on, blitz to a loose paste. Put the paste into a large mixing bowl.
Chop the chicken into chunks. Add them to the bowl and mix thoroughly, then put the chicken into the fridge for at least 1 hour. Always wash your hands when you have been touching raw meat.
Once the chicken has had a chance to marinate, preheat the grill to high.
Thread the chicken on to the skewers and put them on to a grill tray.
Cook under the grill for 5 minutes and then turn them over and grill again on the other side for the same amount of time. Make sure the chicken is properly cooked all the way through.
While the chicken is cooking, chop the parsley with a large knife or put the leaves into a cup and chop them with scissors.
Transfer the cooked chicken skewers to a serving plate and garnish with the chopped parsley. Nailed it.

Need more kids activities inspiration to keep the little ones busy? Check out the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Kids Hub!