Greek Chicken Bowl with Tzatziki & Quinoa

Ingredients

• 400 g chicken breast, cut into strips
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 0.5 cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
• 200 g Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 180 g quinoa
• 0.5 cucumber, sliced
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 50 g pitted kalamata olives
• Dressed rocket salad with shaved parmesan, to serve
• Crusty ciabatta, to serve

Method

1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water until it runs clear — this washes off the bitter coating. Tip into a pan with 360 ml water and a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes until the grains are tender and the little tails have uncurled. Drain any excess water, fluff with a fork, and dress with a squeeze of lemon and a glug of olive oil.
2. Toss the chicken strips with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the oregano, cumin, smoked paprika and lemon zest. Season generously with salt and pepper — this is the only chance to season the chicken itself, so don't be shy. The dry spices need oil and a few minutes to wake up; while they sit, the cumin and paprika bloom against the warm chicken instead of tasting dusty in the bowl. Leave to marinate while you make the tzatziki.
3. Wring the grated cucumber hard in a clean tea towel until barely a drop comes out — water in, watery tzatziki out. Stir the dry cucumber into the Greek yoghurt with the minced garlic, chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. Taste, adjust, taste again — it should be sharp, herby and properly seasoned, not bland.
4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy frying pan or griddle pan over high heat until it shimmers and the surface looks restless. Lay the chicken out in a single layer with space between each strip — work in two batches if your pan is small. Crowd the pan and the chicken steams in its own juice; give it room and you get the deep char that makes this dish. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until the edges are blackened in patches and the chicken is firm to the press.
5. Divide the quinoa between two wide bowls. Arrange the charred chicken, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives in distinct sections on top — bowls eat better when the components stay separate until the spoon goes in.
6. Spoon a generous dollop of tzatziki into the centre of each bowl, scatter with torn mint leaves, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and tuck a lemon wedge alongside for squeezing at the table.