Almond and Seed-crusted Chicken/Bademli ve Baharat Tohumlu Tavuk

Here is the kind of recipe we are all looking for: low-cal but tasty. Well anyway, that's my take on what we should be looking for these days. It's not a Turkish recipe, just my translation of yet another fab Woman&Home recipe. But the ingredients make it sound close to home, I think!

almond and seed-crusted chicken with broccoli in a lemon garlic yogurt sauce

Honestly, only 313 calories per serving of this sweet-smelling oven-baked chicken smothered in seeds and ground almonds accompanied by broccoli in a lemony garlicky yogurt sauce. Could have been written for Dukan!

I had to rush out to my local aktar to buy some cumin seeds though. Cumin or kimyon is one of our favourite spices but I always use the ground. This time I was in heaven as I wafted along on a wave of oriental fragrances as I pounded first these and then the coriander seeds with my brass mortar and pestle. 

here is the mix of seeds, ground almonds and seasoning

The yogurt spiced with lemon zest and garlic is also a winner. Any old veg can be given a lift with this light sauce. I added more garlic than given in the original recipe and am also thinking grated ginger. By the way, I have started peeling garlic cloves in that cheffy way by banging each one with the sideways blade of a knife. They peel beautifully after that.

the yogurt with the lemon zest and crushed garlic

My chicken breasts were perfect: my butcher prepares them in front of my eyes and assures me the chickens were running around freely before the chop.I can't think any further than that otherwise I might turn vegetarian.

Recipe for Almond and Seed-crusted Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame seeds/susam tohumu, toasted

1/2 tsp cumin seeds/kimyon tohumu, crushed

1/2 tsp coriander seeds/kişniş tohumu, crushed

2 tbsp ground almonds/toz badem

4 skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

300g/10oz broccoli

(200g/7oz broad beans) I DIDN'T HAVE THESE AS THEY ARE NOT IN SEASON YET 

1 garlic clove, crushed OR MORE

zest 1 lemon

150ml/1/4pt natural yogurt I USED LIGHT

Method

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6.
• Place the soy sauce in a shallow dish. Add the sesame seeds, spices, almonds and plenty of seasoning to another dish. Dip the chicken first into the soy sauce, then into the seed mixture until well coated.

like this ...

• Place the chicken in a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and tender.

all coated and ready for the oven

• Meanwhile, steam the broccoli and broad beans if using, for 5-6 minutes until tender. Add the crushed garlic and lemon zest to the yogurt and drizzle over the cooked vegetables. Slice the chicken breasts and serve.

here's your 313 calorie meal! How about that?

Afiyet olsun!