Honeyed five-spice chicken pockets
Five-spice powder – a fragrant mix of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns – is used a great deal in Chinese cooking, and here it adds an Asian flavour to appetizing pita bread sandwiches.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 4servings | 10minutes | 25minutes | 30minutes marinating |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4servings | 10minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 25minutes | 30minutes marinating |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
- 3 skinless chicken breasts
- 4 large whole-wheat pita breads
- 3 romaine lettuce leaves shredded
- 16 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 large carrot peeled and coarsely grated
- Lemon and Herb Yogourt Dressing
- 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogourt
- 1/2 lemon zest grated and juiced to yield
- 2 tsp juice
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
Servings: servings
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Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
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Instructions
- Put the lemon juice, honey and five-spice powder in a shallow dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts in a single layer, and mix together until well blended. Make three deep slashes in each chicken breast, then put into the dish. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, and well into the slashes. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the dressing, blend together the yogourt, lemon zest and juice and the parsley and season to taste. Cover and chill until required.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Preheat the grill to medium and line the grill tray with foil. Set the shelf on the lowest position. Put the chicken breasts on the tray and cook for about 20 minutes, basting occasionally with the marinade and turning halfway through cooking. Thinly slice the chicken on the diagonal and set aside to cool.
- Sprinkle the pita breads with a little water and warm under the grill for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the lettuce, tomatoes and carrot with the dressing. Slice open one side of each pita bread to make a pocket. Divide the chicken and salad among the pitas and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Variation: Grilled chicken breasts also make a great sandwich filling. Lightly toast two slices of multigrain bread for each sandwich. Cover a slice of toast with mixed salad greens and sliced cucumber tossed with the lemon and herb dressing. Add the chicken slices, then top with second slice of toast.
Each serving: 33.5 g protein, 8.5 g fat of which 2.5 g saturates, 66.5 g carbohydrate, 8.5 grams fibre, 499 Calories
