Moroccan Chicken with Roasted Corn & Avocado

By Melissa Massello, July 23, 2013

While I’ve enjoyed the challenge of coming up with cold recipes that don’t involve the oven, range, grill — even the toaster was too much heat last week — there’s only so many deli sandwiches one can eat before going a bit mad.

Inspired by a conversation with our neighbors, who just returned from a trip to Europe for the Tour de France, and nostalgic for the Latin Quarter kebab shops near Andrew’s apartment in Paris (where he lived when we first started dating), I decided to throw together a quick Moroccan-inspired meal. The spice rub is a simplified version of my go-to chicken shawarma (an old recipe from Cooking Light) and the salad is a simple mix with lime juice and cilantro using frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe’s as the base, so you can make it year-round.

The best part is, even if you use all organic ingredients, you can serve four people for less than $15 — and it’s really good for you, too!

MOROCCAN GRILLED CHICKEN
Serves 4

2 lbs thin sliced chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsps ground cumin
2 Tbsps ground coriander
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash & pat chicken dry. Combine dry spices into a rub and coat the chicken, then place in a bowl. Cover rubbed chicken with olive oil and vinegar, coating evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grill on high heat about 2-3 minutes per side, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Serve immediately with salad, 2 thin sliced breasts per person.

ROASTED CORN, AVOCADO, TOMATO & RED ONION SALAD
Serves 4

1 cup frozen Trader Joe’s roasted corn (or homemade)
2 ripe avocados
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion, diced
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsps cilantro, fresh or frozen
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil the frozen corn for 1-2 minutes, then drain and cool completely. (If using frozen cilantro, throw in with the corn while it’s hot and stir to melt.) Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and then half again through the center. Cube avocados. Dice onions. Combine in a bowl, covering with cilantro (if fresh) and fresh squeezed lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently and serve immediately.