Yoghurt-Roasted Chicken with Quinoa, Carrot and Fennel Slaw

Sometimes I think I prepare meat dishes only because that's the easiest way to get everybody satisfied at mealtime without thinking much and without spending hours in the kitchen.
You throw a piece of meat on a plate, add some veggies or just a salad and there you go.
But then again, I don't really enjoy eating meat. I could never go on one of those meat-only diets that are so popular these days. I could more easily live without meat than without desserts (veggies, cereals and legumes are untouchable). Being vegetarian requires more planning and better organization in the kitchen in order to have balanced and tasty meal on the table.
So when my husband proposed to eat vegetarian/pescetarian as much as possible, I readily accepted the idea. I like the idea of eating less meat, and I like challenges. We still eat meat but not more than once or twice a week. And  in the meantime lots of vegetarian dishes and fish whenever possible, usually 2 or 3 times a week.

All this said to introduce a meat dish? I know, doesn't make much sense.
But trust me, this one is worth it.
Like many other dishes from Australian Gourmet Traveller, this one was so inviting that I couldn't resist preparing it. I slightly adapted the recipe omitting the chilli pepper flakes, otherwise kids wouldn't eat. I also prepared chicken breast and pork chops using the same marinade, just adapting the cooking method. I even used sweetened white yoghurt and almost threw everything from anger and dispair for ruining the meal, and it turned edible anyway.
And this meat dish is paired with a fantastic Carrot and fennel slaw that I totally recommend, do not separate these two, they go so great together. If my little man who's only 21 months old loved it, why wouldn't you?
And, as far as vegetarian dishes I've been making lately, don't worry, there's plenty coming. Just had to remove this lonely meat dish from draft ;)))

Yoghurt Roasted Chicken with Quinoa, Carrot and Fennel Slaw
(adapted from Gourmet Traveller)

* 4 whole chicken legs (tighs + drumsticks)
* 70 g (1/4 C) thick plain yogurt
* 60 ml (1/4 C) extra virgin olive oil
* zest and juice of 1/2 organic lemon
* 2 cloves of garlic
* 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roughly crushed
* salt and pepper

      Quinoa, carrot and fennel slaw

* 175 g quinoa
* 1,5 TBspoons extra virgin olive oil
* 2 scallions
* 1 clove of garlic
* 2 medium carrots, cut into julienne
* 1 fennel bulb, shaved
* 80 g thick plain yogurt
* juice from 1/2 lemon
* salt

Turn the oven to 200°C.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt and the olive oil.
Add the roughly crushed coriander seeds, finely minced garlic, salt and pepper, finely grated lemon zest and the lemon juice.
Rub this mixture over chicken. Place the chicken on an oven tray lined with baking paper (take a piece of paper large enough to fold losely over the chicken). Drizzle with a little olive oil. Fold the sides of baking paper sheet over the chicken to cover it losely.
Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes, then uncover and continue until browned and cooked through. Check with a fork if the meat is tender.

In the meantime prepare the salad.
Put the quinoa in a mash sieve and rinse it under cold running water.
Cook the quinoa in a saucepan with a double volume of slightly salted water. When the water starts boiling lower the heat, cover and cook until all the liquid's been absorbed.
Transfer the quinoa on a large plate and set aside to cool.
Shred or cut the carrot into julienne. Shave the fennel with a mandolin into thin slices. Put the fennel in a bowl with cold water and a little lemon juice.
Heat oil in a sauce pan and add finely chopped garlic, sliced scallions, stirring until tender. Add the carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl with quinoa. Add drained fennel, the lemon juice and the yoghurt. Stir to combine and serve with chicken.

Pollo arrostito allo yogurt con insalata di quinoa, carote e finocchio

* 4 cosce di pollo intere (coscia + sovracoscia)
* 70 g di yogurt bianco intero
* 60 ml di olio extravergine d'oliva
* scorza finemente grattugiata e il succo di 1/2 o 1 limone intero, non trattato (secondo i gusti)
* 2 spicchi d'aglio
* 1 cucchiaino di semi di coriandolo
* sale e pepe (q.b.)

    Insalata di quinoa, carote e finocchio
* 175 g di quinoa
* 1,5 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d'oliva
* 2 cipollotti
* 1 spicchio d'aglio
* 2 carote medie
* 1 finocchio
* 80 g yogurt bianco
* succo di 1/2 o 1 limone intero (a piacere)
* sale

Scaldate il forno a 200°C.
Mescolate in una ciotola lo yogurt con l'olio EVO. Aggiungete i semi di coriandolo schiacciati, l'aglio sminuzzato, sale e pepe, succo e scorza finemente grattugiata di limone. Spalmate le cosce e le sovracosce con questo composto. Potete metterli subito a cuocere o lasciare un ora in frigo a marinare.
Mettete un foglio di carta da forno sulla placca (abbastanza grande da poterlo ripiegare sopra la carne).
Sistematevi la carne e spruzzate con poco olio EVO. Ripiegate i lati della carta sopra la carne (senza legare).
Mettete a cuocere nel forno caldo. Dopo i primi 15-20 minuti, aprite la carta e continuate a cuocere finché la carne e ben cotta (controllare con una forchetta se la carne è tenera) e  dorata.
Girate le cosce e sovracosce un paio di volte per una cottura più uniforme.

Per l'insalata, mettete la quinoa in un colino e sciacquatela sotto l'acqua fredda.
Mettetela a cuocere in un pentolino con due volte tanta acqua. Quando l'acqua inizia a bollire, abbassate la fiamma e coprite. Cuocete finché la quinoa non avrà assorbito tutta l'acqua.
Stendetela su un piatto e lasciatela raffreddare.
Tagliate o grattugiate la carota a julienne.
Pulite, lavate e con un mandolino tagliate il finocchio a listarelle. Mettete il finocchio tagliato nella ciotola con l'acqua fredda acidulata con limone.
Scaldate l'olio in una padella, aggiungete l'aglio sminuzzato e i cipollotti tritati. Unite la carota e lasciate rosolare per 2-3 minuti.
Mescolate in una ciotola la quinoa, la carota, il finocchio scolato, condite con succo di limone e yogurt. Mescolate e servite con le cosce e sovracosce arrostite.

Pečena piletina s jogurtom i salata od quinoe s mrkvom i koromačem

* 4 cijela pileća bataka (batak + nadbatak)
* 70 g običnog gustog jogurta
* 60 ml maslinovog ulja
* naribana korica i sok 1/2 do 1 neprskanog limuna (po ukusu)
* 2 češnja bijelog luka
* 1 žličica sjemenki korijandera
* sol i papar (po ukusu)

    Salata od quinoe, mrkve i koromača
* 175 g quinoe
* 1,5 žlica maslinovog ulja
* 2 mlada luka
* 1 češanj bijelog luka
* 2 srednje velike mrkve
* 1 koromač
* 80 g gustog jogurta
* sok 1/2 do 1 limuna (po ukusu)
* sol

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C.
Pomiješajte u zdjeli jogurt i maslinovo ulje.
Dodajte usitnjene sjemenke korijandera (grubo ih usitnite u mužaru), usitnjeni češnjak, sol i papar (po želji dodajte i druge začine), sitno naribanu koricu i sok limuna.
Namažite pripremljenom smjesom batake i nadbatake.
Možete ih staviti odmah peći, ili ih ostavite par sati u hladnjaku u ovoj marinadi.
Pleh obložite većim komadom papira za pečenje (dovoljno veliki da možete krajeve preklopiti preko mesa).
Rasporedite meso i još malo pokapajte maslinovim uljem.
Papir samo preklopite preko mesa bez da ga stišćete ili vežete kao za škartoc, samo da je malo pokriveno.
Pecite tako pokriveno prvih 15-20 minuta, a zatim otvorite papir i pecite dalje dok meso ne dobije lijepu boju i pečeno je (provjerite vilicom je li meso mekano), okrenite par puta da se ispeče ujednačeno.

Za salatu, stavite quinou u gusto cjedilo i isperite je pod mlazom hladne vode. Stavite je kuhati u dvostruku količinu vode. Kad voda provrije, malo je posolite, smanjite vatru na minimum i kuhajte pokriveno dok quinoa ne upije svu vodu. Maknite s vatre, raširite je na veći tanjur da se ohladi.
Narežite ili naribajte mrkvu na julienne.
Očistite i ribežom (mandolinom) narežite koromač na tanke listiće. Stavite koromač u hladnu vodu zakiseljenu s malo limunovog soka.
Zagrijte maslinovo ulje u tavi s usitnjenim češnjakom i sitno narezanim mladim lukom. Dodajte mrkvu i sve kratko pirjajte na srednje jakoj vatri da malo omekša (2-3 minute).
Pomiješajte u zdjeli prohlađenu quinou, mrkvu s lukom, ocijeđeni koromač, začinite limunovim sokom i jogurtom i izmiješajte.
Tik prije posluživanja dodajte listiće peršina i/ili mente.

Poslužite pečenu piletinu uz salatu od Quinoe, mrkve i koromača.