Lunch recipe
Chicken couscous lunch boxes with cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, Greek yoghurt, mint, lemon, and parsley.
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Ingredients
28cm non-stick frying pan, food thermometer, 4l heatproof bowl and cover, grater, knife and separate raw-meat board, 750ml lunchbox per serving, 1l bowl for cucumber yoghurt
Method
For more than 4 servings, divide all displayed ingredients into separate batches of no more than 4 servings and use each batch’s share. Dice half the cucumber. Grate and squeeze the other half firmly to remove free liquid. Halve tomatoes, grate carrots and chop all mint and parsley. Zest and juice half the lemons; cut the other half into wedges. Keep prepared vegetables and yoghurt chilled.
Cut all raw chicken into strips no thicker than 1cm. Toss with all oregano and 15ml oil. Heat a 28cm non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook in two equal batches, no more than 250g at a time, for 8–10 minutes each, turning regularly. Keep in one layer; split further if crowded and allow another cooking cycle. Check thickest strips reach 75°C for 30 seconds with a clean thermometer. Continue cooking and recheck if needed; transfer to a clean plate.
Put all couscous and prepared zest in a 4l heatproof bowl. Add all 350ml water, freshly boiling, cover for 5 minutes or the actual packet time if longer, then fluff. Spread grain and cooked chicken in separate shallow containers and refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Allow extra time to chill fully before cold assembly.
Mix all Greek yoghurt, squeezed grated cucumber, mint, half the parsley and half the prepared lemon juice. Refrigerate this dressing while cooked components cool.
Toss chilled couscous with the remaining 15ml oil, remaining lemon juice, diced cucumber, tomatoes, carrots and remaining parsley. Use all prepared ingredients.
Divide chilled couscous salad and chicken between 750ml boxes, one per serving in this batch. Pack all cucumber yoghurt and lemon wedges alongside; keep chilled until eating.
