Saffron & olive rice with chicken or tofu skewers

These simple skewers are tasty cooked on a griddle during the cold months and equally great for a BBQ in the summer. The recipe is perfect if you’re entertaining a variety of guests as you can make a few of each.

Ingredients

75g white rice
75g brown rice
1 large onion, chopped small
A pinch of saffron
150ml chicken or vegetable stock
Approx 60g Real Olive Co Garlic and Basil Olives, cut in half
200g chicken pieces (approx 2 breasts) OR tofu pieces
10 baby tomatoes
1 courgette, cut into thick slices
1 bell pepper (orange, yellow, green or red) cut into pieces
1 tablespoon apple cider or white wine vinegar
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

You will also need wooden or metal skewers.

Method

Put the chicken pieces or tofu in a bowl with some of the lemon juice and a splash of light olive oil and set aside.

Cook the brown rice and white rice separately, drain and combine (you can use just one colour of rice if you prefer, but the combination of brown and white works well for taste and flavour absorbency).

Heat the stock and add the saffron, stirring it to dissolve.

Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and add around three tablespoons of the stock to the pan. When the stock is hot add the onion.

You can also add a splash of light olive oil or butter at this stage, or low-flavour coconut oil (but avoid heating extra-virgin olive oil). When the onion is soft, add the rice and mix the two together. Add the olives. You can also add salt, pepper, and some lemon juice to taste.

Arrange the chicken (or tofu if using – you could also use halloumi), tomatoes, courgette and pepper pieces and any other vegetables on the skewers.

Cook on a griddle or pan for around ten minutes each side or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with the rice; if you like you can drizzle extra-virgin olive oil onto the dish at this stage, for health benefits and texture.