Sunday lunch: Courgette orzo pasta salad & lemon Greek roasted chicken

If you think about El Fresco dining this is one of the first dishes that comes to mind and is uses seasonal affordable ingredients that can be prepped and made in advance. This will help you to feed a large crowd without sacrificing any taste or flavour.

You can make this dish as extravagant as you want and add fresh herbs from your garden and even some grilled artichokes.

Make it your own.

This dish is really easy to prepare and can be made in advance and grilled as soon as the coals are ready.

The recipe can easily be doubled up for large crowds and leftovers can be deboned and turned into a fantastic summery, lemony chicken salad the next day.

Ingredients

• 75 ml of lemon olive oil
• 1 large chopped red onion
• juice and rind of 1 lemon
• A large tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
• Handful of chopped fresh herbs like Italian parsley and some fresh oregano
• 2 Chopped small Israeli cucumbers or 1/2 of a deseeded large cucumber
• 1 cup of sliced green olives
• 200 g of feta

Lemony Greek Roasted Chicken

• 1. 1,5 – 2 kg chicken braai pack
• 2 medium sized onions chopped
• 50 ml of lemon olive oil
• 6 cloves of grated garlic
• 500 ml of Chardonnay
• Juice and rind of 4 lemons
• 2 Bay leaves
• Greek lemon and herb seasoning

Method

Courgette orzo pasta salad

1. Grill the courgettes on a very hot fire until browned and cooked – gently remove and let them cool
2. Blend the olive oil, red onion, lemon juice and rind, mustard and fresh herbs together to make a dressing
3. Place the orzo in a bowl and cover with the dressing, then add the cucumber and green olives.
4. Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with the feta and roasted courgette ribbons with some more fresh herbs

Lemony Greek roasted chicken

1. In a medium sized sauce pan brown the onions in the olive oil then add the garlic and turn down the heat – cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes
2. Add the wine and lemon juice with the bay leaf and rind and turn back up the heat – let the mixture cook and reduce by a third, let the mixture cool off completely
3. Place the chicken in a large airtight container or ziplock bag, cover generously with the Greek lemon and herb seasoning then pour over the marinating liquid – for best results leave overnight but if pressed for time two hours will do
4. Remove the chicken from the bag and place onto a braai grid seasoning with more Greek Lemon and Herb Spices – roast over medium hot coals for about 35 to 45 minutes – reduce the marinating liquid by half and pour over the chicken as soon as it comes from the fire.
5. Serve with roasted lemons and chilled Sauvignon Blanc

Courgette orzo pasta Salad & Lemon Greek roasted chicken

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If you think about El Fresco dining these are one of the first dishes that come to mind and is uses seasonal affordable ingredients that can be prepped and made in advance and will help you to feed a large crowd without sacrificing any flavour. 

You can make this dish as extravagant as you want and add fresh herbs from your garden and even some grilled artichokes.

• Author: Mynhardt Joubert
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Category: Lunch, Dinner
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

Courgette orzo pasta salad

• 75 ml of lemon olive oil
• 1 large chopped red onion
• juice and rind of 1 lemon
• A large tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
• Handful of chopped fresh herbs like Italian parsley and some fresh oregano
• 2 Chopped small Israeli cucumbers or 1/2 of a deseeded large cucumber
• 1 cup of sliced green olives
• 200 g of feta

Lemony Greek roasted chicken

• 1. 1,5 – 2 kg chicken braai pack
• 2 medium sized onions chopped
• 50 ml of lemon olive oil
• 6 cloves of grated garlic
• 500 ml of Chardonnay
• Juice and rind of 4 lemons
• 2 Bay leaves
• Greek lemon and herb seasoning

Instructions

Courgette orzo pasta salad

1. Grill the courgettes on a very hot fire until browned and cooked – gently remove and let them cool

    
2. Blend the olive oil, red onion, lemon juice and rind, mustard and fresh herbs together to make a dressing

    
3. Place the orzo in a bowl and cover with the dressing, then add the cucumber and green olives.

    
4. Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with the feta and roasted courgette ribbons with some more fresh herbs

    

Lemony Greek roasted chicken

1. In a medium sized saucepan, brown the onions in the olive oil then add the garlic and turn down the heat – cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes

    
2. Add the wine and lemon juice with the bay leaf and rind and turn back up the heat – let the mixture cook and reduce by a third, let the mixture cool off completely

    
3. Place the chicken in a large airtight container or ziplock bag, cover generously with the Greek lemon and herb seasoning then pour over the marinating liquid – for best results leave overnight but if pressed for time two hours will do

    
4. Remove the chicken from the bag and place onto a braai grid seasoning with more Greek lemon and herb spices – roast over medium hot coals for about 35 to 45 minutes – reduce the marinating liquid by half and pour over the chicken as soon as it comes from the fire.

    
5. Serve with roasted lemons and chilled Sauvignon Blanc