Not sure what it is about meat on a stick but kids seem to love it! Using chicken tenderloins also makes preparation much easier. Teaming it with this carrot and apple quinoa salad makes it a crowd pleasing dinner. The addition of the apple to this salad, gives it a sweetness my kids really enjoy.

? Serves: 4
? Prep: 20 mins    Cook: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 500g chicken tenderloins
• 8 wooden kebab sticks
• ¼ cup soy sauce (or use tamari to make recipe gluten free)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• ½ cup quinoa
• 1½ cups water
• 2 handfuls (cups) baby spinach leaves
• 2 carrots
• 1 green apple
• 1 avocado (optional)
• Any leftover salad veg (today I used some cucumber and snow peas leftover from children’s lunchboxes)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Thread chicken tenderloins onto kebab sticks (one per stick) and place on plate or shallow dish
2. Mix together soy sauce, honey and sesame seeds to make marinade
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade (for salad dressing) and drizzle the rest over the chicken
4. Place quinoa and water in a medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally (cook for about 10 minutes, until water evaporates and quinoa is soft)
5. Once cooked leave to cool
6. Whilst quinoa is cooking, prepare the salad
7. Wash and place spinach leaves in bowl
8. Grate carrot and thinly slice apple
9. Slice avocado and any other salad ingredients you are using
10. Mix salad veggies, quinoa and reserved sauce in bowl
11. Heat oil in large fry pan on medium heat
12. Add chicken skewers to fry pan and pour oven any extra sauce
13. Cook on medium heat for around 10-15 minutes, turning often (reduce heat if needed to avoid burning)
14. Check chicken is cooked by slicing through a piece before serving
15. Serve chicken with salad

Notes

This recipe can be made in advance. Leave the chicken to marinate and prepare the salad but leave the dressing off until serving.

You can leave the salad unmixed for the children who are still learning to like salad, that way they can choose the bits they want to put on their plates.