Moroccon chicken skewers with swiss chard salad

I have a real fondness for Swiss chard for two reasons. One is because the prettiness of the multi coloured stems appeals to my girly side and the other is because it's my best success story with growing veg. I can't say the taste has ever been a factor. How to describe Swiss chard? Minerally, briny, chewy perhaps, akin to kale, spinach or dandelion? I'm being unfair, I do really enjoy eating these greens, especially when I find new cooking techniques, like this one for a Moroccan salad, the stems and leaves first boiled and then fried with grated tomato and bitter, bitter olives.

Both the Swiss chard salad and a recipe for chicken skewers were taken from this book : A Month in Marrakesh, a superb book bursting with Moroccan vibes and tons and tons of simple salads. I recently read that it's not unusual to have between 16 - 20 salads as part of one sitting in Morocco, although a 'salad' can be defined as something as simple as a plate of fried zucchini with lemon juice. Like Korean meals, with it's banchan side dishes, this kind of eating really excites me with lots and lots of things to try. Neil used to moan that certain ethnic dishes were boring because he preferred meals with separate components like roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, veg and gravy. You could eat your way round the plate, he surmised, rather than having everything 'mixed up'. I see his point, but also disagree, (like any wife).

Recipe : Swiss chard salad with grated tomato

From A Month in Marrakesh

800g Swiss chard, leaves separated from stems and both roughly chopped

1 medium sized tomato

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

100g black olives

1 tbsp harissa

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium - high heat and add the Swiss chard stalks, cooking for 5 minutes before then adding the leaves. Cook for another 10 minutes until both stems and leaves are tender.

Grate the tomato into a bowl....

...then, after heating the oil in a frying pan until hot, add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add the drained chard leaves and stalks and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring well. Transfer to a serving bowl, add the harissa and seasonings, stir well and serve.

Recipe : Chicken kebabs

From A Month in Marrakesh

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1.5 tbsp finely chopped ginger

3/4 tbsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl along with all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover and marinade for at least 30 minutes. When ready to cook, thread the chicken pieces onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers and grill, (broil) or BBQ for about 7 minutes until cooked through and crisp.

Serve with a dip such as hummus, avocado dip, (as the book suggests) or Baba Ghanoush, the Swiss chard and olive salad and warmed roti or pitta breads to stuff into, roll up and scoff.

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