Quinoa Roast Chicken

I have recently started making roast chicken with stuffing after I came across a recipe for a cous cous stuffing. I think that quinoa works beautifully here, it is a little lighter than cous cous, but for a faster version use instant couscous or left over cooked rice.

1 chicken

1½ cups cooked quinoa, cooled (I used black quinoa, but any colour works)

¼ cup toasted slivered almonds

¼ chopped pistachio kernels

zest of one orange

12 dried apricots, diced

3 tbspn chopped parsley

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cumin

 ½ tsp ground coriander

olive oil

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry. Line a baking dish with baking paper. Mix cooked quinoa with spices, zest, nuts, apricots and parsley.

Stuff the chicken lightly (don’t overstuff) with the quinoa mixture and truss the legs with string or baking paper. Put the remainder of the quinoa in the baking dish and put the chicken on top of it, breast side up. Brush the chicken with olive oil and season well.

Roast at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180 degrees and roast for a further 60 minutes.

Serve with the quinoa from around and inside the chicken.