Allergy friendly spiced chicken

For the last year I have been suffering with various health issues and, ironically for a food blogger, I have now been diagnosed with fairly wide-ranging food allergies.  Without turning this into a pity party (although there have been tears along the way) it turns out that I may be allergic to a total of 27 items including garlic, wheat, corn and sugar.   What’s particularly frustrating is that I am actually allergic to one of the components used in testing allergies and so the results aren't at all conclusive – I may, in fact, not be allergic to many of the foods that have been flagged by the tests.   The result of all of this is that I have to cut these items out of my diet and in a month or so I can start reintroducing them one at a time to see if they bring on any symptoms.  In this way I should be able to isolate the main culprits and then work out a plan going forward.

On the positive side my health is significantly better as a result of my new diet (hurray!).   The downside is that I miss being able to eat freely and I am now persona non grata where dinner invitations are concerned (although last weekend some friends managed to navigate the minefield and produced a wonderful meal for me).    Giving up sugar has been particularly problematic as I’m addicted to the stuff – a by-product of growing up in a sweet shop and obtaining all nutrition until the age of ten from chocolate mice and Wham bars!   Avoiding garlic is also tricky as it turns up in pretty much everything (including almost all of my recipes).

And so, in solidarity with those of you with allergy issues and to keep myself well-fed, I intend to start posting recipes that fit in with my new diet but don't compromise on taste.  This is the first of these recipes and I hope you enjoy it.   Steve (previously supportive husband who has drawn the line at following my new diet) declared it delicious as he wolfed it down in a tasty-looking wheat roll and dipped it into my favourite garlic sauce.  Humpf!


List of potential allergens

wheat	oats	sugar	yeast
garlic	peanut	hazelnut	brazil nut
almond	coconut	sesame seeds	orange
apple	banana	peach	kiwi
mango	pineapple	parsley	broccoli
brussel sprouts	cabbage	pea	haricot beans
corn	buckwheat	celery

Serves 2

Preparation: 20 minutes plus minimum of 2 hours marinading time

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 star anise
• 1 dried red chilli
• 4 peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 3cm long cinnamon stick
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 100 millilitres yogurt
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets

Method

1. Heat a completely clean and dry pan for several minutes until it is so hot that a drop of water evaporates immediately. 
2. Now add the the star anise and toss until it starts releasing its aroma.  Be careful not to dry roast it for too long as it will burn.
3. Remove the star anise from the heat and crush finely using a pestle and mortar.
4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 with the dried red chilli, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.
5. Put the freshly ground star anise, dried red chilli, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds into a bowl along with the salt and yoghurt.  Stir well.
6. Wash the chicken breasts and cut into one inch pieces. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and ensure each piece of chicken is thoroughly coated with the mixture.
7. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put in the fridge to marinade for at least two hours.
8. When you are ready to cook the chicken put the pieces on a baking tray and grill on a medium-high heat for approximately 7 minutes or until cooked.  Turn the chicken regularly and try not to overcook it as with care it will be tender and moist. 
9. Serve immediately with salad and rice.