Blackened Chicken Breasts With Marinated Cucumber (Low-Carb)

I've found this recipe in a local food magazine, "Food & Home". I liked the look of it, but tweaked the flavours just a little. Ideal for dieters and low-carbers, and it looks so pretty on a plate! I doubt that the tiny amount of sugar, most of which is discarded again, will spoil a diet! NB, March 9, 2009: justcallmetoni found the cucumber dressing still too sweet, so I reduced the sugar. Please taste it, and add more lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, if you like.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon ground paprika
• 1  teaspoon chili powder, whatever heat you prefer
• 2  ml ground cloves
• 1  tablespoon coarse black pepper
•  salt

• Cucumber and marinade

• 1  cucumber, long ("English cucumber")
• 1  tablespoon  superfine sugar
• 2  tablespoons lemon rind, grated
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1  teaspoon  dill seeds or 1  teaspoon mustard seeds
•  salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

1. Use the first 4 tablespoons lemon juice to rub into the chicken breasts. Shake off and discard extra liquid.
2. Mix all the spices in a plastic or cooking bag. Add the chicken breasts, and shake until coated evenly.
3. Use a non-stick skillet/frying pan, heat well, and dry-fry the chicken breasts until cooked and juice runs clear when pricked with a skewer.
4. Set aside and cover lightly.
5. With a potato peeler, peel long ribbons of cucumber. Even with the soft-seeded English cucumber the going can get tough. You could use 2 cucumbers, peel strips until it won't peel neatly any more and gets wobbly, and save that centre strip to use in another salad.
6. Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, dill or mustard seeds, pepper and salt in a roomy bowl.
7. (Keep the rind you've prepared before squeezing the lemon).
8. Add the cucumber to the marinade, and with clean hands or a spoon mix well with the marinade. Leave for 10 - 14 minutes.
9. On a serving plate, slice the chicken at an angle and arrange in a half-moon shape. Drain the cucumber of liquid and put on platter next to chicken.
10. Sprinkle with the lemon strips or grated rind. Best served at room temperature!