Chicken and couscous salad

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
2 – 3 chicken breast fillets
6 – 8 courgettes, sliced diagonally
200gm couscous
200ml hot chicken stock
1 Tblsp Harrief (chilli) paste
2 Tblsp chopped coriander
30gm chopped pistachio nuts

4 Tblsp natural fat free yoghurt
Juice and grated rind of 2 oranges
4 handfuls mixed salad leaves

Method
Spray a frying pan with non stick cooking spray.
Fry the chicken over a moderate heat for 10 – 15 minutes, turning once.
Remove from the pan and cover with tin foil.

Fry the courgette slices, in the pan you used for the chicken, for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and colour.

Measure the couscous into a plastic bowl.
Pour over the stock and mix in the harrief paste and coriander.
Cover the bowl with a plate or cling film and allow to stand for 5 – 10 minutes.
Fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir in the courgette slices and pistachios.

Shred the chicken into strips.

Make a bed of mixed salad leaves on each of four plates.
Divide the couscous between the plates and arrange the chicken strips on top.
Spoon the yoghurt over and finish with the orange juice and rind.

Chicken and guacamole

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
Juice from 1 lemon
Chicken spice (optional)

1 ripe avocado
1 – 2 tsp chilli paste
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tblsp chopped coriander

480gm new potatoes

4 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt

Method
Gently hammer the chicken fillets.
Lay in a glass dish in a single layer, sprinkle with chicken spice and ½ the lemon juice.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes (turn the pieces over after 5 mins if you think of it) while you:

Crush the avocado and mix in the garlic, chilli paste, coriander and remaining lemon juice.

Boil the new potatoes in lightly salted boiling water.

Spray a ridged pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook the chicken pieces, over a moderate heat, for about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once.

Serve the chicken topped with the guacamole, and the potatoes and some natural yoghurt.

Bulk up your daily quota of fresh veg by adding a crispy fresh side salad.

Lemony chicken with olives

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quickish

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut in chunks
2 red onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small lemon, sliced, all peel and pith removed
1 cup dry white wine
12 pitted green olives, sliced

Freshly chopped parsley

Method
Spray a large lidded pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onions until softened.
Add the garlic and chicken pieces and cook until sealed.

Pour in the wine.
Add the lemon slices.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook the rice in some chicken stock.
Drain well when cooked and keep warm.

Add the olives to the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve the chicken and rice (garnished with lots of chopped parsley) and a mixed salad on the side.

Chicken in cider

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut through sideways
1 onion, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
250ml cider (or apple juice)
250ml chicken stock
3 carrots, halved and sliced
2 turnips, small dice
1 red pepper, sliced
2 green apples, cored and sliced
200gm frozen peas

480gm potatoes
¼ cup fat free milk

Method
Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water.
Drain well and then mash.
Beat in the milk.
Keep warm.

Spray a wide lidded pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the chicken pieces for about 5 minutes to seal.
Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock and cider (or apple juice).
Tip in the carrots, turnip and red pepper and stir.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and put the lid on.
Simmer for 15 minutes.

Now add the apple slices and the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Divide the mashed potato between 4 warmed plates.
Put 2 pieces of chicken breast on each plate and then serve the vegetables.

Breaded chicken

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets

1 x 400gm can chopped tomato and onion
1 – 2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 slc wholewheat bread, crumbed
1 tsp dried mixed herbs

350gm broad beans – frozen, fresh or canned
480gm new potatoes, halved

Fresh chopped parsley

Method
Heat the oven to 200ºC.
Mix the tomato and onion, the garlic and balsamic vinegar together in a bowl.
In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and dried herbs.

Spray a large over-proof dish or grill pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Split the chicken breasts and open each one out like a book.
Place the breasts in the dish or pan in a single layer.

Spread the tomato mix over the chicken pieces.
Press the breadcrumbs on top of the tomato.
Bake at 200ºC for 20 – 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until tender.
Drain and keep warm.
Cook the broad beans according to type – fresh, frozen or canned.
Drain and keep warm.

Serve the breaded chicken garnished with chopped parsley.

Sweet sour chicken

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
3 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
12 pitted green olives, halved
6 pickled garlic cloves sliced
1 x 400gm tin chopped tomatoes with onions
6 sweet & sour peppadews (bottled), sliced
½ yellow pepper, sliced
2 Tblsp finely chopped basil

240gm rice
2tsp chicken stock powder
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
4 courgettes, quartered lengthways

Method
Cook the rice in water to which you have added the chicken stock powder.
Once cooked, drain and keep warm.

Boil, steam or microwave the broccoli and courgettes until tender.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the chicken pieces until they are sealed and starting to brown.
Tip the chopped tomatoes and onions into the pan.
Add the garlic, peppadews, olives and yellow pepper.
Cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Stir through the basil.

Serve with the rice and steamed broccoli and courgettes.

The sweetness of the pepperdews and the sharpness of the pickled garlic give this dish an unusual flavour. Don’t be afraid of using this much pickled garlic, it is really not garlicky.

Honey and ginger chicken

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
8 skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp grated ginger
1 Tblsp runny honey
¼ tsp turmeric
1 cup water

200gm carrots, julienne
200gm parsnips, julienne
480gm potatoes

Chopped parsley, to garnish

Method
Boil, steam or microwave the carrots and parsnips until tender.
(Parsnips cook a lot faster than carrots, so if you want to cook them together, cook the carrots alone for 10 minutes before adding the parsnips.)
Drain and keep warm.
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until soft.
Drain well, mash until smooth and keep warm.

Mix together the honey, water and turmeric.
Set aside

Spray a large, lidded frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the chicken pieces until sealed and lightly coloured.
Add the onion and ginger and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Now pour in the liquid.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce a little.

Serve 2 thighs per person, with the mash and vegetables on the side.
Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and garnish generously with parsley.

Thai lemon chicken

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 Tblsp dry sherry
1 egg white, beaten
2 Tblsp cornflour
2 tsp grated root ginger
For the sauce:
3 Tblsp lemon juice
2 Tblsp Rose’s lime cordial
2 Tblsp caster sugar
¼ cup water
1 Tblsp cornflour

240gm rice
300gm mange tout
4 spring onions, sliced thinly
Freshly chopped parsley

Method
Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water until tender.
Drain and keep warm.
Steam the mange tout just enough to heat through.
Keep warm

Lay the chicken in a single layer in a dish.
Mix together the sherry, egg white, ginger and cornflour.
Pour this over the chicken, and turn the pieces to make sure they are covered.
Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Gently dry fry the chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes until they are cooked through and browned.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing thickly on the diagonal.

Combine the lemon juice, lime cordial, caster sugar, water and cornflour in a small pan.
Cook until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
Taste for seasoning and sweetness– this sauce is quite tart
Keep warm.

Serve the chicken slices beside the rice and mange tout.
Spoon over the sauce and garnish with the spring onions and parsley.

Peasy chicken pie

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
400gm skinless chicken breast fillets, cut in chunks
1 onion, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 cup/ 100gm peas
1 cup/150gm sweet corn kernels
3 Tblsp chopped parsley
200ml chicken stock
1 Tblsp corn flour

400gm potatoes
150gm chickpeas
½ cup milk

Method
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until soft.
Drain well and mash together with the chickpeas.
Beat the milk into the potato mix.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Fry the onion and chicken for about 10 minutes until the onion is soft and the chicken is sealed.
Add the celery, peas, sweet corn and stock.
Simmer for 15 minutes, then thicken the gravy with the cornflour.
Tip into a large ovenproof dish.

Spread the mash over the chicken.
Place under the grill until the potato is golden.

Sticky chicken with stir-steamed vegetables

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm rice
Chicken stock powder
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
4 Tblsp soya sauce
4 Tblsp honey
2 Tblsp lemon juice

2 large carrots, julienne
150gm green beans, chopped
150gm button mushrooms, sliced
8 spring onions, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
Small cabbage, shredded

Method
Combine the ginger, soya sauce, honey and lemon juice.
Pour half of this over the chicken and allow to marinate for 20 minutes (or longer).

Cook the rice in boiling water, adding the chicken stock powder.
Once cooked, drain and reserve ½ cup of the stock.
Keep warm.

Dry-fry or grill the chicken pieces until cooked.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then slice diagonally.

Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray.
Toss in all the vegetables except the cabbage, and dry-fry for 5 minutes.
Pour in the reserved rice water and cover with a lid.
Cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the cabbage and toss well.
Pour over the reserved marinade and stir well.

Serve the stir steamed vegetables alongside the rice and sliced chicken.

Chicken pilaf pile

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
3 skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 fat carrots, chopped
300gm cauli & broccoli florets
320gm rice
640ml chicken stock
1 Tblsp mild curry paste
200gm frozen peas
3 courgettes, chopped

Method
Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and chicken pieces until the onion softens and the chicken seals.
Stir through the curry paste.
Now add the carrots, cauli and broccoli, the rice and the stock.
Stir well and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the courgettes and frozen peas.
Simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is cooked and the stock has all been absorbed.
Stir well to combine.

Serve.

Chilli chicken and beans

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
350gm mini chicken breast fillets
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp chilli paste
½ tsp dried rosemary
400gm can chopped tomatoes
400gm can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

240gm rice

Mixed salad leaves
A few sprigs of fennel

Method
Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water until tender.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Dry fry the chicken and garlic until the chicken is lightly browned.
Add the chilli paste, rosemary and tinned tomatoes.
Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the cannellini beans and allow to heat through.

Serve the chicken on the rice, with the salad leaves and fennel on the side.

Spring chicken

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breast fillets, cut in chunks

1 onion. sliced

2 leeks, sliced

3 carrots, chopped

3 courgettes, quartered and sliced

125gm broad beans

300gm new potatoes, quartered

450ml chicken stock

1 Tblsp corn flour

Method

Parboil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Drain and set aside.

Spray a large pot with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onions until they start to soften.
Add the chicken and continue cooking to seal.
Tip in the carrots, parboiled potatoes and leeks.
Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
Now add the courgettes and broad beans.
Cook for another 10 minutes.

Thicken the sauce with the cornflour.

Divide between four bowls and serve.