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Chilly night chicken

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Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
3 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite size pieces
½ Tblsp rice wine vinegar
1 onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 parsnip, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
3 courgettes, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
250ml chicken stock
1 Tblsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with 2 Tblsp water
300gm mashing potatoes
200gm orange-fleshed sweet potatoes

Method
Cut the potatoes into chunks and cook in lightly salted water.
Once they are cooked, drain well and mash.
Keep warm.

Sprinkle the vinegar over the cut up chicken.
Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion, celery and leeks until the onion softens.
Now add the chicken and stir fry until it is ‘sealed’.

Tip the parsnip, carrot and courgettes into the saucepan.
Stir while pouring in the stock.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the peas and the cornflour.
Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the chicken over the mash.

If you need extra warming, add ½ tsp chilli paste with the stock.

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One pot casserole

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 red onion, chopped
1 Dstsp Patak’s korma curry paste
4 courgettes, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
200gm green beans, cut in ±2cm pieces
1 red pepper, chopped
750ml chicken stock
½ white cabbage, shredded
2 Tblsp chopped coriander
320gm rice
4 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt
4 tsp sweet chilli sauce

Method
Cook the rice in lightly salted water.
Once cooked, drain and keep warm.

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion until it starts to soften.
Add the chicken and continue frying until it is sealed and starting to brown.
Now stir through the curry paste and continue cooking for a few minutes more.

Add the courgettes, carrots, beans, pepper and stock.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the cabbage and 1Tblsp coriander and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve over the rice.
Garnish with the yoghurt, sweet chilli sauce and the remaining coriander.

Even though there is curry paste in the recipe, the flavor is mild enough for children.

Warm chicken salad with rice

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Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick

Ingredients
3 skinless chicken breast fillets
240gm basmati rice
3 courgettes, grated
2 carrots, grated
4 spring onions thinly sliced
1 red pepper cut in strips
1 Tblsp chopped mint
1 Tblsp chopped coriander
1 tsp molasses
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tblsp lime juice
2 Tblsp sweet chilli sauce

Method
Cook the rice until tender.
Drain and keep warm.

Heat the oven to 200ºc.
Spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray.
Split the chicken breasts horizontally and spray with non-stick spray.
Bake the chicken for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the molasses, soy, oil, juice and chilli sauce in a small bowl.
Combine the prepared vegetables, mint and coriander in a large bowl.

Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken breasts and add the pieces to the veg bowl.
Pour over the dressing and toss well.

Serve the salad with the rice.
Garnish with extra coriander.

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Chicken tetrazinni

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Serves 4 : Very easy : Takes a little longer

Ingredients
240gm pasta shells
4 skinless chicken breasts, chopped
4 slices thick-cut ham, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
200gm brown mushrooms, chopped
750ml chicken stock
1 heaped Tblsp cornflour
200gm baby spinach, chopped
200ml fat free natural yoghurt
60gm strong cheddar, grated

Method
Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water.
When al dente, drain well and set aside.

Heat the oven to 200ºC.
Spray an oven proof dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the chicken until sealed and starting to brown slightly.
Remove from the pan to a large bowl.

Using the same pan, dry fry the onion and mushrooms until soft.
Add to the bowl with the chicken.

De-glaze the pan with the stock.
Add the cornflour mixed to a paste with a little extra water.
Allow the sauce to thicken while stirring.
Pile the spinach on the sauce, stir well to combine, then cover.
Simmer for 3 minutes and allow the spinach to wilt.
Pour the spinach sauce into the bowl with the chicken, onion and mushrooms.
Add the chopped ham and yoghurt and stir everything well.

Tip everything into the prepared oven proof dish.
Scatter over the grated cheese.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Serve with a green salad.

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Ginger chicken noodles

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Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut in strips diagonally
½ tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 large carrot, julienne
1 red pepper, julienne
150gm tenderstem broccoli
125gm baby corn, halved diagonally
125gm mange tout, halved lengthways
125ml chicken stock
3 Tblsp sweet chilli sauce
3 Tblsp chopped fresh coriander
320gm ‘Ready to wok’ noodles

Method
Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat.
Stir fry the chicken until it is sealed.
Now add the garlic and ginger, followed by the carrot, pepper, broccoli and corn.
Continue stir frying for 4 or 5 minutes.
Pour in the stock, add the sweet chilli sauce, coriander and noodles.
Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve garnished with extra coriander.

This is deliciously fresh, light and crunchy. I bought ‘ready-to-wok’ noodles from Woolworths (UK Marks & Spencer’s equivalent); if you can’t get ready-cooked, use 2-minute noodles prepared according to the directions on the packet.

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Chicken with sweet-sour leeks

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Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick

Ingredients
2 leeks, thinly sliced
250ml chicken stock
1 tsp crushed garlic (optional)
1 Tblsp brown sugar
2 Tblsp red wine vinegar

2 red apples, cored and sliced
1 tsp butter
2 tsp brown sugar

4 skinless chick breast fillets

8 patty pan squash, halved
200gm green asparagus, halved
400gm carrots, quartered lengthways
600gm potatoes

Method
Boil the potatoes and carrots in a saucepan.
Steam the asparagus and patty pans over the potatoes and carrots.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the chicken for about 5 - 8 minutes each side.
Remove from the pan to the steaming rack with the asparagus and patty pans.

Cook the leeks and garlic in the stock for 5 minutes.
Add the sugar and vinegar and continue cooking until the leek is soft and slightly caramelized.
Remove the leeks to a bowl, cover and keep warm.

Melt the butter and add the sugar.
Fry the apple slices until they are soft and golden.

Toss the asparagus, patty pans and carrots together.
Divide between four dinner plates.
Add the potatoes to the plates.
Slice the chicken thickly and stack beside the vegetables.
Top with the leeks and apple slices.

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Chicken scaloppini

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Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
4 slices lean back bacon
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
Juice and rind 1 lemon
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 Tblsp tomato puree

600gm new potatoes
Large head broccoli

Extra tomato puree to garnish
Hellmann’s low fat mayo

Method
Heat the oven to 180ºC.
Spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chicken fillets between 2 sheets of plastic and hammer until 5mm thin.
Blitz the parsley, garlic, rind, juice and puree to form a paste.
Spread the paste on one side of each piece of chicken.
Roll the chicken up and wrap each with a slice of bacon.
Secure with a toothpick.
Place the chicken rolls on the prepared baking tray.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
Cut each scaloppini in half on the diagonal.

Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave the potatoes and broccoli separately.
Keep warm.

Serve the scaloppini with the potatoes and broccoli.
Garnish each plate with a swirl of tomato puree and mayo.

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Chicken with sage drizzle

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets

½ tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken stock
1 tsp fresh sage, shredded

320gm spaghetti or linguine
300gm sugar snap peas, shredded



Method
Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water.
Add the peas for the last five minutes of the cooking time.
Drain well and keep warm.

Spray a frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the chicken fillets between two sheets of plastic wrap.
Hammer gently to about 5mm thickness.
Dry fry the chicken for 5 minutes each side.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Put the garlic, mustard, wine and stock into the pan.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until sauce reduces.
Stir through the sage.

Cut the chicken on the diagonal.
Serve on a bed of pasta and peas.
Spoon over the drizzle sauce.

Accompany with a fresh salad, if desired.

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