Meals with chicken

There aren’t many foods as useful and versatile as chicken breasts. Pop them on the grill, stir-fry them, stew, kebab or oven-bake them. Go Italian with oregano or Chinese with a sprinkle of soya sauce.

You’re bound to find many meals that your kids will enjoy. Chicken breasts are low in fat, particularly if you buy the skinless ones, and cook fast, so you can create a healthy meal in minutes. Free-range or organic chicken is recommended.

Chicken stack with rosti, sundried tomato and aubergine

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 8 whole marinated sundried tomatoes
• 1 packet fresh rocket
• 1 aubergine
• 4 large potatoes
• Olive oil, for frying
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Par cook the potatoes.
2. Once par-cooked, peel and grate the potatoes and then add salt and pepper to taste. In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil until very hot.
3. Pat the potato mixture into rounds and shallow fry until browned and crispy on both sides. Set aside on absorbent paper.
4. Cut the aubergine into ½ cm rounds.
5. Brush with olive oil and a little lemon pepper and salt and grill them in a hot oven until brown and soft.
6. Tenderise and flatten the chicken breasts. Cut into three pieces and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
7. Cook the chicken in a hot frying pan until brown and cooked through.

To assemble

1. Place a potato rosti in the centre of the plate.
2. Top with rocket, then aubergine, then chicken, then sundried tomato.
3. Repeat and finish off with a rocket garnish.
4. Drizzle the stack with a little olive oil.

Sticky BBQ chicken sandwich

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 French baguette loaf
• 1 punnet baby tomatoes, washed and sliced
• 1 red onion
• Lettuce leaves, washed
• Mayonnaise
• ¼ cup each of bbq sauce and tomato sauce
• 1/8 cup honey
• 4 tbsps soya sauce
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the bbq sauce, tomato sauce, lemon juice, soya sauce and honey.
2. Place the raw chicken breasts into the sauce mixture and leave to marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Cook in a frying pan, basting throughout the cooking process.
4. Let cool a bit while preparing the sandwich.
5. Cut the baguette into four pieces.
6. Slice one of the pieces down the middle.
7. Smear on mayo and place lettuce on top.
8. Cut one cooked chicken breast into 5 diagonal pieces.
9. Place on top of the lettuce and top with onion and tomato.
10. Repeat with the rest of the bread.

Chicken, bacon & sweet potato pasta

Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 6 pieces streaky bacon, cut into thin strips
• ¾ cup cream
• ½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese shavings
• 4 tbsps fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Linguine

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Place the sweet potato in a roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until golden brown, turning occasionally.
3. Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the box.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
5. Cook and brown the chicken then set aside.
6. In the same pan cook the bacon until crispy.
7. Add the chicken, cream and cooked pasta.
8. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste (taste it first as the bacon will make it salty).
9. Cook for 3 minutes.
10. Add the cooked sweet potato, fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Taste tip: Add bit of fresh chilli or chilli oil to your plate of food to spice up the dish.

“Feel better” chicken soup

Serves 2

• 5 cups chicken stock, preferably fresh
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for browning the chicken
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 10 beans, thinly sliced
• ¼ red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsps soya sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the chicken pieces in a hot frying pan and remove from heat.
2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil.
3. Lower the heat, add the chicken and simmer for 25 minutes or until all the flavours have infused and the vegetables are soft.
4. Skim any foam off the surface during the cooking process to ensure the soup stays as clear as possible.
5. Serve with toasted ciabatta.