My Virgin Kitchen: Delicious recipes you can make every day

handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

handful of coriander, chopped

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6 and drizzle a little oil over the bottom of an oven tray.

2. Put the chicken pieces into a bowl with the mango chutney and toss until all the chicken is well coated. Put the breadcrumbs and coconut in a sealable food bag, season with salt and pepper, then add the chicken pieces and shake the bag well so that each piece of chicken has a covering. Tip the chicken into the oven tray and bake in the hot oven for 10–12 minutes, turning once.

3. Meanwhile make the bean salad. If you are using fresh beans, slice and cook in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5–7 minutes, or until they’re tender. Add any frozen beans and the sweetcorn to the boiling water then drain any tinned beans and add those too. Stir and heat for 1–2 minutes. Drain the beans well and return to the pan. Stir through the spring onions, celery and herbs.

4. In a separate bowl combine the mustard, vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil. Pour over the beans and toss well.

5. Once the chicken is cooked serve with the warm bean salad.

VIRGIN TIP

You can freeze the chicken once it has been coated in the breadcrumb and coconut mixture, as long as you are not using chicken that has previously been frozen. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven and roast the chicken from frozen as above, increasing the cooking time to 20 minutes.

CAPRESE CHICKEN SALAD (#ulink_840b2059-dd73-515b-96c8-c612f4fecb7a)

A super-speedy, refreshing chicken salad inspired by the traditional ‘Caprese’ combination of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. Here I’ve added baked pesto chicken and a drizzle of balsamic for a deliciously light, yet filling salad.

READY IN 30 MINUTES

SERVES 4

butter, for greasing

400g mini chicken fillets

3 tbsp pesto

300g cherry tomatoes (a mix of yellow and red cherry tomatoes works really well)

2 x 125g mozzarella balls

small bunch of basil leaves

olive oil, for drizzling

balsamic vinegar, for drizzling to taste

salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas mark 4 and lightly grease a baking dish with some butter.

2. Put the mini chicken fillets into the dish, add the pesto and use a spatula to push the fillets around until they are all coated with pesto. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Transfer to a chopping board and leave to cool for a few minutes before slicing into chunks.

3. Meanwhile cut the tomatoes into quarters, removing the seeds if you wish, and tip into a large bowl. Cut or tear your mozzarella into small chunks, tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces and add both to the bowl too. Drizzle over some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and and stir well to combine.

4. Tip the salad into a serving dish and put the chicken pieces on top. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and serve.

VIRGIN TIP

Mini fillets are used here for the shorter baking time – you can use chicken breasts or thighs but you’ll need to increase the baking time to make sure they’re cooked through.

TERIYAKI PORK LOIN & EGG-FRIED RICE (#ulink_bc1e9f29-9a64-5d29-b985-ede68a9d8d2a)

This is a tantalisingly tasty – yet simple – recipe. Delicious pork tenderloin is baked and drenched in a teriyaki glaze and served with some good old egg-fried rice. This really is a perfect combination of simplicity and cheeky flavour.

READY IN 50 MINUTES

SERVES 4

60ml mirin

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

600g pork tenderloin

FOR THE RICE

1 large egg

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 pak choy, sliced lengthways

2 spring onions, sliced

500g cooked rice

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6.