Home Made: Good, honest food made easy

FOR THE PASTE

leaves from 40g pack of fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp capers in vinegar, drained and rinsed

1 plump garlic clove, peeled and crushed

grated zest and juice of

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lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes plus at least 20 minutes marinating

1 Combine all the paste ingredients and season with pepper. I think the quickest way of doing this is to use a hand-held blender, but a knife and chopping board does just as well.

2 Score the top of the chicken breasts diagonally several times at about 2cm/3/4 inch intervals and 5mm/1/4 inch deep. Brush with the egg white, then smear the paste into the chicken and push down into the scored slits to form a crust, pressing firmly to compact. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for anything between 20 minutes and 2 hours.

3 When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4, then heat the olive oil in a non-stick, ovenproof frying pan on a low-medium heat. Carefully place the chicken breasts, scored side down, in the shimmering oil and fry for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over again and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

4 Remove from the pan and cut the chicken into slices along the existing cuts. Arrange the chicken slices on the rocket and serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Lemon chicken stew (#ulink_f8b99164-51f2-526f-8659-824134379b1b)

This is a very straightforward dish that takes only an hour or so to cook once you have chopped up all the vegetables. It’s ideal for an informal, stress-free Saturday lunch with friends, served with plain brown rice and a crunchy salad. I have given ingredients for four people, but it’s easy to make in bulk for a larger group.

3 tbsp olive oil

4 chicken drumsticks

4 chicken thighs

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced to same size as the onion

2 sticks of celery, diced to same size as the onion

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

400ml/14fl oz chicken stock

1 red chilli, left whole

2 bay leaves

400g tin of cannellini beans, drained through a sieve and then rinsed

20g pack each of fresh flat-leaf parsley and coriander, leaves roughly chopped

zest and juice of 1 lemon

salt and black pepper

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: about 1 hour

10 minutes

1 Warm the oil in a large enamel casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid on a medium heat and gently brown the chicken pieces on all sides, skin side first. When they are a rich golden colour, remove and put to one side.

2 Add the onion, carrots and celery and fry in the oil until just beginning to soften. Add the garlic and stir for a further minute, then return the chicken pieces to the casserole.

3 Pour in the tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Pop the whole chilli and bay leaves into the casserole and, using a spoon, push them under the surface of the liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Put on the lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans, replace the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes.

4 When the cooking time is up, stir in the chopped parsley and coriander, the lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve immediately in warm flat bowls.

WHY NOT TRY …

With any leftovers, take the chicken off the bone and serve the stew with a baked potato.

Stuffed chicken breasts with mozzarella and basil (#ulink_3413dc87-55a0-5b27-9e59-d79f4e2dedec)

This is a very easy but impressive dish, simple, tasty and fresh. I love chicken Kiev but find this a little more exciting and slightly less potent.

1 tsp olive oil plus extra for greasing and drizzling

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 baby vine tomatoes

40g/1

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oz mozzarella cheese