Breast is Best

THE BRILLIANT thing about chicken breasts is you can buy as many as you need, rather than having to cook a lot of food which will go to waste. And they’re so flexible! Here are a few ideas.

Marinated Grilled Chicken:

PREPARATION: 5 minutes
COOKING: 30 minutes
SERVES: 1

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, skinned
A lemon
Olive oil
Herbs and spices of your choice

Method:
1. Mix together the juice from half a lemon with a tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Leave to marinade for a while, seasoning with whichever herbs, salt & pepper, chilli etc. you have chosen.
3. When you are ready to cook, set the grill to a medium heat and grill for about 15 minutes on each side.  Warning: do not eat undercooked chicken – you will poison yourself!  To test if it’s cooked, stab it with a sharp knife and any juices that run out should be clear or milky, NOT pink in any way.  The meat should flake when cut and be evenly creamy coloured right through.
4. Eat one straight away with a salad or vegetables of your choice.
5. Cool the other breast and eat the next day cold in sandwiches or with a salad, mixed into coleslaw and served with a baked potato, or chopped into a pasta sauce and served with pasta of your choice.

Variations: marinate the chicken breast in soy sauce and tomato puree with a little water, or soy sauce and sesame oil. Or smear with pesto before grilling, or even some curry paste mixed with a little water.  Be creative – the basic rules apply but you can be adventurous!

The Easiest Chicken Casserole Ever:

PREPARATION: 10 minutes
COOKING: 1 hour
SERVES: 1-2

Ingredients:
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup or mushroom soup
1-2 boneless chicken breasts, skinned
A little milk

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180C, (160C for fan ovens), 350F.
2. Open the soup and pour into a casserole that will go in the oven.
3. Rinse the cans with a small amount of milk and add this to the soup.
4. Cut each chicken breast into three or four strips and flash fry them either in a dry non-stick pan or with a small amount of oil until sealed.
5. Add with any juices to the casserole and stir well.
6. Cover casserole and bake in the oven for about 1 hour.

This is great served with a baked potato to soak up some of the creamy juices. Scrub and prick with a fork however many large potatoes you want and put them into the oven half an hour before the casserole.

If you have some wine open, use instead of the milk to give a lovely rich flavour.