We eat chicken quite often and I never tire of thinking up different ways to serve it. Chicken schnitzel is a delicious recipe that’s so versatile and I serve it with cheese and bacon potato skins, salad and a sour cream and chive dip. It’s lovely in a brioche bun with mayonnaise or in a wrap with some green salad and chilli jam.

It smells amazing when the rosemary in the breadcrumbs is sizzling away in the pan. Imagine how chuffed I am that it’s rosemary growing in my garden especially since it’s the only surviving herb in sight!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 teaspoon onion granules

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 slices brown bread

Cup of plain flour

1 egg – beaten

2 chicken fillets – flattened

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Add your onion granules, salt, pepper and mix to fully combine.

Whizz up your bread snapped into pieces and your rosemary in a separate mixing bowl with a stick blender or pop in your blender. Add your onion granules, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Wrap each chicken breast in cling film or wax wrap and flatten with a rolling pin.

Heat your olive oil in a frying pan.

Remove cling film or wax wrap and dip the chicken into the flour, then the beaten egg and lastly the crumbs mixture making sure every inch is coated.

Pan fry turning every now and then until fully cooked through.

Serve when they are golden and crispy.

Fresh, hot and spicy. This dish is full of oriental flavour. I made it with noodles but rice would work too.

Packed full of mange tout, fresh chilli, peppers and onion it’s a plateful of crunchy deliciousness that’s so good for you.

If you can marinate the chicken overnight all the better but don’t worry if not it will still be lovely.

Serves 3

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (cut into thin strips)

1 lemongrass stalk (peeled and sliced thin)

1 red chilli ( thinly sliced)

2 garlic cloves – minced

2 tablespoons chilli oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 small red onion ( cut into strips)

12 mange tout

2 handfuls of beans sprouts

Half a red pepper – cubed

Half teaspoons salt

Half teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornflour

1 tablespoon ketjap manis

100ml water

Handful of coriander to serve (optional)

Method

Put your chicken strips, lemongrass, garlic, 1 tablespoon of chilli oil and fish sauce into a large bowl and mix together. Cover and leave overnight if time permitting. If not just set aside.

Heat your oil in a wok and pan fry your onion strips to caramelise. Add your your bowl of ingredients that you have marinated and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Now add your mange tout, pepper and bean sprouts and continue to pan fry for another 5 minutes or so until they soften.

Add the salt and sugar stirring all the time for another minute or so.

Throw in the soy sauce, ketjap manis and water.

Get a small measuring cup and scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the liquid and mix with the cornflour. Now stir it back into the pan of ingredients. Continue to cook stirring all the time until the sauce begins to thicken. Always ensure you add the cornflour to liquid before stirring into ingredients otherwise it can separate and not stir into the mix properly.

Once ready toss your noodles into the stir fry mixture and serve.

Tip: Top with loads of fresh coriander if you love it. It gives it such an elevated flavour.

Perfect mid-week dinner that’s quick and easy but feels like comfort food. I sometimes make this in the week if I haven’t got time to make a full roast but everyone fancies one.

I served mine with asparagus and honey glazed carrots but feel free to substitute the veg for any you have.

Perfect with a glass of ice cold sauvignon blanc.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

2 slices prosciutto

2 tablespoons cream cheese

2 cloves garlic – minced

Salt and cracked black pepper to season

Tablespoon mixed herbs

Method

Pre heat oven to 200c / 180c fan

Mix your cream cheese and minced garlic together with a fork.

Slice your chicken breast across the centre of the breast and stuff with your cream cheese and garlic.

Wrap your chicken in a slice of prosciutto.

Sprinkle over half the mixed herbs on each chicken breast and season with salt and cracked black pepper.

Place on a baking sheet in the centre of the oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Tip: Serve with a crispy, fluffy jacket potato and load up with mature cheddar and lots of fresh veg on the side.

Quesadillas are so popular and we have them a lot, so I love trying out new marinades for them. This one is definitely my favourite.

The smokiness of the paprika is a marriage made in heaven with the honey. The perfect blend of smokey and sweet. It works so well with both chicken or prawn. I like to add as many dips as possible with a big squeeze of lime. Great weekend food to enjoy around the table with your friends and family.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts or 300g raw king prawns

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cloves garlic – minced

1 teaspoon honey

Squeeze of fresh orange

2 glugs of olive oil

1 red, green or yellow pepper – cut into strips

1 medium onion – cut into strips

To serve

Fresh lime to squeeze over

2 wraps each

Cup of grated mature cheddar

Guacamole, sour cream or salsa for dipping

Method

Measure all your spices out and add to a large mixing bowl. Spoon out half a teaspoon of the mix for your peppers and onions later and set aside.

Stir to combine all the spices together. Cut your chicken into strips and add to the bowl of spices along with a glug of olive oil. Mix thoroughly so all of your chicken is coated in the spices. Alternatively if you are using prawns do the same with those.

Now add your minced garlic ( 2 cloves), honey and a squeeze of orange juice. This last bit of the marinade will give it a sweet kick. If you can do this overnight then all the better but to be honest I sometimes add my marinade at the time of cooking and it’s still full of flavour and delicious.

Add a glug of olive oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and add your onion and peppers. Cook them down with a clove of minced garlic and a sprinkle of the spice mix that you saved earlier. Once they start to soften set aside on a plate.

Now add another glug of oil to your pan and pan fry your chicken strips. When they are almost cooked add your peppers and onions back in.

Set your wraps out on the work surface and fill with the delicious chicken or prawn mix. Sprinkle over your cheese, fold the wrap and heat in the pan for approximately 1 minute so the outside of the wrap is slightly toasty and warm. If you have a griddle pan all the better.

Remove, slice in half and enjoy with all the dips and your friends and family.

TIP: Lovely served with couscous or rice and a fresh salad.

A great way to change up chicken and rice and salad, which to be honest I could eat every day.

Feel free to add your herb of choice. Parsley, coriander or dill all work fantastically with this dish.

It’s perfect as a side for bbq’s too but we love it for lunch the next day. Quick, simple, delicious and healthy.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chilli olive oil

2 cloves garlic – minced

Thumb sized piece of ginger – grated

1 red chilli – sliced into thin strips

2 chicken breasts

1 onion – sliced

300g basmati rice

750g vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon salt and cracked black pepper to season

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons chilli flakes

Splash of dry white wine

3-4 broccoli stalks – chopped into small pieces

Method

Add your chilli oil, garlic and ginger to a large frying pan and add your onions. Slowly cook the onions so they are all soft and translucent. Now set them aside on a separate plate, leaving the oil still in the pan.

Add your chicken strips, fresh chilli slices, cumin and chilli flakes to the pan. Stir all around and make sure your chicken is almost cooked through. Usually about 5-6 minutes or so. Now add the rice to the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Slosh in your splash of white wine.

Pour in your hot vegetable stock, add your little broccoli pieces and simmer gently until your rice is fully cooked usually about 20 mins.

Tip: Lovely served with extra fresh red chilli if you’re brave enough and a wedge of lime each.

We all love this dinner in our house. It’s Mia’s favourite so I make it all the time. It’s simple and delicious and wonderful with a garlic flatbread and a glass or two of red wine. You don’t need to add the chicken or chorizo but we prefer it with. Fresh grated parmesan optional but personally I wouldn’t be without it.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts – cut into strips

Half a chorizo ring – cut into slices

400g pasta of choice – I like rigatoni or conchiglie

Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Tin of chopped tomatoes

Cup of sun dried tomatoes – buy the ones in oil

3 cloves garlic – minced

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Teaspoon chilli flakes

Tablespoon butter

50ml red wine

1 large onion cut in half

Tablespoon chilli olive oil

Method

In a large pan heat your chilli olive oil and pan fry your chicken strips, sliced chorizo and a clove of minced garlic. The chorizo will produce more oil and flavour and colour the chicken. Stir around the pan until the chicken is almost cooked through. Set aside.

In a separate large pan heat your chopped tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, butter, balsamic vinegar, red wine and the rest of your garlic. Place a whole onion peeled and cut into halves in the middle of the sauce and simmer for approximately 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, I remove the onion and blend the sauce to a smooth consistency as the sun dried tomatoes are better like this. Transfer back to the pan and continue to simmer over a very low heat adding your chorizo and chicken that you set aside earlier. Bring another large pan of salted water with a vegetable oxo to the boil and once boiling add your pasta to the pan of boiling water.

Set a timer to cook your pasta according to the cooking time. My pasta is approximately 10 minutes for it to be al dente. Make sure you give it a stir now and then, pasta is not like rice it loves company. When your timer goes off have a taste to make sure your pasta is al dente and if so drain in a colander, tip it back in the empty saucepan and swirl in a knob of butter and transfer into your pasta sauce.

By now your chicken will be fully cooked ( obviously check) and the sauce lovely and hot. Serve immediately with lots of cracked black pepper and parmesan. Pour the wine and enjoy with the ones you love.

Tip: Feel free to add a few more chilli flakes if you like it spicier. Its lovely with some fresh torn basil too.