I am craving the comfort of roast chicken today but have neither the time nor the inclination to wrestle with all the faff of the veg and accompaniments so I’ve given this a go. It seems to have worked! Prep time 10 minutes flat.

The portions can be scaled for whoever many you have around the table – tonight it’s just the triathlon training man and myself to feed.

I defrosted some homemade stuffing to complement and a small frozen dauphinoise potato portion (bought in bulk from Aldi, M&S or Lidl) which came in handy for a hint of luxurious carb should you feel the need. However, the chicken and veg are more than fine on their own…. a fast and tasty high protein hit, great for midweek.

This is a good make ahead meal which you can whip out of the fridge when you come home and nestle it into the oven while you have a quick bath and wash the day off.

One Pan Swift Chicken Roast – Serves 2

2 free range chicken breasts, as good a quality as you can afford, well seasoned

2 strips smoked pancetta per chicken breast

1 tbsp coconut or Carotino oil

1 large leek, halved and sliced

3/4 leaves of cavolo Nero/kale, shredded into fine strips

Optional – low fat creme fraiche 1/2 tbsp

1 large carrot, cut into chunks

Ready made chicken gravy, as good as you can find.

 

Heat the oven to 200dg/Gas 6

Wrap the chicken breasts in the pancetta and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the leeks, stirring until they soften. Add the kale and stir to combine. Season well. You could at this stage add some low fat creme fraiche if you want to make creamed leeks as the base.

Add to a small shallow casserole dish and place the chicken fillets on top. Arrange your carrots and potatoes around it all. You can now wrap it all in biodegradable cling film and hold in the fridge if you are saving it for another time.

If you’re not, pop the dish into the oven for 35/45 minutes until everything is golden and fragrant. Heat the gravy through, pour over and ………breathe!