members recipes

30 minutes Serves 4 – 5 people This incredibly simple yet delicious and impressive dish is absolutely full of flavour and ticks all the boxes for a satisfying, healthy and filling meal at any time of the year when we all need a bit of comfort.

Ingredients
2 large organic chicken breasts
15 or so washed whole crimini mushrooms
6 shitake mushrooms halved and washed
3 tablespoons Waitrose organic lemon juice
300g Waitrose Brown Basmati and Wild Rice Mix
1 ½ Kallo chicken stock cubes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary - washed
2-3 tablespoons Yeo Valley half fat crème fraiche ( can be substituted with Sheepdrove Natural sheep’s yoghurt for an even healthier option)
3 - 4 table spoons Olive oil

Accompanying vegetables of your choice

Method
Method

• Prepare the vegetables to accompany the meal and set to one side( broccoli and carrots add great colour to this dish), and the mushrooms if you have not already done so
• Boil a kettle and prepare ¾ pint of stock using the water, stock cubes, rosemary and lemon juice. Stir through and leave to one side
• In a medium saucepan, heat the water for the rice, adding a dash of lemon juice and a dash of olive oil
• Wash the rice in a sieve and when the water has boiled, add to the saucepan and leave to cook on a low to medium heat
• In a large frying pan, add the olive oil
• Take the chicken breasts and prepare in neat slices from end to end, approximately 1cm in width
• Heat the oil gently to begin with and add the chicken slices to the pan. Turn the pieces over for 2 minutes or so until roughly cooked on all sides and the meat has just turned white
• Add the mushrooms and carefully stir through for a further 3 mins or so
• Add the stock , stir through and turn the heat up
• Maintain the heat until the mixture has reduced by approximately half and started to thicken slightly. This will take approximately 15 minutes.( Keep an eye on it and do not let it reduce to nothing – everyone will want as much of this sauce as they possibly can!)
• Meanwhile put your veg in the steamer when you are 5 minutes away from completion
• Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the reduction round the edge of the pan for maximum flavour. Then add the crème fraiche or yoghurt and stir through.
• Serve immediately with wild rice and vegetables

HEALTH BENEFITS
CHICKEN
Chicken is the world\'s primary source of animal protein and a healthy alternative to red meat. It is also available constantly throughout the year which helps it’s popularity.

Chicken is rated as an excellent source of protein, providing 67.6% of the daily requirement for protein in just 4 ounces. Chicken also contains less fat than most meats, especially the breast which contains half the fat of a steak.
It is also a good source of vitamin B6, which in conjunction with niacin, is great for energy at this time of year. A 4 ounce serving of chicken provides 72% of the daily requirement for niacin, a deficiency of which (along with other B-complex vitamins) has been directly linked to genetic (DNA) damage. Chicken is also a valuable source of selenium – of fundamental importance to human health supporting antioxidant defence systems, and our immune function struggling through the winter months.
LEMON
Lemon has long been used as a rich source of vitamins along with limes. British sailors, who use to spend months at sea without fresh fruit and vegetables, used lemons and citrus fruit to prevent vitamin deficiencies and scurvy.
Lemon is a vital fruit to have around not only in the cold season but also in summer, since it has the ability to lower levels of histamine - a naturally occurring chemical that can cause red eyes and runny noses! It also helps to maintain the body’s defences.
Full of Vit C, it is also a powerful anti oxidant, meaning that it can help combat detrimental oxygen molecules in the body that contribute to cancer and heart disease. The limes and lemons also contain additional compounds like limonene that help block some of the cellular changes that can lead to cancer.
Citrus pectin which is found mainly in the skin surrounding each segment may help to lower blood cholesterol and Citrus flavonoids can also strengthen capillary walls acting as an anti inflammatory.
Lemon is also a good source of potassium, which may help to regulate blood pressure.