Spicy chicken

This recipe is in response to the question: ‘how many different ways can you cook chicken?’! It’s quick and simple and oh so tasty too. If you have any of the pesto left over, try using it on a fillet of salmon or storing it in the fridge to stir into pasta.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts

For the pesto

• 80g/2 3/4 oz mixed olives
• 80g/2 3/4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small green chilli (deseeded for less heat)
• Handful of coriander
• 50g/1 3/4 oz gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 50g/1 3/4 oz pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the topping

• 60g/2 oz gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 20g/3/4 oz Lucy Bee coconut oil, melted
• Himalayan salt and ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

2. Put all the pesto ingredients except the pine nuts and lemon zest into a small food processor or blender and blitz together, then stir in the pine nuts and lemon zest.

3. Slice each chicken breast across horizontally, cutting almost but not completely through, to make a pocket. Fill each pocket with a quarter of the pesto mixture and place the stuffed breasts in an ovenproof dish.

4. For the topping, mix the breadcrumbs and melted coconut oil with some salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly over the chicken. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (I use a Thermapen to check; it should read 75°C/167°F in the centre).

Tips and notes

If you want to prepare these ahead of time, make them up and freeze after sprinkling over the topping. Defrost thoroughly and then bake.

From Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life. Recipe text © 2016 Lucy Bee Limited.