CHICKEN & LENTIL SALAD

I cannot take credit for this recipe, although I wish I could. On days when I feel uninspired in the kitchen and exhausted due to a double shift (these days usually few and far between thank god!) I restore to my own library of cookbooks. The recipe below has come from ‘Australian Women’s Weekly Super Diet’. Whenever I feel a little lethargic or off colour from a big weekend, I turn to this book. Ladies and gentleman, the only way to gain and retain a trim, healthy body is to construct a diet of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain foods, lean meat, eggs, dairy products and legumes. It’s sad but its true. In a world that is rapidly changing and transforming, one thing will always be certain: you are what you eat. So start cooking healthy, great tasting food. 

INGREDIENTS

• 300g chicken breast, sliced into 3-4 cm strips
• 2 x 400g tin brown lentils, drained 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon lemon grind, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
• (fresh parsley would also work well as a substitute for oregano)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 red capsicum (200g), sliced thinly
• 1 zucchini (150g), sliced into thin rounds
• 1/4 cup lemon juice 
• 100g baby spinach leaves 
• sea salt & ground black pepper

COOKING

1. Combine chicken, lemon rind, garlic and half the oregano (or parsley) in a bowl. 

2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Cook chicken mixture, stirring, until tender and cooked through. Remove from pan and cover. 

3. Cook capsicum and zucchini in the same pan, adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften. 

4. Place chicken, vegetables, drained brown lentils and spinach with remaining fresh oregano (or parsley) and lemon juice. 

Serves / 4

Preparation & Cooking time / 40 minutes

Fat per serving / 3.1g 

Protein / 32g 

Fibre / 9.6g 

Carbohydrates / 22.5g 

x E