Balsamic Chicken with Red Cabbage and Blue Cheese Slaw

What could be nicer for supper on a cool autumnal evening than juicy chicken with a colourful slaw of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Be sure to use the new English apples that are now on sale in farmers’ markets and supermarkets – the natural sweetness of Cox’s and russets is offset by a hint of acidity. The ruby-red pomegranate seeds glow like jewels in the slaw.

Ingredients

2 x 125g skinned chicken breast fillets 
spray oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of ½ lemon
200g new potatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red cabbage and blue cheese slaw:
1 Cox’s or russet apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 
juice of ½ lemon
100g red cabbage, shredded 
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced 
1 carrot, coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks 
1 tbsp chopped walnuts 
4 tbsp oil-free vinaigrette dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard 
1 tsp runny honey 
30g blue cheese, e.g Danish Blue, Gorgonzola or Roquefort, crumbled 
seeds of 1 pomegranate

1. Place the chicken fillets between 2 sheets of baking parchment or cling film and bas them with a rolling pin to flatten them out and make them thinner.
2. Spray a non-stick frying pan or ridged griddle pan lightly with oil and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to the hot pan and cook for 5–7 minutes each side until cooked through and golden brown. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice over the top and cook for 1 more minute.
3. While the chicken is cooking, boil the new potatoes in a pan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain well.
4. Meanwhile, make the red cabbage and blue cheese slaw: gently toss the apple in the lemon juice. Mix with the red cabbage, fennel, carrot and walnuts in a large bowl.
5. Blend the vinaigrette dressing with the mustard and honey. Pour over the apple, nuts and vegetables and toss lightly together with the blue cheese and pomegranate seeds
6. Season the chicken with a grinding of salt and pepper and cut into thin slices. Serve with the new potatoes and red cabbage and blue cheese slaw.

Veggie option:

Instead of 2 chicken breasts, cook 5 Quorn Chicken Style Fillets in the same way in a pan. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice before serving with the potatoes and slaw.

Add more calories:

For a high calorie option cook two 175g chicken breasts in the same way and add another tablespoon of chopped walnuts plus 1 small bunch chopped spring onions to the slaw.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Calories: 400 kcal per serving