Ready for more great grub? This week we’re drawing inspiration from Italy and Asia. The plates? Chicken parmigiana and sesame maple tempeh. The verdict? Forkin’ delicious.

See for yourself.

Chicken ‘parmigiana’ & red pesto roasted potatoes

Try our healthy take on the Italian classic – swapping breadcrumbs for crunchy almonds and featuring juicy free-range chicken breast. We plate it over a rich, garlicky tomato sauce, with pesto-roasted potatoes and vitamin-rich broccoli.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 head of broccoli
• 2 x 170g free-range chicken breasts
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp red pesto
• 200g baby white potatoes
• 1 handful of fresh rosemary
• 1 shallot
• 2 large tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree

Macros

31.31g carbs • 25.69g fat • 52.07g protein

Method (30 minutes)

1. Preheat the oven to 220C / fan 200C / gas mark 7 and boil a kettle.

2. Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with water from the kettle. Boil for 12 mins then drain. Pick and finely chop the rosemary. Place the potatoes into a bowl and squash the tops with a fork, then add the sun-dried tomato pesto, 1 tbsp oil and the chopped rosemary (to taste). Season with sea salt and black pepper. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 15 mins, then set aside and keep warm.

3. Slice through the chicken breasts horizontally to get two thinner pieces. Season all sides with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a small non-stick pan on a medium-high heat and add the ground almonds and nutritional yeast. Cook for 2-3 mins, stirring constantly, until the crumb mix is golden in colour. Remove from the heat and coat the chicken on both sides. Place on the same tray as the potatoes for the last 10 mins of cooking.

4. Meanwhile, finely dice the large tomatoes. Peel and finely dice the shallots, then peel and grate or finely chop the garlic. Cut the broccoli head into florets and put to one side. Heat a medium-sized, non-stick pan with 1 tbsp oil on a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 mins before adding the diced tomatoes, tomato puree and a splash of water. Simmer the sauce for 10 mins then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

5. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil and add the broccoli. Cook for 2-3 mins until al-dente, then drain.

6. To serve, cover the base of two plates with tomato sauce. Place the pesto potatoes and broccoli in the centre and top with the chicken.

Sesame maple tempeh with fresh mint & noodles

Sweet and salty, fresh and filling, crunchy and tender: this Asian-inspired dish has everything. We coat tempeh in a sesame-maple sauce, and serve on a colourful combo of carrot and noodles. Garden-fresh mint adds lift.

Ingredients

• 200g carrots
• 1 red chilli
• 4cm fresh Brazilian blue Hawaiian ginger
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 handful of fresh mint
• 100g brown rice noodles
• 1 red onion
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp white sesame seeds
• 200g tempeh
• 2 tbsp tamari

Macros

67.78g carbs • 23.77g fat • 28.48g protein

Method (30 minutes)

1. Boil a kettle. Finely chop the tempeh. Thinly slice the red onion. Peel the carrots then, using a peeler, cut the carrots into long, thin ribbons. Peel the ginger then finely grate or chop. Finely chop the red chilli (remove the seeds for less heat).

2. Make the sauce; in a small bowl mix together the tamari, maple syrup, half the juice from the lime, 1 tbsp sesame oil and half the red chilli.

3. Pour boiling water into a large saucepan until three-quarters full. Bring to the boil and plunge the brown rice noodles into the pan. Remove from the heat and leave the noodles to soften for 10 mins, then drain and rinse.

4. Heat a wok or medium-sized frying pan with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil on a medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 mins. Add the carrot ribbons and cook for 2 mins. Remove from the pan, place in a bowl, cover and keep warm.

5. In the same wok or pan, heat the remaining sesame oil on a medium-high heat. Cook the tempeh for 10 mins, turning regularly, until golden brown. Add the ginger and half the sauce to the pan, along with the sesame seeds, and cook for a further 3 mins. Add a splash of water to thin the sauce.

6. Roughly tear or chop the fresh mint leaves. Stir the onion, carrots, mint leaves and remaining sauce through the noodles. Spoon the veggie noodles into warm bowls and top with the sesame-maple tempeh. Squeeze over the remaining lime juice and sprinkle over the remaining chilli.

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