Family noms: Fennel, chilli, and lime chicken with roast vegetables

One of my major aims this year is to keep my life as simple as possible, so I can focus on what’s important.

Tasty food that’s easy to prepare is a big part of that. I rarely have the kind of time it takes to spend hours preparing a meal, but I still want to feel nourished, and to give my family delicious food that’s good for them.

This recipe ticks all those boxes in a major way. It’s really quick and easy, so it works as a mid-week meal. It has loads of flavour and has us all going “mmm” as we gobble it up.

Like many pre-schoolers, Arty is not keen on chilli, so I just pan fry a piece of chicken for him before doing SJ’s and mine. There’s no need to dirty more than one pan, and everyone gets what they like. Bam!

Here’s how to make it:

Fennel, chilli, and lime chicken with roast vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, trimmed, and sliced lengthways
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes (adjust to personal taste)
• Rind of two limes, finely chopped
• 2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1cm thick slices
• 1 large bunch dutch carrots, tops trimmed
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped OR 1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 small cobs of corn, cut into short pieces
• olive oil
• salt, and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°c.
2. Place all veggies in a large dish (I use a lasagne dish), drizzle with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Put in oven and bake for 30 mins, tossing at 10 minute intervals.
3. Combine fennel seeds, chilli flakes, lime rind, and some pepper, then rub all over chicken.
4. Pan fry chicken in olive oil over a medium heat, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. This should take 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut.
5. Serve immediately.

So easy. So tasty.

P.S. If you have leftover chicken, it can be refrigerated, then sliced up to top a salad for a delicious lunch.