Food: Chicken and Bean Chilli with Pomegranate And Feta Roasted Vegetables

So this time of year it is all about hearty, filling and hot food - and lots of it.

But I don't wanna pile on the pounds at the same time, so I try and ditch the carbs a little (crying emoji) and up my protein and vegetable intake.

This for me is a dish I would cook of a weekend, when I have a little more time on my hands.

Chicken and Bean Chilli with a Vegetable & Pomegranate Feta Salad

Ingredients:

Chicken & Bean Chilli

300g thinly sliced chicken breasts
1 tin of mixed beans
1 red onion
60g mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, crushed.
2 bay leaves
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of smoky paprika
1 vegetable stock cube
100ml of water
1 courgette
1 tablespoon of Olive oil

Winter Roasted Vegetables.

100g of feta cheese
200g of baby carrots
100g of beetroot
150g kale
100g pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon of mixed herbs
Half a bunch of thyme
1 tablespoon of Olive oil

Method:

1) To a roasting tray add sliced carrots, butternut squash, chopped fresh beetroot, olive oil, herbs, and roast on 180oC (Gas mark 5) for 25 minutes.

2) To a skillet or large frying pan, add olive oil, mushrooms, courgette and red onion, and fry on a medium heat.

3) After 4 minutes add the sliced chicken, herbs, paprika, and fry for 8 minutes.

4) Add the garlic, tinned tomatoes and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes.

5) Add the water, bay leaves, stock cube and tin of mixed beans to the pan, stir and leave on a very low heat for 10 minutes.

6) Remove the tray of roasted vegetables, and add the kale and feta cheese and stir in, and pop back in oven for a couple of minutes. Then remove, and sprinkle pomegranate seeds over.

7) Remove the bay leaves from the chicken and bean chilli and serve.

8) Add a couple of scoops of the chicken and bean chilli to a bowl, and a generous spoonful of the winter salad. Season, you could add some chill flakes, parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice.

The choice is yours.

Do you think you may try?