What’s for dinner? A healthy vegetable and chicken dish

Serves 4

You’ll need: 2 skinless chicken breasts; 1.5-litre chicken stock; 300g McCain Country Vegetables (defrosted and drained); 150g McCain Chopped Spinach (defrosted and drained); 150g McCain Whole Green Peas (defrosted and drained); 10ml coconut oil; 50 ml dried pearl barley; 5ml sesame oil; 3 garlic cloves (chopped); 2cm piece ginger (peeled and finely chopped); 10ml soy sauce; 90ml crunchy peanut butter; fresh chillies (deseeded and chopped, to taste); extra vegetable stock (to thin sauce down); toasted whole peanuts (for garnish).

How to: 

In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken stock and add the breasts. Poach the chicken until tender and juicy. Remove immediately from stock, shred the chicken, cover and set aside. Keep poaching liquid for barley.

Meanwhile, for the barley: In a large pot, add coconut oil and barley and allow to lightly toast. Add in the chicken poaching liquid, enough to cover barley and allow to simmer on medium heat until tender yet still al dente. If the liquid is absorbed before barley is cooked, then add more stock. Once cooked, drain and stir in McCain vegetables and heat through.

Meanwhile for the spicy peanut sauce: In a saucepan, heat sesame oil and fry garlic and ginger until golden. Add soy sauce, peanut butter and chillies and sauté until fragrant. Stir in about 250ml of vegetable stock to thin the sauce down, for a creamy consistency.

Toast peanuts for garnish.

For serving: Spoon the barley and vegetable mix into bowls, then spoon the chicken on top of the barley mix and sauce in a side jug for serving. Top the meal with the toasted peanuts.

* Recipe & image by McCain.