Packed with some of the tastiest pregnancy superfoods such as lean meat and broccoli, it tastes great, too!
This week’s recipe was originally in an issue of Good Food Magazine. Featuring vital pregnancy ingredients such as nuts, broccoli and lean meat, it’s perfect. And it only takes as long as an episode of Hollyoaks to make.
Enjoy!
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Good for:Calcium, folate, fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin C (and that’s just the broccoli!), iron
Ingredients
250g thin stemmed broccoli
2 tsp rapeseed oil
3 skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, thinly sliced
100g watercress
2 raw beetroots (about 175g), peeled and julienned or grated
1 tsp nigella seeds
For the avocado pesto
small pack basil
1 avocado
½ garlic clove, crushed
25g walnut halves, crumbled
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
juice and zest 1 lemon
Method
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, then refresh under cold water. Heat a griddle pan, toss the broccoli in 1⁄2 teaspoon of the rapeseed oil and griddle for 2-3 minutes, turning, until a little charred. Set aside to cool.
• Brush the chicken with the remaining oil and season. Griddle for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Leave to cool, then slice or shred into chunky pieces.
• To make the pesto, pick the leaves from the basil and set aside a handful to top the salad. Put the rest in the small bowl of a food processor.
• Scoop the flesh from the avocado and add to the food processor with the garlic, walnuts, oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2-3 tablespoons cold water and some seasoning. Blitz until smooth, then transfer to a small serving dish. Pour the remaining lemon juice over the sliced onions and leave for a few minutes.
• Pile the watercress onto a large platter. Toss through the broccoli and onion, with the lemon juice they were soaked in. Top with the beetroot (but don’t mix it in) and the chicken. Scatter over the reserved basil leaves, lemon zest and nigella seeds, then serve with the avocado pesto.
And that’s that! Enjoy!
Recipe by Emily Kydd for BBC Good Food; image courtesy of BBC Good Food
