A few years back I was lucky enough to be awarded Good Taste Magazine’s ‘Home Cook of the Year’ in a national cook off. The objective was to design a tasty, simple and economic dish suitable for the whole family to enjoy. Below I have made some simple suggestions on how to adapt the original recipe for those looking for even more nutritious options.
Paleo* / GF**
Prosciutto-wrapped chicken on parsnip mash
Serves 4
Prep: 25 mins Cooking: 35 mins
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3/4 cup fresh coarse breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbls fresh lemon juice
- 4 free range chicken thigh fillets, fat trimmed
- 150g pkt baby spinach leaves
- 60g mozzarella, quartered
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 Tbls sour cream
- 300g green beans, trimmed
Parsnip mash
- 4 sebago or golden delight potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 50g butter
- 1/2 cup milk
Preparation
1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 4-5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Add the lemon juice and cook for 30 seconds or until the liquid evaporates.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. open each piece of chicken to lie flat. Divide the spinach and mozzarella among the chicken pieces. Roll up to encolose the filling. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each piece of chicken to secure.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large fying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a baking dish. Add enough stick to come 1cm up the side of the dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Whisk the sour cream into the liquid in the dish.
4. Meanwhile, to make the parsnip mash, cook the potato in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add the parsnip and cook for a further 10 minutes or until potato and parsnip are tender. Drain. Return to the pan. Add the butter and milk, and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook the beans in a steamer over a saucepan of simmering water for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp.
6. Divide the mash and beans among serving plates. Top the mash with the chicken and drizzle over the sour cream mixture. Serve with the beans topped with the breadcrumb mixture.
* Paleo adaption:
- To make this dish truly paleo exchange the potato for sweet potato or more parsnip.
- If you don’t consume dairy you may change the milk for any milk substitute you like and omit the sour cream for a lighter sauce. Butter can be exchanged for coconut or olive oil or simply omitted.
- Paleo bread can be used for the breadcrumbs or crushed almonds for a crunchier texture.
** GF adaptions:
- GF or paleo bread can be used for the breadcrumbs or crushed almonds for a crunchier texture.
