Chicken breast with creamy cauliflower bake

Serves:

Ingredients

Creamy sauce

• 2 tbsp flour
• 1½ tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 cup (250ml) low-fat milk
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1-2 tbsp chopped chives
• ½ tsp lemon zest

• 1 small (about 500g) cauliflower, sliced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• ½ cup low-fat cheddar cheese (find a good sharp one like Vintage)
• 6 x 120g chicken fillets
• Oil spray
• Watercress or rocket or a green salad

Method

Heat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced and spray a shallow baking dish with oil.

In a small saucepan, melt butter/margarine.

Add flour, constantly stirring until mixture browns slightly.

Remove from heat and slowly add milk and stock, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps (if you get some, don’t panic just keep whisking).

Return to the heat and add mustard. Bring back to a simmer and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Stir through chives and lemon zest.

Place cauliflower and leeks into a microwave-safe dish, cover and microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, until just tender.

Discard any liquid and transfer vegetables to baking dish. Pour over creamy sauce and top with cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and creamy.

While cauliflower is baking (about 6-8 minutes before the end of cooking time), slice each chicken breast lengthways through the middle to make two thin breasts.

Heat a frying pan to medium-high, spray lightly with oil spray and cook fillets for 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove chicken fillets and allow to rest on a board for a couple of minutes before serving with cauliflower bake and greens.

Notes

• I try to reduce calories and fat where I can in my recipes by using lighter options. You can reduce the calorie and fat content even further by using a low-fat margarine or butter in the sauce. Just make sure it’s no lower than 60% fat, otherwise you’ll have problems with lumps and consistency.
• Recipe written by Jay Rogers

Serving Suggestions

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