Pollo Chayote

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serve: 2

Ingredients

80g long grain rice
40g cooked kidney beans
120g cooked butter beans
80g edamame beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small red onion diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
2 chicken breasts (approx 280g)
1 prickly pear
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

For the sauce
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1/2 small onion
1 teaspoon chipotle paste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves

Directions

To make the sauce, add all the ingredients in a pan except the oregano. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the oregano, and use a handheld blender to blitz until smooth. You can heat a little more to thicken if needed, otherwise set to the side to reheat when serving later

Heat the oven to 180C. Cook the rice according to the cooking instructions but for the final 5 minutes add all the beans to the pan. Drain the rice and beans and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and peppers for 2-3 minutes and add to the pan with the rice and beans.

Heat the remaining oil in an ovenproof frying pan and when hot, cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on one side, turn them over and pop them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, hold the prickly pear with a tea towel and cut into quarters (there's small needles that can irritate if no towel is used) remove the flesh with a knife and cut into chunks. Stir the chopped herbs into the rice and divide on two plates. Top with sliced chicken, the sauce and finally the prickly pear.

For a lower carb option: tout per portion to the bean and pepper stir fry
For a high carb option: add 60g extra kidney beans

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