- 2 carrot
- 2 leek
- 2 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 90g butter, softened
- A handful of flat leaf parsley
- 2 lemon
- 800g tin of green lentils
- 2 chicken stock cube
- 200g kale
- 4 chicken breast fillets, skinless & boneless
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 300ml boiling water
- Vegetable peeler
- Large pan with lid
- Measuring jug
- Rolling pin
- Large frying pan
- 1.
Peel and dice the carrot. Trim the root and top 3cm off the leek. Halve it lengthways, give it a rinse and thinly slice it. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic, setting 1 chopped clove aside in a bowl. Fill and boil the kettle.
- 2.
Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, leek and 1 chopped garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, till softened.
- 3.
While the veg fry, finely chop the parsley and add it to the garlic bowl, along with the softened butter. Grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice from 1 half. Add a little salt and pepper and stir.
- 4.
Drain and rinse the lentils. Tip them into the pan of veg. Crumble in the stock cube and pour in 300ml hot water from the kettle. Stir well, bring to a simmer, then cover the pan with a lid or baking tray and cook gently for 20 mins.
- 5.
Slice the thick cores out of the kale. Finely shred the leaves and set them aside.
- 6.
Place the chicken breasts between 2 large sheets of baking paper. Bash with a rolling pin till they're about 1-2cm thick. Rub the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan and warm to medium-high. Add the chicken breasts to the hot pan. Fry the for 5-6 mins on each side, till golden and cooked through. When the chicken is cooked, add the herb butter to the pan. Warm to melt the butter into a sauce, spooning it over the chicken to coat. Take the pan off the heat.
- 7.
Stir the shredded kale into the lentils and veg. Simmer for 3-4 mins to wilt the leaves. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- 8.
Divide the lentils and veg between 2 warm plates. Top with the chicken and drizzle over the herb butter sauce to serve.