Karen Wright: Delicious meal was like sunshine on a plate


When I was a child, my Mum was the drama wardrobe mistress in Wakefield and her colleague Mr Bramley, who oversaw the stage lighting department, always said that you can eat your tea in daylight by Valentine’s Day. Of course, it all depends what time you eat in the evening but back then I think 5.30 was the norm in our family.
I made a dinner one day last week that looked like sunshine on a plate, and it was a bit of a concoction, but it was very tasty and looked so bright and cheerful too. This sort of meal - where you look in your fridge, cupboards and freezer and see what ingredients you have that might work together - are often the best and reminds me of the old television show ‘Ready Steady Cook’.
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Hide AdI started with a pack of chicken breasts which I generally buy each week. Chicken can sometimes be a bit bland, so I wanted to spice it up a bit, but I didn't want to go down the curry route. I found some chorizo sausage at the back of the fridge and that gave me the inspiration that I was looking for. I found a tin of pineapple chunks in the cupboard, some red peppers and broccoli in the fridge and with an onion I set to work.
I browned the chicken in a little oil in a large frying pan and then added the chopped onion, chorizo and red pepper and sizzled it all down together for a few minutes before adding the pineapple and a little of the juice from the can. I threw in a handful of frozen peas, and I steamed the broccoli for a few minutes before adding that to the pan. For seasoning I used peri peri spices and plenty of sea salt and pepper.
The dish came together quickly and was delicious. That mix of pineapple and chorizo is a perfect foil for chicken and served with a selection of regular potato wedges and sweet potato wedges it was wolfed down in no time. There were clean plates all around and it fits in with my healthy eating plan.