"This is a delicious way of cooking chicken, keeping it nice and moist in the rich tomato sauce," Max says. "The creamy butter-bean mash complements the chicken perfectly, absorbing all the lovely tomato sauce. Butter beans are a good source of protein and fibre and therefore have a considerably lower glycaemic-index score than potatoes, which means they won’t affect your blood-sugar levels in the same way."
Edited extract from The 2 Meal Day by Max Lowery, published by Kyle Books, $32.99
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, skin on
Extra virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon dried oregano
85g pitted green or black olives, roughly chopped
125g mozzarella ball, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BUTTER BEAN MASH
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons double cream or crème fraiche
Method
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Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Season the chicken.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat, add a little more oil and cook the onion for 4–5 minutes, stirring until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, then stir in the tomato purée, oregano, olives and a splash of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Season to taste.
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Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Top the chicken with the mozzarella and sprinkle with ground black pepper. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the mash. Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the butter beans and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Mash using a potato masher, adding the cream as you do so. Serve alongside the chicken.
