Lemony Chicken, Courgette & Chilli-Mint Spelt Salad

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Boil a kettle

Add the spelt to a pot of boiled water over a high heat

Cook for 15-20 min or until cooked through but with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water until cool

Meanwhile, zest the lemon[s] into a bowl

Place your hand flat onto the chicken breast[s]

Slice in half as if you were cutting a burger bun, so you are left with two thinner pieces

Add the sliced chicken to the bowl of lemon zest with 1 tsp [2 tsp] olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Give everything a good old mix up

Add the chicken with any remaining marinade to a baking tray 

Put the tray in the oven for 15-20 min or until cooked through

Meanwhile, top and tail the courgette[s]

Peel lengths of courgette until you end up with a pile of courgette 'ribbons'

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Cut the red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Strip the mint leaves and chop them finely, discarding the stems 

Combine the chopped garlic, chopped chilli (Can't handle the heat? Go easy!) with the juice of the lemon[s] and 1 1/2 tbsp [3 tbsp] olive oil

Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and half the mint leaves (save the rest for later!) – this is your lemony dressing 

Gently wash and pat the lamb's lettuce dry

Add the lamb's lettuce, courgette ribbons, cooked spelt and remaining mint leaves to a very large mixing bowl

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, pour over the lemony dressing and give everything a good old mix up

Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and slice it finely