Peppery Chicken With Romesco Sauce & Lemony Bulgur Wheat

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Boil a full kettle

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and roughly chop into bite-size pieces

Crush your garlic open by squashing with the side of a knife and remove the skin

Add the chopped pepper and crushed garlic to a large piece of tin foil (or two!) with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Scrunch the foil around the chopped pepper to form a tightly sealed parcel and add to a baking tray (or two!)

Tip: Cooking for 3 or more? Make 2 separate parcels!

Put the tray[s] in the oven for 15 min or until the pepper has softened

Add your bulgur wheat to a pot with plenty of boiled water and a pinch of salt (the same as you would for pasta)

Bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 7-9 min or until tender with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain and return to the pot

Season the chicken breast portion[s] with a pinch of salt and a very generous grind of black pepper – this is your peppery chicken

Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan over a medium heat

Once hot, add your flaked almonds and cook for 2-3 min or until toasted and lightly golden

Tip: Watch them like a hawk so they don't burn!

Transfer the toasted almonds to a bowl and return the pan to a high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once the pan is hot, add the peppery chicken and cook for 3 min on each side or until golden, then remove from the heat

Remove the softened pepper parcel[s] from the oven and add the browned chicken (use tin foil to avoid mess!) to the tray[s], reserve the pan, return the tray[s] to the oven for 12-15 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!), once cooked, transfer the chicken to a clean board and leave to rest for a couple of min before slicing

(Doubled your protein? Use 2 pans!)

Add the softened pepper & garlic, ground smoked paprika, most of the toasted almonds (save a few for garnish!) and the juice of half your lemon[s] to a food processor

Add 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then blitz until you have a coarse paste – this is your romesco sauce

Wash your shredded green cabbage then pat it dry with kitchen paperHeat the reserved pan with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Add the shredded green cabbage to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until tender with a bite

Squeeze the remaining lemon juice into the cooked bulgur wheat and give it a good mix up – this is your lemony bulgur wheat