Herb & ricotta chicken with mushroom rice

• rapeseed oil↗2 ½ tsp tsp
• leeks↗2

  washed and sliced

• closed cup mushrooms↗180g g

  roughly sliced

• brown basmati rice↗125g g
• thyme sprigs↗3
• low salt vegetable stock cubes↗2 cubes
• ricotta↗60g g
• basil↗good handful

  chopped, plus a few small leaves, to serve

• garlic clove↗1

  finely grated

• parmesan↗10g g

  finely grated

• skinless chicken breast fillets↗2

  2

• chopped parsleyhandful

  handful, plus extra to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pan, then add the leeks and stir-fry until softened and charred around the edges. Tip in the mushrooms and cook until softened.

2. 2

   Stir in the rice and thyme sprigs and crumble in the stock cubes then pour in 700ml boiling water. Cover and leave to simmer for 30 mins.

3. 3

   While the rice is cooking, mix the ricotta with the basil, garlic and parmesan. Cut a slash in the top of each chicken breast, then slightly open out and spoon on the ricotta mix. Heat the remaining 1½ tsp oil in a small frying pan, then add the chicken, ricotta-side up. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 10 mins. Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave while you wait for the rice to finish cooking.

4. 4

   Pour any juices from the chicken into the rice, then cook for 5 mins more to get rid of any excess moisture. Stir the parsley through the rice, remove the thyme sprigs and spoon onto two plates, top with the chicken, and scatter over the basil and more parsley leaves.