How to make honey and soy chicken that's a mouthwatering way to get kale onto your plate

Kale is superbly healthy, but it's not always the easiest ingredient to combine into a delicious dish — but it doesn't have to be that way, says our kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson. 'It’s associated with health and detoxing, but it can taste wonderful, too,' she says.

There's a wonderful recipe below, but there are simpler ideas too. You can make a kale and apple salad, for example, in just a few minutes: take a couple of handfuls of kale (ribs removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces) and toss them with lemon juice and salt to soften, then add a diced apple, a handful of grated Parmesan and some blanched, chopped almonds, all topped with extra virgin olive oil and a little apple cider vinegar.

Recipe: Honey and soy chicken with egg noodles and kale

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2tspns garlic granules
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 100g kale, stems removed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 75g soya beans
• 200g egg noodles
• Fresh coriander to serve

For the sauce

• 3 tbspns honey
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 4 tbspns soy sauce
• 2 tspns sesame oil
• ½ tspn chilli flakes

Method

Set your oven to 180˚C/ 350˚F/Gas mark 4. Gently hammer the chicken breasts to tenderise them before sprinkling with garlic granules and seasoning. Brown them on both sides in a large frying pan with a splash of neutral oil. Place the chicken on a baking tray and finish off in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Add the onion to the same frying pan and cook until soft. Add the kale and soya beans and mix well to gently cook.

Cook the egg noodles as per the packet instructions, then tip them onto the kale and onion. Whisk together the sauce and pour that over. Mix everything to combine.

Place the cooked chicken breasts back in the large pan, scatter with coriander and serve. You could add extra chilli if you like it spicy.

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