Easy supper for friends

When you have friends coming for dinner but not enough time to prepare a complicated meal, how about a simple dish of tarragon chicken with mangetout and rice?  It's tasty, quick and satisfying and with the creamy sauce feels quite luxurious...why not give it a try?  Followed by a simple fruit salad it'll be a meal that can easily be prepared ahead, leaving you to enjoy the evening with your guests rather than slaving over the stove.

Tarragon chicken...

 Tarragon chicken (serves 4; takes approx. 30 minutes to prepare)


Ingredients:

• 200g mangetout
• 1 tsp tarragon (dried)
• 4 chicken breasts (each approx. 150g) - rinsed & dried
• 2 tbsp oil (rapeseed or other vegetable oil)
• 200ml cream* (*or 100ml cream + 100ml milk for a less calorific option)
• 1tsp vegetable stock (or 1/4 of a stock cube)
• 250ml water
• 300g frozen peas
• 2 tsp mustard
• optional: 1 tsp cornflour mixed into 2 tbsp water to thicken the sauce at the end if needed

To serve:  cook 200g of rice according to packet instructions

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side; then set aside on a plate to rest for a couple of minutes and season with salt & pepper
2. Mix the cream, stock cube/powder and tarragon with 250ml of water
3. Cut the chicken into thick slices and return to the pan**
4. Pour over the cream mix (from step 2) and add the frozen peas
5. Cook on a low to medium heat for 5 minutes; then add the mangetout and cook all together for a further 3 - 4 minutes
6. Add the mustard
7. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper and if needed, thicken the sauce with cornflour
8. Serve with rice

 ** I have found that the chicken cooks more evenly when cut rather than leaving the chicken breast whole