Healthy Eating doesn’t have to be boring.  This recipe for Cajun Chicken with avocado salad and mango salsal is taken from The Detox Kitchen Bible By Lily Simpson & Rob Hobson

This dish is all about the marinade. Rich spices and a punch of garlic create a smoky,  aromatic flavour. By gently bashing out the breasts, the marinade can cover a greater area of the flesh. The chicken is perfectly balanced by the light, creamy avocado salad and sweet-spicy salsa made with mango. This fruit is a source of the antioxidant beta–arotene, which among its many other benefits may help delay the onset of cognitive decline in older people.

 Ingredients

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp crushed dried chilli

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 150g each

For the salad

150g spinach

A handful of fresh coriander

A handful of fresh mint

A handful of fresh parsley

1/4 red onion, roughly diced

1 tsp rapeseed oil

2 avocados

For the mango salsa

1 mango, diced

4 cherry tomatoes, diced

A handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Method

1 Mix together all the spices, garlic and oil with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and turn them so they are covered with the marinade.

2 Set a ridged griddle/grill pan on a medium heat and leave to heat up.

3 Meanwhile, one at a time, place the breasts on one half of a large sheet of clingfilm, fold the clingfilm over so that the spices are sealed in and gently bash the breasts with a rolling pin to flatten them to about 1cm thick; remove the clingfilm. Place the breasts on the griddle pan and cook for 6 minutes on each side.

4 Make the salad whilst the chicken is cooking. Finely chop the spinach, coriander, mint, parsley and red onion and mix together with the oil in a large bowl. Peel the avocados and remove the stone, then dice the flesh. Add to the bowl and fold in gently. Season with salt and pepper.

5 For the salsa, combine all the ingredients in another bowl. Use your hands to mix, squeezing the tomatoes to create a chunky, juicy salsa.

6 Serve each chicken breast with a big helping of the spinach salad and the mango salsa.

Serves 4 • 415 calories per serving

The Detox Kitchen Bible 

By Lily Simpson & Rob Hobson Published by Bloomsbury,

Lily Simpson runs The Detox Kitchen, whose boutique delis and specially designed health menus have won thousands of customers – including international celebrities such as Elle Macpherson, Sophie Dahl and Suki Waterhouse. She and consultant nutritionist Rob Hobson are devoted to their philosophy of great health through great food.

Inside this book are 200 of Lily’s exquisite recipes – brightly delicious and packed full of flavour thanks to her clever combinations of herbs, spices and oils. All wheat?, dairy? and refined sugar?free, you’ll find recipes for invigorating breakfasts, zingy raw salads, delicious snacks and dips, vibrant fish and meat dishes, and scrumptious sweet treats.  But this is not just a recipe book. Rob explains how to use these dishes to target your health needs, whether that’s losing weight, gaining energy, getting clearer skin – or just having a weekend detox after a few days of indulgence. Eat your way to glowing health with this smart new guide to daily wellbeing.

Ceri Wheeldon

Ceri is Founder and Editor of Fabafterfifty.co.uk She is a frequent speaker at events and in the media on topics related to women over 50 , including style and living agelessly. With 20+ years experience as a headhunter Ceri also now helps support those looking to extend their working lives.

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