Davina's crunchy buttermilk chicken

Her fabulous body is no secret, but just how does Davina McCall keep herself in shape along with being a busy working mum? She's in the kitchen to share one of her favourite recipes for a tasty meal to help the family eat smart this January.

Her no-fuss crunchy buttermilk chicken with ratatouille is delicious, free of nasty refined sugar and heavy carbs, and even better, it'll be on the table with little stress too.

Recipe taken from Davina’s Sugar-Free in a Hurry.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

400g chicken mini fillets1 x 284ml carton of buttermilk75g wholemeal or sourdough breadcrumbsFinely grated zest of 1 lemon3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped25 parmesan cheese, finely grated 2 tbsp olive oil or spray oil1 lemon, cut into wedges,to serveSalt and black pepper

For the ratatouille

200g baby courgettes, cut into bite sized pieces1 red onion, cut into wedges1 aubergine, cut into bite sized pieces1 branch of fresh rosemary2 tbsp olive oil4 branches of cherry tomatoes1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Method

• Preheat your grill to high and the oven to 200C/Fan 180/Gas 6. For the ratatouille, put the courgettes, onion and aubergine pieces in a large shallow roasting tray, spreading them out into a single layer. Add the rosemary and oil and season, then grill the vegetables for 10 minutes.

• Place the chicken in a large shallow bowl and pour over the buttermilk. Cover the bowl and leave the chicken to marinate for at least 10 minutes – you can also leave it in the fridge overnight if you’ve planned ahead.

• Meanwhile, in another bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, rosemary and grated parmesan and season well

• Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, shake off any excess and then coat each piece in the crumb mixture. Put the coated chicken on a lightly oiled baking tray, then drizzle or spray the pieces with a little oil.

• Remove the tray of vegetables from the grill, leaving the grill on, and add the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with the balsamic, if using, transfer the tray to the hot oven and roast the vegetables for 10 minutes.

• Grill the chicken for 15-20 minutes until golden on both sides and cooked through, turning the pieces halfway through

• Divide the chicken between 4 plates and serve with a large green salad and lemon wedges to squeeze over

• Davina’s tip – nice crisp breadcrumbs make the best coating so if you’ve time, toast them in the oven first. Spread the breadcrumbs on a shallow baking tray and bake them for 5-6 minutes in the oven at 180C/Fan 160/Gas 4 or until dry, but not golden.

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