Clear-conscious C

Happy Christmas all! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to celebrating New Year. Like me, many of you probably overindulged over the festive season, so I have come up with these lighter canapé ideas that would be fantastic for a New Year’s Eve bash. Turn discarded potato peelings into a fab healthy snack – just cover in cayenne or paprika and bake in the oven until they crisp up. My spicy chicken strips are so tasty on their own, as well as with the honey and mustard dipping sauce. These petite filo quiche Lorraine will be an instant hit with guests. Full of flavour but not too heavy, they are absolutely delicious. Have a very happy and healthy New Year!

Herbed-baked chicken strips with honey & mustard dipping sauce Makes 16 strips

Chicken strips

2 slices of wholemeal bread

2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 tsp dried oregano

3 tbsp rolled oats

4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat

2–4 tbsp harissa paste (depending on how hot you like it)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dipping sauce

200g low-fat crème fraîche

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp Dijon mustard (or to taste)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

1 lemon, cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 200°C, (Fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Line a roasting tray with baking parchment and set aside. Lightly toast the bread in a toaster or under the grill and then blitz in a food processor to give fine, dry breadcrumbs. Tip them into a wide, shallow bowl and toss in the rosemary and oregano, then season with salt and pepper.

Blitz the oats in the processor until roughly ground and toss them through the breadcrumbs.

Cut each chicken breast into four long strips. Season them with salt and a good amount of pepper and then brush them all over with the harissa paste. Working in batches, toss the strips into the breadcrumb mixture to stick and evenly coat and lay in a single layer on the baking sheet as you go. Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on the outside.

Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce by simply mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl and seasoning to taste. Spoon into a small serving bowl, cover and leave aside in the fridge until ready to serve.

Check the chicken is cooked by cutting through to the centre of the thickest one. If there is any pinkness return the strips to the oven for a little longer. Arrange the cooked chicken strips on plates with the dipping sauce drizzled over and the lemon wedges nestled beside them and serve. The squeeze of lemon really lifts the flavour of the chicken.