Sweet & sour rice pot

“A family favourite, sweet and sour chicken, made into an all-in-one dish with fluffy rice and crunchy water chestnuts. This is a mild-flavoured dish and is great on its own, or served as part of a homemade Chinese feast.” Pip Payne, @the_slimming_foodie

Serves 4

Calories per serving: 479

Prep time: 15minutes, plus standing time

Cook time: 25minutes

spray oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 skinless chicken breasts (total weight about 500g/1lb 2oz), finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and very finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

300g (10½oz) long grain white rice

2 canned pineapple rings (total weight about 65g/2½oz), very finely chopped

100g (3½oz) Tender stem broccoli, sliced into 2cm (¾ inch) lengths

225g (8oz) can of water chestnuts, drained

800ml (1 pint 9fl oz) hot chicken stock, plus extra if needed

salt and pepper

For the sauce

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

2 tablespoons white rice vinegar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

to serve

spring onions, finely chopped

red chilli, finely chopped

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.

2. Spray a deep, nonstick flameproof casserole dish (with a lid) with oil (mine was 24cm/9. inches in diameter). Fry the onion and chicken for 8 minutes. Season the dish, then add the pepper, garlic and sweet and sour sauce. Stir in the rice, then add the pineapple, broccoli, water chestnuts and hot stock.

3. Place the lid on the pan, and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the lid from the pan and simmer with the lid off for 2 minutes. Check that the rice is fully cooked (if not, allow it to simmer for longer, adding more stock if necessary).

5. Place the lid back on, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve scattered with spring onions and chilli.

NOTE You can always double up on the batch of sweet and sour sauce and reserve half to drizzle over the rice dish when you serve it. Just bring it to the boil in a small saucepan,

add 2 tablespoons of water and let it simmer for a couple of minutes before serving up alongside the rice pot.

This recipe is from The Sunday Times Number 1 Bestseller, The Slimming Foodie in One by Pip Payne.