crumbs!

Here's a recipe I mentioned a few months ago that I made again last week. I yet again turned the leftovers into salad, which was divine! Enjoy!

Cashew crumb-coated Quorn fillets

serves 2 + one lunch the next day

3 Quorn fillets (or small chicken breasts)

1 slightly stale wholemeal pitta bread, torn into small chunks
50g cashew nuts
Fresh herbs of your choice - I used rosemary, basil and oregano

1 egg, lightly beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper

1 unwaxed lemon, to serve

Vegetables of your choice, to serve


1. Preheat the oven to 190 C. Coat a small baking tray with cooking spray.

2. Defrost your Quorn fillets briefly in the microwave to take the edge off, they don't need to be fully defrosted, just little bendier! If you're using meat, make sure it's fully defrosted.

3. In a blender or food processor, place the pitta bread, cashews and herbs and then blitz until well combined and there are no big lumps left. It will be green (or pretty close!). You could add little lemon juice or zest if you like. Place the crumbs in a tray or on a plate, so you can press them on to the fillets easily.

4. Put the beaten egg in a tray, or in a shallow bowl, so you can dip the fillets in easily.

5. Dip the fillets in the beaten egg, and then place them in the tray/plate of crumbs. Press the crumbs evenly on the top and bottom, leaving a reasonably thick crust.

6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. If you're cooking chicken it might need to be longer, depending on thickness. Test with a skewer if you're not sure.

7. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fillets before serving with your choice of fresh vegetables. I served it with Zana's garlic herb roast potatoes and steamed beans and carrots.

8. I said make 3 so you can have one for leftovers the next day! Ha ha. You can heat up the fillet if you like, or serve it cold. You could have it in any salad combination you like, but this was a real winner - toss the strips with baby spinach leaves, strips of red pepper, artichoke hearts, 1/2 a small avocado and a few of the leftover roast potatoes (if you have them). Drizzle with a little more lemon juice or, if you have nothing for which you need to atone, a little kewpie mayonnaise.