Serves 4

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1-2 teaspoons cajun spice

2 whole baby gem

1 red onion 150g mixed olives

1 yellow pepper 1 red pepper

1 clove of garlic

Fresh mint

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

This is a great salad to prepare to impress friends and family and can be served as a starter or a main course depending on the occasion.

As well as being packed with great flavours that compliment each other perfectly, it is also vibrantly coloured and can be thrown together quickly.

To begin, lay red and yellow pepper on a flat oven tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees centigrade (gas mark 4) for about 15-20 minutes.

Turn every five minutes to ensure they cook evenly. Once cooked, remove them from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, remove excess skin and sinew from the chicken before cutting into strips about the same width as your middle finger. Place in a bowl along with a little crushed garlic, the Cajun spice and a drizzle of olive oil. Add salt before mixing well. Cover the chicken with cling film and place back in fridge until needed.

Once the peppers have cooled, cut them in half lengthways then scoop out the seeds and stalk. Now cut them into smaller strips before adding to a large mixing bowl along with sliced red onion and olives.

I usually don’t bother, but you may find it easier if you remove the stones from the olives before serving.

You can do this by using an olive stoner or by simply cutting the olive in half and picking out the stone.

Next, cut the root from the baby gem and separate all the leaves. Rinse under cold running water. Drain well before patting dry with kitchen paper.

When you are ready to serve, heat a little oil in a large frying pan.

Once the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken strips one or two at a time and cook on both sides until coloured. Turn the heat down and fry for a further three minutes until cooked.

Lift from the pan onto a plate and allow to rest.

Now add the washed gem leaves to the salad bowl along with some freshly chopped mint and another drizzle of olive oil.

Finally add the chicken strips as well as the cooking juices.

Toss the whole lot together with a little more seasoning before arranging neatly in some large bowls.

Garnish each salad dish with some more chopped mint.

Another Way To Do It

If you are not a great fan of spicy foods , marinate your chicken using olive oil, freshly chopped rosemary, crushed garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. On the other hand, if you are not too keen on olives, try swapping them for sliced avocado.

Tip of the Week

The key to the perfect salad is to always use the freshest and best quality ingredients. Never, ever use salad leaves that are old or the end product will not have that fresh, crisp texture.

From Daily Record