Woolies Pantry

Remember my post about food for men from just a few days ago, Monday in fact! That really was a weekend of seriously rich food, great wine and good company which was awesome.

Before that it had been a few weeks (ok more than a few weeks) of pure self indulgence! I am officially addicted to butter-lovers microwave popcorn as well as munching down on my old school-favourite chocolates like Lunch Bar, Bar One and Chomp.

When last did you sink your teeth into one of those bad boys? My local Woolworths, like most, have strategically moved their great value big box gummy sweets to the aisle before the tills and caught me off guard, so much so that they were in my shopping basket and swished through the scanner before I could say “Yummy”. Cringe yes?

I have been hiding behind the excuse of winter and getting away with it by wearing more chunky knits and oversized jerseys, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t have to face myself in the mirror every morning, even in the dimmer light of the grey June sky.

So this week has been the week of avoiding that popcorn aisle and giving away the last of my gummy sweets to Callan (ok there were only four, lonely liquorice-flavoured dinosaurs left) but one thing I can’t give up on these freezing cold winter nights is crumbed chicken! Yes that’s right, I said it!

The delicious chicken breasts are my favourite, patted with gorgeous golden crunchy crumbs hot out of the oven and served with steamed tenderstem broccoli and asparagus piled onto creamy mashed potatoes. Now that is my kind of comfort meal.

I recently tried Woolworths cheese and herb breast roast, a roll of succulent chicken crusted with the same golden-crumbed crust hugging a sage, onion and Cheddar stuffing. Delicious! With my new healthier self in mind, balance is vital so I always make sure I have a hefty side serving of greens.

The oven-ready roast cooks in its foil tray in under an hour at 180°C and pairs perfectly with crisp green beans glistening with burnt butter and scattered with crushed nuts.

This is how I make my favourite gourmet green beans.

You will need 250g fine green beans. I like to snap the harder stalks off of the top of each bean but I leave the softer ‘tail’ on because you hardly even notice they are there. I like to add my beans to a saucepan bubbling with salted boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes so they stay a vibrant green and crunchy before draining them.

While they are cooking, add 50g of butter to a small saucepan (you can add more depending on how much sauce you want) and keep your eye on it when the butter melts.

When it starts to bubble it will turn a golden brown colour fairly quickly and you don’t want it to burn. When it browns, remove it from the heat as it will keep cooking in the hot saucepan, even off the stove.

Add some crushed walnuts or almonds to the sauce with some crushed garlic and sage, if you like, to go with the stuffing. Toss the butter onto your hot drained beans so they glisten with a lovely coating of burnt butter and crushed nuts and serve immediately.

Enjoy it if you are making it this weekend. It’s perfect for a cheat’s Father’s Day meal. And don’t forget to pop in at the Woolies Pantry for more easy cooking inspiration this weekend.

Hannah

Consultant Food Editor, Woolworths TASTE