National barbeque week

This week is National barbeque week, and come rain or shine, there’s never been a better excuse to fire up the barbeque, sit outdoors and breathe in the smells and sounds of summer with some fresh air therapy. In this blog, we’re bringing you our very own char-grilled chicken recipe, plus sharing a delicious vegetarian side dish straight from Ragdale’s kitchen – perfect for your summer barbeques.

Char-grilled chicken with roast squash salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced into 1cm cubes

3 tbsp olive oil

4 x 175g (6oz) skinless chicken breasts

200g (7oz) cashew nuts, toasted

1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp pickled ginger

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

8 pitted black olives

Zest and juice of 1 lime

4 tbsp torn coriander leaves

4 tbsp torn mint leaves

Pinch of salt

100ml (3 and a half fl oz) coconut milk

100ml (3 and a half fl oz) low fat plain yoghurt

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6.

Put the butternut squash into a roasting tin and add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, tossing to coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

Light the barbeque. Lay the chicken breasts flat on a work surface. Put your hand on the top to hold each one and use a sharp knife to slice them through the middle from one side, without cutting right through. Open out each chicken breast to give the shape of a butterfly. Brush both sides of each one with olive oil. Place on the barbeque, then cover (with the vents open). Char-grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine the roast squash with all the remaining ingredients. Serve with the chicken.