The Naked Chef

I don't often cook anymore. It's not that I don't like cooking, it's just that I get in these funks where I simply don't plan the day well enough and before I know it, it's six and the kids are ready for dinner. That's when I realize I haven't allotted time to actually prepare dinner.

But there was a time when Food Network was my favorite station. A time before my food processor was demoted to dust collector. So in spirit of those times, I'm going to share with you one of our favorite dishes from The Naked Chef. It is absolutely delish and you will certainly be the belle or beau of the kitchen when you whip up this meal.

Chicken Breast Baked in a Bag with Coriander, Chili, Soy Sauce, Lemon Grass and Ginger

Serves 2

2 7oz chicken breasts
a handful of fresh coriander
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1-2 fresh red chilies, deseeded and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic finely sliced
2 sticks lemon grass, outer leaves removed, inner ones finely sliced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 heaped tablespoon of good honey
1 lime, halved

As this is for two people, I'm going to make a large envelope/bag to cook everything in. Using wide tin foil, make your bag by placing two pieces on top of each other (about as big as two shoeboxes in length) folding three sides in and leaving one side open.

Preheat the oven to 425. Mix everything, apart from the lime, together in a bowl, including the chicken. Place in your bag, with all the juice, making sure you don't pierce the foil. Close up the final edge, making sure the bag is tightly sealed and secure on all sides, and carefully slide on to roasting tray. Place on a high heat on a burner for one minute to get the heat going, then bake in the middle of your preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven, place the bag on a big plate, take it to the table and break open the foil. Serve with a squeezing of the lime over the top. Feel free to vary the recipe - things like peppers, spring onions and cooked noodles are fantastic to use.

Okay so there's the dish. Now I'm going to add in some other things we do in our house with this recipe. First, Dave found that running the ingredients (without the chicken of course) through the food processor first helps enhance the flavor further.
Second, we often cut up the chicken into smaller pieces so it cooks a little faster in the oven. Plus it's easier to serve once it's out. Lastly, we love this dish over a nice dish of rice. There's so much flavorful goodness in the juice, which tastes amazing with the sauce.

Enjoy!