These last few weeks of pregnancy can seem very long, as you wait for your baby to arrive. He is gaining weight each day, and your need for energy and nutrients is at its highest. This is the time to consider what snacks you might need for hospital.
The recipes are taken from The Complete Pregnancy cookbook by Fiona Wilcock published
by Carroll & Brown Ltd.
Cherry tomato-topped chicken
This simple dish tastes delicious served with mashed potato and peas or a salad. It has to be one of your pregnancy standby suppers, for speed and taste, and comes high in the vitamin C stakes too!
Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 – 25 minutes
A good source of: Protein and vitamin C
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
2 chicken breasts, boned and with skin on
1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
fresh oregano leaves, to garnish
Preheat the oven to gas mark 3, 160°C.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then place the chicken skin-side down. Cover, and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side for 10 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a dish with 1 tablespoon of water to stop it from drying out. Cover, and keep warm in the oven until needed. Meanwhile, increase the heat of the pan and add the onion. Fry for 5 minutes and then add the tomatoes.
Cook the mixture stirring frequently for about 8-10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened. Stir the vinegar and sugar into the tomatoes, and heat through for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and serve topped with the tomato mixture.
The healthy option
For an even healthier version of this recipe remove any visible fat from the chicken breasts and trim off the skin. Keeping the skin on whilst cooking will help prevent the chicken sticking to the pan, so you will need to check it regularly to make sure it is not sticking at all.
Apricot and ginger risotto
This is a simple dish to prepare when you are tired and don’t feel like cooking much. The ginger should help when you are feeling nauseous, and the juniper berries give a lovely tang.
Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Good source of: B vitamins, fibre
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2.5 cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
10 juniper berries, crushed
1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
200 g basmati rice, rinsed and drained
10 dried apricots, halved
300 ml vegetable stock chopped
fresh parsley, to garnish
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick saucepan, and gently fry the onion for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the ginger, juniper berries and thyme. Add the rice, apricots and stock, stir and cover.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve at once garnished with some chopped parsley.
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