This healthy take on a traditional British dish will fool even the most health-resistant family member into thinking it must be un-healthy to taste so good! This Healthy Chicken Pie recipe has been extracted from The Happy Kitchen by Rachel Kelly with Alice Mackintosh… enjoy!

A healthy twist on a familiar favourite. Chicken is rich in protein, as well as zinc and B vitamins, and sweet potatoes are a great source of fibre and betacarotene. If you prefer white ones, leave the skin on to retain the fibre.

Serves 2

500g sweet or white potatoes

5 tablespoons olive oil

300g chicken thighs or breasts (skinless and boneless), chopped into 2cm chunks

1 leek, cut into slices

10 brown mushrooms, diced

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons wholegrain flour

50ml water

Juice of ½ lemon

3 tablespoons creme fraiche

½ -1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. If using white potatoes, leave the skin on and chop them into small chunks. Boil them in a pan of salted water until they are soft. The time will depend on the size of the chunks but it should take no more than 15-20 minutes.

3. If using sweet potatoes, peel them and chop them into chunks, toss them in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are soft (they absorb too much water if they are boiled).

4. In a pan, fry the chicken with the leek in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms and lemon zest and cook for another 3-5 minutes. The chicken pieces should be around 80 per cent cooked by this point.

5. Add the flour to thicken the sauce, stirring for around 2 minutes.

6. Add the water and stir in the lemon juice, crème fraiche and mustard, then take off the heat.

7. Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them with the remaining olive oil.

8. Spoon the chicken mixture into a small baking dish, or 2 individual ramekins and spread the mashed potato over the top.

9. Bake the pie(s) for 10-15 minutes in the oven. If you wish, you can place them under the grill to brown the mash before serving.

COPYRIGHT RACHEL KELLLY 2016

FROM THE HAPPY KITCHEN: GOOD MOOD FOOD BY RACHEL KELLY AND ALICE MACKINTOSH. PUBLISHED BY SHORT BOOKS £14.99