When it comes to eating healthily many of us feel that we just don’t have the time to whip up an amazing low-fat, low-salt, vegetable and protein rich meal. We aren’t all blessed with the culinary skills of Sophie Michell (the celebrity chef who combines her love of cooking with her nutritional knowledge – more on her later). But my recipe below is one of the easiest things in the world and takes less than 20 minutes to cook. I can also check emails, chat on the phone or watch a bit of TV whilst doing it which makes it more manageable and easy to fit into an evening after a hard day’s work. And what’s more, it only requires two pans, making the washing up minimal!

If staring down the barrel of a recipe that has a list of 100 ingredients brings you no joy at all, then you will pleased to hear that my Tomato and Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup is made up of just the below. It is incredibly nutritious and is gluten- and dairy-free making it a great dinner party dish option.

Tomato and Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 2
You will need:
2 small chicken breasts (preferably organic)
1 bag of chopped stir-fry veg (check that there is no added sugar or salt – I suggest Waitrose)
1 pack of asparagus tips
1/2 bag of curly kale
Frozen peas (optional)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of 1/2 fat coconut milk
1/2 pack of Buckwheat noodles (they’re gluten-free)
Coriander

Method:
Stir-fry the chicken in a little olive or avocado oil.
Once the chicken has turned brown and looks cooked through add the vegetables and kale and stir fry for around 10 minutes.
Add the tin of tomatoes and coconut milk and reduce the heat so that it is nearly boiling. If you want the peas add them now. Leave it like this for around 8-10 minutes.
Use this waiting time to boil your buckwheat noodles. They will need between 5-8 minutes.
Then drain the noodles and add them to the chicken soup add and serve with a sprinkle of coriander on top.

For something that is much more impressive but is still healthy and wholesome see celebrity chef, Sophie Michell’s, recipe for Bang Bang Chicken Salad:

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 medium chicken breasts (about 150g each)
1 head of Chinese cabbage
2 carrots
50g bean sprouts
1 red onion
½ cucumber
1 tbsp fresh coriander
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 small handful of micro purple basil
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil

Peanut sauce:
2 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter
100ml water
1 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
pinch of chilli powder

About Sophie Michell: Ex-chef to Claudia Schiffer and the chef on Cook Yourself Thin, Sophie certainly knows a thing or two about how to eat yourself gorgeous. And with such iconic restaurants as The Lanesborough and The Embassy under her belt, her culinary skills know no bounds. Sophie has teamed up with Sensodyne to spread the word about how healthy eating, and cooking, can be easy, fun and delicious.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/pronamel/vitality.html