Sometimes, all we want from food is a sense of indulgence. When that’s your mood, it needs to be quick and fuss-free (you don’t feel very indulgent when you’re up to your ears in washing-up!).

Thankfully, Italian food comes up trumps on all these fronts. It’s light yet rich; packed with flavour, yet simple. I’m a huge fan, especially now that the evenings are getting so wintry and dark! Close your eyes and dream of Italy. Then feel smug as this won’t affect your waistline! It’s low-carb, gluten-free and won’t impact a diabetic’s blood-sugar. What more do you need? Give it a go.

In a sauté-pan, brown your chicken-fillets in a mix of butter and oil. Dice your bacon and add this to the pan. Slice half a leek & mix in, continuing to cook on a medium heat until soft. Finely chop a large clove of garlic and sauté this with the rest. After a couple of minutes, crank up the heat and de-glaze your pan with a very small amount of dry martini.

Add half a cup of water and a good tablespoon (at least) of pesto. Reduce this on the hob until the liquid is half its original volume. Stir through half a tub of mascapone and some chopped basil.

Meanwhile, finely slice red, yellow and green peppers, then mix these in a salad-bowl with crisp, fresh salad and a good glug of olive-oil. Sprinkle with parmesan-shavings, then serve piled up next to your chicken in a generous-sized bowl.

This is the sort of indulgent comfort-food that hits the spot each and every time. The carb-count means you can dive straight in for seconds, so what’s stopping you?!

Thanks for reading and bon ap!

Adam.