Apricot Chicken with Rice Salad

Steps

1. Pat chicken dry. Place in a medium bowl, along with all remaining apricot chicken ingredients. Season, then allow to marinate for 5 minutes.
2. Combine rice, water and a pinch of salt in a medium pot and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce to lowest heat to cook for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and leave to steam, still covered, for a further 8 minutes. Do not lift lid during cooking.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large fry-pan (preferably non-stick) on medium-high heat. Lift chicken out of marinade and shake off excess (reserve remaining marinade). Add chicken to pan and cook for 4-5 minutes each side (depending on thickness), or until cooked through.
4. Remove pan from heat and add remaining marinade to pan to deglaze, turning chicken to coat. Set chicken aside in the pan, covered, to rest for 2-3 minutes. Slice chicken thickly.
5. While chicken cooks, prepare salad. Grate carrot and courgette; thinly slice spring onions; roughly chop spinach. Stir vegetables, mandarin zest and juice along with honey mustard dressing through cooked rice. Season to taste.
6. To serve, spoon veggie rice salad onto plates and top with apricot glazed chicken. Spoon any remaining sauce from the chicken overtop, if desired.