Say NO to Takeaway: Bake Some Sweet and Sour Drummers Instead!

Alright, so I've been dishing out takeaway alternatives for quite some time now. Yes, I'm partial to the odd takeout every now and again, but for the most part, healthier alternatives always win.

If you still need convincing, then trust me, this is the dish to try: Baked Sweet and Sour Drummers...

But why this dish?

Well, at the risk of sounding like my recipes are rubbish, it's been a long time since I've made something that's made me dance around the kitchen in glee. I don't post recipes unless they have worked, but it is quite a rare moment that I make something that makes me quite literally squeal with excitement at the greatness of its taste.

And so this is such a dish, and because I've now super-hyped it up, I really hope that it will make you as happy as it did me :-)

Baked Sweet and Sour Drummers

Serves 4:

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 300g can of chopped tomatoes
• 200g pineapple chunks
• 150g cucumber chunks
• 100g orange or yellow pepper
• 75g red onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 300g rice
• 525ml boiling water

1) Mix the soy sauce and half of the honey in a large bowl. Add the drummers, mix well and leave to marinade for at least 15 minutes.

2) Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with the puree, lemon, remaining honey and sesame oil until smooth.

3) Add the cornflour mixture into a 2 litre ovenproof dish with the chopped tomatoes, mixing well, before adding in all the veg.

4) Place the drummers on top, seasoning with some salt and pepper if desired.

5) Bake for about 40 minutes, turning the drummers over once.

6) Meanwhile, rinse the rice and put in a pan with the boiling water. Bring to the boil, then turn down, cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Take it off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve with the baked sweet and sour drummer goodness.

You can test that the chicken has cooked through but sticking a fork or skewer through it - the juices should run clear.

If you liked this, you might want to try making these other takeaway alternatives too.