A CHIROPRACTIC college in Bournemouth might not be the first place that springs to mind if you are looking for the best meal deal in town.

But according to a survey by the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, its Spine & Dine canteen is the most competitively priced place for lunch in the area.

College spokeswoman Terri Hignett told Taste: "We’ve done a lot of research in the local area recently and have found that we are the cheapest in the locality.

"On top of this we’ve recently brought in a new chef Gary Schild who has created an exciting new and fresh menu with a focus on health using well sourced ingredients."

The college has been based at its current site in Parkwood Road, Boscombe since 1974 and has always offered a canteen for its students, but now it is branching out and opening its doors to the public.

Terri added: "We offer everything from breakfast through to hot and cold lunches, salads, snacks, cake, tea and coffee."

To see how Spine and Dine compares to other eateries in the area, visit aecc.ac.uk.

Here is one of chef Gary Schild's favourite recipes for you to try at home.

Chicken, Edamame & Ginger Pilaf

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 white onions, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp ginger, grated

• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced

• 3 skinless chicken breasts, either sliced along the length of the breast or chopped into bite sized pieces

• 250g brown rice

• 600 ml chicken or vegetable stock

• 100g Edamame beans (available from your local supermarket)

• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped into bite sized cubes

• 12 small florets of broccoli. Blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes

• Small bunch of fresh coriander

• Greek yoghurt (an accompaniment)

• Salt & black pepper (to season)

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the onion, chilli and ginger, along with some salt and black pepper. Gently sauté slowly for 5 minutes without colouring.

• Add the chicken and rice and gentle sauté for a couple of minutes – continually stir to ensure all chicken has sealed and is lightly coloured.

• Add stock and bring to the boil

• Reduce the heat and gently simmer for approximately 40 minutes (until rice is almost cooked, but still crunchy. This time will vary depending on the make of brown rice you use so keep checking). You will find that the stock thickens as the dish cooks and you may need to add a little extra stock as required – you should be aiming for a sauce consistency in the finished dish.

• Add the pepper, Edamame beans, 2 tbsp chopped coriander and red pepper and continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes.

• Check seasoning. The dish should be a little spicy, so if you prefer it a little spicier, add a little chilli powder or use a hot chilli

• Decant onto a serving dish and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

• Serve with Greek yoghurt (optional).

NOTE: I recommend the use of fresh chilli, ginger and coriander, but these could be replaced with powdered versions (although it won’t taste as nice!).