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Posts Tagged ‘Chicken’

Chicken with Mushrooms

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 27 November 2012| 2 Comments »

This is a quick and easy week-night chicken dish; French inspired and uncomplicated but good flavours.

Chicken with mushrooms – to serve 4

  • tbsp olive oil
  • 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • flour
  • 50g cubetti di pancetta
  • 300g small button mushrooms
  • 2 large shallots, chopped
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 50g frozen peas
  • small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Season and dust the chicken with flour, then brown on all sides. Take the chicken out of the pan and fry the mushrooms and pancetta until softened, then remove.

Add the other tbsp of olive oil and cook the shallot for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and vinegar and bubble for a couple of minutes. Put the chicken, mushrooms and pancetta back into the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for another couple of minutes, then serve with potatoes if you like.

Wine Suggestion: This is an uncomplicated and tasty dish and therefore we suggest a glass of something equally tasty and uncomplicated to go with it. Try an easy French white, like an unoaked Chardonnay from the Mâcon, or an easy French red, like a Cabernet Franc from Chinon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Chicken Sauté with Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , on 15 November 2012| Leave a Comment »

Not a million miles from a Coq au Vin but with a much more delicate and slightly sweet sauce. The Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise is a vin doux naturel from the southern Rhône and is a sweet wine with a characteristic grapey flavour.

Chicken sauté with Muscat de Minervois and crème fraîche – to serve 4

  • 1.5kg chicken – jointed into 8 pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 50g butter
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Armagnac
  • ½ bottle Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (or any sweet Muscat)
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150g small button mushrooms
  • 100ml crème fraîche
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Beurre manié (blend equal quantities of butter and flour together into a smooth paste. Keep any extra covered in the fridge)
  • Steamed rice and green salad to serve

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil and butter in a large deep frying pan and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Lower the heat, add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the Armagnac to the pan, light with a match and shake the pan until the flames go out. Add the Muscat, stock, thyme and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, cover and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms in a little butter and oil and season. Lift the chicken pieces onto a warmed serving dish and scatter over the mushrooms.

Mix the crème fraîche and egg yolks in a small bowl. Take the pan off the heat and skim any excess fat from the surface of the juices. Add the lemon juice. Add the cream and egg mixture along with the beurre manié, put the pan back onto a low heat and stir over a very gentle heat until the sauce has thickened slightly – do not let it boil! Check the seasoning, then strain the sauce over the chicken and serve with steamed rice and green salad.

Wine Suggestion: A light and southern Rhône red from the Cotes du Ventoux should complement the rich, creamy flavours of this dish and add a pleasant savoury contrast to the sweet sauce. Or, if you’d prefer a white see if you can find a very good Roussillon, like Domaine Gauby or Domaine Madeloc which would make the whole dinner  a real treat!

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s French Odyssey, BBC Books, 2005.)

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Creamy Roast Chicken Risotto

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 29 October 2012| 2 Comments »

This is a fabulous recipe for left-over roast chicken and it’s even worth roasting a bird especially (though we cheated with a shop-bought rotisserie one). You can make a decent chicken stock by pouring water over the carcass and simmering it with a carrot, bay leaf and onion for half an hour.

Creamy Roast Chicken Risotto – to serve 2

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 50g butter
  • small bunch of thyme leaves
  • 250g arborio rice
  • 1 litre hot chicken stock
  • 350g leftover roast chicken, torn into bite-size chunks
  • 100g crème fraîche
  • a handful of chopped parsley
  • Parmesan, grated

Melt the butter in a heavy, shallow pan and cook the onion gently until soft but not coloured. Stir in the thyme leaves and the rice and stir until the rice is glistening. Add a little of the hot stock and bring slowly to the boil. Turn the heat down and gradually add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring. Stir in the roast chicken as you add the last ladleful of stock.

After about 20 minutes the rice should be tender but with a little bite to it. Stir in the crème fraîche and parsley, then some seasoning. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a little Parmesan grated over.

Wine Suggestion: A glass of Vintage Champagne if you’re feeling extravagant or  a good Maconnais white, like Pouilly-Fuisse or possibly even something from Roussillon like a Limoux… the choices are endless but don’t go too dry you need a bit of fruitiness here to help with the richness of the dish and a bit of body too otherwise the wine will be overwhelmed.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Real Food, Fourth Estate, 1998.)

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Easy Chicken & Corn Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 19 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

One of those recipes that work because of their simplicity. The flavours all work together so there is no need to mess with them.

Easy Chicken & Corn Pie – to serve 4

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 400g chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 325g can sweetcorn, drained
  • 6 tbsp crème fraîche
  • handful of parsey or basil, chopped
  • 750g potatoes, cuts into chunks

Fry the onion and chicken in the oil for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is soft and the chicken golden. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Add the corn, half of the crème fraîche,  the herbs and some seasoning.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes until soft, then drain and mash with the rest of the crème fraîche and some salt and pepper. Pour the chicken into a pie dish and top with the mash. Put the dish on a baking tray and put under the grill until golden.

Drink with: a glass of full-bodied, oaked Chardonnay.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Retro Chicken & White Wine Casserole

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 10 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Genuinely retro, but really simple and tasty casserole.

Chicken & White Wine Casserole – to serve 4

  • 2 sticks celery
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 500g diced, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 500ml white white
  • olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

Roughly chop the celery, onions and carrots. Heat a large casserole over a medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry the vegetables and thyme for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and the flour and stir well. Then add the white wine and tinned tomatoes. Stir again and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours. Check it after an hour and add a splash of water if it looks a bit dry.

Taste for seasoning and serve with some steamed potatoes and green veg.

Drink with: a glass of straightforward unoaked Chardonnay, like a Mâcon Villages – you might have to open another bottle if everyone wants a glass 🙂

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Penguin, 2008.)

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BBQ Chicken and Peach Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Healthy, Marsanne, Roussanne, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , on 29 June 2012| 2 Comments »

Our local supermarket, which will remain nameless, has perfectly ripe Spanish peaches at the moment. Absolutely perfect for a summer barbecue salad. It’s worth paying the extra for free-range chicken from a reliable source (probably not the local supermarket).

Warm Chicken & Peach Salad – to serve 4

  • 500g good-quality chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • baby spinach leaves
  • ripe peaches
  • basil

Heat the barbecue.

Put the chicken breast in a shallow dish. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Turn the chicken breasts in the marinade until they are well-coated.

Cook the chicken on the hot barbecue until cooked through (ours took about 6 minutes on each side). You are going to slice the chicken anyway so it’s no problem to slice open one of the fillets to check.

Scatter a good few handfuls of spinach and a small handful of basil leaves over a large serving platter.

Mix 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, a few shredded basil leaves and some salt and pepper together to make a dressing.

Slice the chicken and peaches and toss gently with the salad leaves. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Drink with: either Roussanne or Marsanne with their stone-fruit flavours to complement the light peachy flavours of the salad. We had a glass of a St Joseph white from Pierre Gaillard made from Roussanne which is amazing on it’s own and a perfect match for this dish.

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Moroccan Chicken Wings with Herby Couscous

Posted in Beer, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 6 June 2012| 1 Comment »

Delicious and speedy after-work dinner.

Moroccan Chicken Wings with Herby Couscous – to serve 4

  • 1kg chicken wings
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp harissa paste, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
  • 1 medium orange, zested and juiced (you need about 6 tbsp)
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 150g couscous
  • large bunch mint
  • large bunch coriander
  • preserved lemon, enough to give 2 tbsp when finely chopped
  • 0% fat Greek yoghurt to serve

Heat the grill to high. Put the wings into a large roasting tin and grill for 15 minutes, turning once, until golden.

Mix the maple syrup, harissa and cumin with the zests, half of the orange and lemon juices and some seasoning. Pour this over the wings and give the tray a good shake to coat everything, then return to the grill for another 15 minutes until browned and stick, turning once.

Add the rest of the citrus juices to the dry couscous, then add enough boiling water to cover. Clingfilm the bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Roughly chop the herbs.

Stir the couscous with a fork to separate the grains, then add the herbs, preserved lemon, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and some seasoning. Serve with the wings and a spoonful of yogurt mixed with a bit more harissa.

Beer Suggestion: Choose once of the fuller-flavoured lagers such as Kirin from Japan, it’ll work a treat.

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Summer Barbecue Chicken

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 28 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

At last summer has arrived in Dublin and you can smell barbecues everywhere. Here’s a healthy alternative to sausages and burgers and it tastes delicious!

Summer Barbecue Chicken – to serve 4

  • 4 skinless chicken breasts (not too big)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • grated zest of 1 orange

Slash the chicken breasts a few times across the top. Put the rest of the ingredients in a shallow dish and swish together. Then add the chicken and turn it over a few times until completely covered. If you have time you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours to marinade (cover the dish with cling film), if not it will still taste great cooked straight away.

Cook the chicken on a barbecue turning once and brushing on any marinade left in the dish. Ours took about 8 minutes in total but cook them longer if necessary.

Serve with a salad and some new potatoes.

Wine Suggestion: We would try a light red here rather than a white wine to complement the chicken. Barbecues intensify flavour and a white wine can easily become overwhelmed. Try an Italian Valpolicella which has a bit of spice and should be able to stand up to the powerful flavours.

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Parmesan spring chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 22 April 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a quick and easy week night supper with great spring flavours and nice moist chicken. Perfect now we’re into the long nights, even if they’re somewhat frosty still.

Parmesan spring chicken – to serve 4

  • 1 egg white
  • 5 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 400g new potatoes, cut into small cubes
  • 140g frozen peas
  • good handful baby spinach leaves
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the grill to medium and line the grill pan with foil. Beat the egg white on a plate with some seasoning. Tip the Parmesan onto another plate. Dunk the chicken in the egg white, then the cheese. Grill the chicken for 10-12 minutes, turning once until brown and crispy.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, adding the peas for the final 3 minutes, then drain. Toss the vegetables with the spinach leaves, vinegar, oil and seasoning to taste. Divide between warm plates and serve with the chicken.

Wine Suggestion: Any light white you have in the fridge would go great here. If you’re going out to buy it try a Rhône varietal, like Roussane or Marsanne.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Sticky lemon & chilli chicken noodles

Posted in Asian, Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 27 March 2012| 1 Comment »

Healthy, super-speedy and tasty. Perfect weeknight dinner!

Sticky lemon & chilli chicken noodles – to serve 2

  • 100g thread egg noodles
  • 2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • oil
  • 4 scallions, shredded
  • 50 mange tout, shredded
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp chilli sauce

Cook the noodles according to the pack. Put the chicken slices into a plastic bag, add the cornflour and some seasoning and give it a good shake. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and stir-fry the chicken until golden. Set the chicken aside and add the vegetables to the pan but hold back some of the scallions for a garnish. Toss for a couple of minutes .

Return the chicken to the pan and add the lemon, honey, soy sauce and chilli sauce, plus a splash of water and bubble for a few minutes to make a sauce. Toss with the noodles and garnish with the remaining scallions.

Wine Suggestion: Go for something fresh, fruity and aromatic, like a Sauvignon Blanc from Italy or Chile.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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An old one but a good one

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , on 16 February 2012| 1 Comment »

Remember chicken chasseur? It used to be very posh when I was a child (and Jono was a teenager – hehe!) Still tastes just as good if a bit retro at this stage. Serve this with some mash and greens.

Braised chicken chasseur – to serve 4

  • 4 chicken legs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, thickly sliced
  • 250g whole button or chestnut mushrooms
  • 1 rounded tbsp tomato purée
  • 300ml white wine
  • 400ml chicken or beef stock
  • 3-4 tomatoes, quartered and deseeded
  • sprinkling tarragon and chopped parsley

Season the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a lidded sauté pan or shallow casserole. Fry the chicken over a medium-high heat until golden all over. Remove from the pan. Drain off any excess fat, leaving about 2 tbsps for cooking the onions. Add the onions and mushrooms, stirring for 6-8 minutes or until starting to colour. Stir in the tomato purée and white wine, then pour in the stock.

Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the pan and cook for about 1 hr, or until the meat is really tender.

Skim any excess fat from the surface and add the tomatoes. Simmer without the lid for another few minutes to soften them, scatter over the herbs.

Wine Suggestion: You will have the rest of the bottle of white you used in the sauce so we recommend you drink that with the dish. Use whatever you have in the fridge or if you’re buying one specially try a Côtes de Gascogne which should be good value and you won’t mind putting the half of it in your dinner!

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Spaghetti Tetrazzini

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 13 November 2011| 5 Comments »

Another spaghetti dish but the full fat version this time – lot’s of double cream and cheese. This is a mysterious Italian dish from Jamie’s Italy which he claims is an old Italian recipe. We’ve looked in all of our Italian cookbooks and cannot find a reference to it anywhere. We even asked a real live Italian and he’d never heard of it either. So we’ll explain what it is – a super-indulgent chicken and mushroom pasta bake. We like it.

Spaghetti tetrazzini – chicken and mushroom pasta bake – to serve 6

  • 20g of dried porcini mushrooms
  • olive oil
  • 4 skinned and boned chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 350g of mixed fresh mushrooms, wiped and torn
  • 200ml of white wine
  • 500g dried spaghetti
  • 500ml double cream
  • 200g Parmesan, grated
  • a sprig of basil, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover (about 150ml). Set aside to soak for a few minutes. Heat a large saucepan, and pour in a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown gently in the oil. Strain the porcini, keeping the liquid, and add to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down. Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the pack instructions, then drain well. Add the cream to the chicken, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all the basil and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish, sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until brown, bubbling and crispy on the top (about 10-15 minutes). Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese.

Wine Suggestion: We cooked this dish to match an unusual wine that has been sitting in our rack for some time now. A Chardonnay and Savignin (not Sauvignon) blend from the Jura, in Eastern France. This wine has earthy flavours and is a slightly oxidised style – oxidation is normally what destroys wines when they’ve been open too long so this is a bit unusual. At 13 years old (vintage 1998) it showed beautifully with lovely yellow apple flavours and a fresh acidity. Still we loved it and it was a perfect match for this creamy chicken and mushrooms dish. If you can’t find a wine from the Jura we suggest a cool climate Chardonnay that has weight but maintained its acidity – a Pouilly-Fuisse or Meursault  would be perfect.

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Spicy chicken with a cucumber and cashew nut salad

Posted in Asian, Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 1 September 2011| 1 Comment »

We’re determined to cram in as many salads as we can before it turns properly autumnal. Chicken thighs are the way forward for flavour and moisture – breasts have their purposes but they dry out terribly so get thighs for this dish. Nice fresh flavours.

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Cucumber and Cashew Salad – to serve 4

  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 large red chillies, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 8 bonesless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the cucumber and cashew salad:
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 200g vermicelli noodles
  • 2 cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
  • small handful fresh mint leaves
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp cashew nuts, crushed
Whisk the fish sauce, pepper, garlic, chillies and sugar in a bowl. Put the chicken in another bowl and pour half the marinade over. Cover and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in two batches, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

While the chicken cooks, add the lime juice and sugar to the remaining marinade. Stir until the sugar dissolves to make a dressing.

Pour boiling water over the vermicelli and leave for a minute or two until soft. Drain under cold water, put in a large bowl and add the cucumber, mint, scallions and cashews. Add the dressing, toss well and serve with the chicken.

(Original recipe from ‘Bill Granger Every Day’ published by Murdoch Books, 2006)

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Teriyaki Chicken and Barbecued Lemons

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on 17 August 2011| 1 Comment »

I’m sure we’ve already mentioned that we panic-buy skinless, boneless chicken thighs – though they do seem to be easier to get these days. Thighs are much tastier than chicken breasts and don’t have the same tendency to dry out.

After a relatively sunny day on Sunday we deicided to plan a barbecue for Monday. Jono ended up standing outside in the rain under a big umbrella – that’s summer in Ireland! Do try barbecuing lemon halves – it makes them super juicy and a bit milder, perfect squeezed over grilled meat or fish.

Teryyaki mustard chicken – to serve 4

  • 8 boneless chicken thigh fillets – the skin can be on or off
  • vegetable oil, for brushing
For the teriyaki sauce
  • 3 tbsp beer
  • 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • lemon halves, for serving
Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Put the chicken in a flat, non-metallic dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 3 hours, turning now and again. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.

Light the barbecue. Brush the grill with a little vegetable oil to stop the chicken sticking. Put the chicken thighs on the grill, reserving the marinade, and cook for about 5 minutes, turn and cook for another 3 minutes.

Start basting with the teriyaki sauce and turning every minute – for about 4 minutes or until the thighs start to look charred at the edges.

Check they are cooked through and remove them to a plate, cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with barbecued lemon halves to squeeze over.

(Original recipe by Ross Dobson for Sainsbury’s Magazine, August 2009)

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Comforting Chicken Pilaf

Posted in Chicken, Food, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 15 August 2011| 2 Comments »

There is something so comforting about chicken and rice. The butter and gentle spices  lift the otherwise bland background – a really simple but impressive dish.

Golden Chicken Pilaf – to serve 4

  • 50g butter
  • 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 cardamom pods, lightly bruised
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 500g chicken stock mixed with a large pinch of saffron (from a cube is fine)
  • 300g basmati rice
  • a handful of roughly chopped coriander

Heat half the butter in a large wide pan with a lid. Brown the chicken in batches and set aside. Add the rest of the butter then tip in the onions and cook really slowly until tender and golden brown (around 10 minutes).

Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cardamom pods and cloves and cook for a minute. Add the chicken stock and chicken pieces, pour in the rice and stir well.

Cover tightly (if the lid isn’t tight, put a sheet of foil underneath) and cook on a really low heat for another 15-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Scatter the coriander over before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive, August 2007)

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Chicken with Courgettes and Garlic

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 20 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Apologies to any of you that don’t like courgettes but as long as people keep donating us homegrown ones we’re going to keep on cooking them.

This dish is based on courgettes, onions and garlic and it’s so tasty that you can’t tell it’s low fat. The recipe is to serve 8 (to serve buffet-style) but we just cooked half and it worked well.

The original recipe suggested side dishes of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. We had some new potatoes to use up so we roasted them with a bit of oil and some herbs from the garden.

Chicken saute with courgettes and garlic – to serve 8 (easily halved)

  • 8 x chicken breast fillets
  • 8-10 small courgettes – we used a giant one
  • 2 onions
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 2 red chillies
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 50g butter
  • juice of 2 small limes
  • lime wedges, to serve
  1. Cut the chicken into 1cm thick strips and the courgettes into 1cm thick slices on an angle. Slice the onions finely and separate into rings. Slice the garlic very finely. Deseed the chillies and shred finely.
  2. Heat a large frying pan or a heavy roasting tin on the hob. Add the oil and sauté the onions and courgettes until golden brown – you might have to do this in a few batches. Season and transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the butter to the frying pan. When it sizzles, sauté the chicken strips in batches until golden brown all over. Add them all back to the pan together and cook for another minute before seasoning and adding the onions, courgettes and sliced garlic.
  4. Keep cooking for another few minutes until everything is almost tender, then add the lime juice, and check the seasoning. Scatter over the chillies and serve with lime wedges.
(Original recipe by Gary Rhodes for BBC Good Food Magazine July 2003)

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Superhealthy Chicken Bake

Posted in Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 29 June 2011| Leave a Comment »

Until very recently we had terrible trouble finding skinless, boneless chicken thighs but lately we’ve got them in M&S, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. They are really cheap and much tastier than chicken breasts that can dry out easily. We now have a freezer full of them (just in case they become illusive again) so expect plenty more ideas for chicken thighs here over the next while. All this dish requires is minimal chopping, bung it all in the one pan and bake – perfect for a weeknight (and it’s really healthy too!).

Chicken bake – serves 2

  • about 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 6 new or salad potatoes, halved
  • 1/2 a lemon, cut into wedges
  • 6 cloves of garlic, skins left on
  • 1 red pepper, siced
  • a few thyme sprigs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g pitted black olives
  • 250g cherry tomatoes

Heat the oven to 200C/180F/gas 6.

Put the chicken, potatoes, lemon, garlic, pepper and thyme onto a large baking tray. Drizzle the oil over and season. Then roast for 30 minutes.

Add the olives and tomatoes and roast for another 10 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are browned and cooked through.

We served this with a rocket salad.

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Chocalong Chicken Mole

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 9 April 2011| 3 Comments »

This month’s Irish Food Bloggers’ Association Cookalong theme was chocolate.

Anyone who follows this blog will know that we don’t do too many desserts but we got the Green and Black’s Chocolate book – Unwrapped – out with enthusiasm anyway. Flicking through the many fabulous looking desserts we came across this Chicken Mole, a savoury South American dish with chocolate sauce.

To be honest we weren’t too sure if we’d like the result and to be really honest we didn’t. I’ve used a square of chocolate in a big pot of chilli before and there is no doubt it can add a bit of character. This recipe uses 75g of dark chocolate and was a bit much we thought.

Having said that all four of us cleared our plates and two even had seconds so it wasn’t that bad, maybe just not quite to our tastes. Interesting nonetheless and we made a cracking guacamole to serve on the side (which we shall blog about later) with some tortilla chips which pleased us more.

Here’s the recipe if you’re feeling brave.

Chicken Mole – to serve 4

  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 2tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 8 pieces of chicken on the bone (we used thighs and drumsticks)
  • 400g tin of red kidney beans
  • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 75g dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas mark 2.

Crush the garlic and slice the onions.

Seal the chicken in some olive oil in a big casserole pot that can go in the oven. When the chicken is lightly browned add the onions and garlic.

When the onions are lightly browned, add the tomatoes and kidney beans (including the juice), plus the paprika and 50g of the chocolate.

Bring to simmer and put in the oven for 1 hr 30 minutes.

Skim the surface to remove any chicken fat. Taste and adjust seasoning – you’ll need some salt. Add another 20g of chocolate to taste.

We served this with pilau rice, tortilla chips and guacamole.

Wine suggestion: This went well with a rich Tempranillo/Garnacha blend from Toro in Spain.


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Braised Chicken & Flageolet Beans

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 23 March 2011| Leave a Comment »

Yes it’s another chicken recipe but we’ve made a pact not to cook anymore chicken for a while. We got all over-excited when we realised M&S had skinless, boneless chicken thighs and bought tonnes of them and now we’re sick of chicken. Still, this was quite nice with a nice tang from the wine and as we’d opened the bottle we felt we had to have a glass to drink too. Another healthy one and quick to make after work.

The healthy mid-week recipes are going to be non-chicken for the forseeable future.

Braised chicken & flageolet beans – serves 2, but easily doubled

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 300ml white wine
  • 400g can flageolet beans, rinsed & drained
  • handful of flat parsley

Heat the oil in a wide pan with a lid, add the chicken and brown it all over. Tip in the onion, garlic and thyme, then fry for 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine, 150ml water and season with salt & pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, covering half way through, until the chicken is cooked.

Stir in the beans and warm through briefly. Roughly chop the parsley and stir it in to serve.

Wine suggestion: We used a Chilean Chardonnay in the dish which tasted good to drink with it too. Chardonnay and chicken are nice together.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Super-healthy, Italian Chicken & Rosemary Stew

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 9 March 2011| 7 Comments »

As well as being super-healthy this dish is bursting with great flavour; and it achieves this without the use of salt or pepper. We are usually very generous with seasoning (we take our inspiration for the pros) but this has more than enough delicious flavour without any: we were impressed and helped ourselves to seconds after scoffing the initial bowl.
Serves 4
  • 6 Chicken Thighs, skinless, boneless and quartered
  • olive oil
  • 2 Onions, sliced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
  • 2 sprigs of Rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Pearled Spelt (or Pearled Barley if you can’t find this)
  • 500ml Chicken Stock
  • 250g waxy potatoes like Charlotte, peeled and quartered
  • small bunch of Parsley, chopped
Heat oven to 190C / fan 170C / Gas 5.
Fry the chicken thighs in a little olive oil until browned. Remove and then add the onions and cook until softened.
Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute, add the balsamic and cook for a further minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven for one hour.
When cooked stir in the parsley and serve in bowls with crusty bread.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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