Tarragon chicken

Well it's been a while. Actually it's been a bl**dy long time.

Since I last wrote we've moved house, we've lost two close family members, son no2 has started school, we've had problems with son no1 and my career has become all enveloping ! So, life has just taken over really but now I'm hoping to get back to blogging and posting my recipes again - and honing my rather poor photography skills.

So tonight I made tarragon chicken. Something the Husband absolutely adores but in it's full fat state is rather calorie heavy. Given I'm back on a health kick (and have lost nearly a stone and a half to date) this is important stuff. Obviously for those of you not with a few lbs to lose half fat can be swapped for full fat etc.

TARRAGON CHICKEN
serves 2

1 tsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts cut into strips

1 onion chopped

Handful of mushrooms sliced

1-2 cloves of garlic crushed

Splash of chicken stock (I used 1/2 a Knorr chicken stockpot)

2 tbsp half fat creme fraiche

Large handful of chopped fresh tarragon

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and stir fry the chicken until browned

Add the vegetables and cook until soft

Add the stock and creme fraiche, season and reduce the sauce until thickened

Add the tarragon reserving some for finishing the dish

I served this with new potatoes, green beans and broccoli. 

Seasoning to taste

Birds Eye Rice Fusions review

A few weeks ago I was contacted to review the new Birds Eye product - Rice Fusions. I must also state at the beginning I've not been paid to do this review so it's entirely, 100% my honest opinion.

This is new onto the market at retails at £1.89 a packet and in there you get two packs of rice, each one being a single serving. It comes in 4 flavours: Egg fried rice, Mediterranean vegetable, Country mushroom and Aromatic pilau.

The individual servings are in small pyramid like bags which help the rice to steam through. These go in the microwave and 2 sachets take 7 minutes on 750W - just enough time to cook a stir fry ! Easy.

This review is mainly about the Egg fried rice although we have also tried the mushroom and the Mediterranean vegetable. The mushroom was ok, nice but didn't blow us away. I didn't try the mediterranean vegetable one, but the speed with which the kids put it away I would say it was good. I have yet to try the pilau, I'm saving that for a curry next week !

So, onto my recipe. This is a bit of a make it up as you go type recipe but really quick and healthy. Great for a kids tea.

BARBECUE CHICKEN 
serves 2 kids but easily adapted

tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 tsp easy ginger
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
dribble of worcestershire sauce or squirt of American mustard (optional)
juice 1/2 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
handful cold roast chicken or 1 chicken breast sliced and cooked
Frozen peas, sweetcorn, green beans or soya beans - whatever you have in or prefer !

Heat the olive oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until soft
Add all the sauce ingredients and bring to the boil
Add the chicken and veg and heat through, then serve on rice or with noodles

                                                                          ***************

So, despite son no 1's dislike of egg he ate this and enjoyed it. I was very impressed that the rice was perfectly cooked, fluffy and not at all sticky. It was tasty and even though the portions may be on the small side for some, it's not a bad way to control calories !!

Now, I will be brutally honest, this isn't something I'd ever normally buy. I may be rubbish at cooking rice but normally the Husband does it so we don't end up with overcooked mush ! I was pleasantly suprised though and I will even admit to now keeping a pack of the Egg fried rice in my freezer for emergencies or severe cases of "can't-be-arsed-itis".

Spicy bird tacos

Well, after all the speculation about these I thought I should probably post the recipe !!

This carries on with my Mexican obsession and is from my Mexican cookery bible. I've made these before with fresh chicken breast but as we'd had friends over for lunch on Sunday and I had quite a lot of left over chicken this seemed like a perfect solution. I did these as burritos instead of tacos and added some black beans into the burrito as I had a tin open but they're not essential. You may also notice from the picture the ends of the burritos are a little singed - I was side tracked while cooking them by the small people ! It didn't affect the flavour at all really.

On the Weight Watchers scale it's not so good, coming in at 16pps per portion but is fine if you're careful the rest of the day !!

SPICY BIRD TACOS
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil and a knob of butter (I reduced these to try and reduce the fat content)
1 large onion sliced
salt & pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
generous pinch each of ground allspice and cinnamon
2 fresh bay leaves
2 fat cloves of garlic chopped
2x400g cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of chipotles en adobo (I used Discovery chipotle paste)
600-800g leftover roast chicken
16 small corn tortillas or 8 larger ones

Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan and then add the onion, seasoning, sugar, spices and bay leaves and cook for 15 minutes then add the garlic cloves and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chipotles and simmer for at least 15 mins over a low heat. Finally add the shredded chicken and check the seasoning. Remove the bay leaves before serving !

I served these in tortillas with a spoon of black beans and then topped with sour cream and grated cheese which went all melty and gorgeous.

Cajun chicken burgers

I will admit I have a small obsession with Mexican food. Ok so this isn't strictly Mexican but it is amazing. It's a good job my poor, long suffering husband likes it too. In fact he wasn't really that bothered until we went to Wahaca about 18 months ago. Since then, and following my Thomasina Miers book purchase he's been well and truely on board. I've even managed to persuade the small people of the joys of enchiladas and fajitas !

This was originally an idea I got from BBC Good Food but never one to follow a recipe to the letter I had to tweak. There are several parts to this recipe, I'll post the recipes for salsa and guacamole on a separate entry as it would be perfectly acceptable to use (good) shop bought alternatives.

CAJUN CHICKEN BURGERS

serves 2

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Cajun spice (I used Schwartz)
Olive oil
2 Ciabatta rolls
Slices of cheese - I just took slices off a block of cheddar but Monterey Jack or even Mexicana would be good
Salsa, guacamole & sour cream

I made my own salsa and guacamole but as stated above shop bought would be fine too

Beat the breasts flat and then sprinkle the spice mix over both sides. Drizzle with the oil and bake at 200C for 25 minutes
Heat the rolls and then split. You may need a little sour cream to stick the chicken to the roll !
After resting, slice the chicken on the diagonal and pile on the rolls and add the cheese
Spoon over the sauces. I was rather over generous in the above photo which caused all kinds of messiness !
Put the top back on the roll and serve with whatever you see fit.

I served with corn on the cob and crispy potato slices from Waitrose. It was so delicious but left a fiery mouth burn !!

Chicken liver parfait

I love this, absolutely adore it and if it's on a menu anywhere I nearly always order it as a starter. I never make it at home though. I think I've made chicken liver pate once before and it was a bit of a flop.

Since I made the courgette pickles I've been fancying chicken liver pate so here is my attempt. It's one of those things that is rather gruesome to make but tastes oh so good.

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT
makes about 6

400g chicken livers trimmed of any green bits
150g butter plus 75g for clarifying
sprig of thyme
a few sage leaves
pinch of chinese five spice
garlic clove crushed
1-3 shallots chopped (depending on size but this can take a lot of flavours)
salt & pepper
2tbsp double cream

Heat a knob of butter in a pan and add the chicken livers, thyme, a couple of sage leaves, five spice, garlic, shallots and seasoning.
Cook the livers until still soft and pink (not raw) inside.
Blitz to a paste in a food processor and then add the rest of the butter and the cream, blitz again and then push through a sieve. Put into small ramekins.
Heat the other 75g of butter with 6 sage leaves in. When melted remove the leaves and top each ramekin with one.
Allow the solids to settle and pour the clarified butter over the ramekins.
Pop in the fridge to chill.

Chicken casserole

So this is for the lovely Shauna Marshall on Twitter !

I love chicken and as a family we eat loads of it, as my label cloud on the right would suggest. This is a quick, easy, cheap and very tasty comfort food recipe perfect for this time of year. I don't serve it with anything else apart from maybe some crusty bread to mop up the gravy. This comes courtesy of my Mum and has so many memories from my childhood.

CHICKEN CASSEROLE
serves 4-6

1 medium chicken (about 1.6kg)
2 onions roughly chopped
4 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
2-4 sticks of celery chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
chicken stock
mixed herbs dried or a bouquet garni if you're feeling posh !
enough potatoes (floury type, I always use Maris Pipers) for the people you're feeding about 400-500g
cornflour to thicken

Joint the chicken into 4 - this is where the conversation on twitter came about regarding Masterchef and the right way to joint a chicken, and then my way !!
Put in a large casserole with the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, stock and herbs plus some seasoning
Put the lid on and cook in a lowish oven for about 2 hours
Remove the chicken from the casserole and take off the skin and remove meat from the bones and put back
Discard the skin and bones
Add the potatoes and put back in the oven on a slightly higher heat for 45 mins
If you're adding dumplings add about 20 mins from the end of cooking and thicken with cornflour then. Otherwise add the cornflour with the potatoes.

For the dumplings

6oz self raising flour
pinch of baking powder
S&P
shake of dried mixed herbs
3oz suet
cold water to mix

Mix everything together into a dough - not too sticky and then shape into small balls and add to the casserole about 20 mins before the end of cooking.

Chicken fajitas

This is one of my favourite quick meals and it is very quick. The majority of the time is taken up with the chopping and prep and like most stir-fry type dishes you do need everything prepped before starting cooking.

The thing I love about this dish is that it's so versatile. It can be done with rice and dollop of soured cream and called cajun chicken. It can be served in lettuce wraps for a low carb alternative and it can also be done with tortilla wraps and all the odds and ends to make fajitas, which is exactly what I did last night.

CHICKEN FAJITAS
serves 2 generously

groundnut oil
2 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 red onion cut into slim wedges
1 red & 1 yellow pepper cut into strips
1 red chilli chopped
2 cloves of garlic
zest and juice of 1 lime
S&P
1-2tsp cajun seasoning (I use Schwartz)
Handful fresh coriander chopped

tortilla wraps, salsa, sour cream, guacamole and grated cheese to serve

Heat the oil in a wok or ridged griddle pan and then add the chicken strips
Cook until brown and then add the onion and pepper, cook for 2-3 minutes
Add the chilli and garlic and briefly stirfry before adding the lime zest and juice
Add the seasoning and a good grinding of pepper, I never add salt but that's a personal taste !
Stir around to mix before adding the coriander.

So quick and very tasty !!

30 days / 30 things Day 22

Still playing catch up, this week has been a shocker on so many different levels ! So now, sitting here catching up on Sky+ and my blog !

Day 22 is another food memory. As I mentioned in my last blog one of my food memories is being fed chicken soup when I was ill. It was always Heinz cream of chicken and even now eating Heinz chicken soup takes me back to being on the sofa under a blanket. Even when I came home from university with a terrible case of tonsillitis aged 23, I was still being fed chicken soup !

The other night I was tired, feeling run down and in need of some comforting, healing food. I wanted something quick, easy but healthy and restorative so I turn to chicken noodle soup. I had two chicken carcasses in the freezer (ok, I KNOW it sounds gross but I save them up until I have enough to make a good batch of stock) and I'd made some stock the day before and not got around to freezing it. What I ended up with was a steaming bowl of broth with chicken, noodles and veg - just what I was after. Not quite Heinz cream of chicken but just as warming.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
serves 2-3

For the stock
1 chicken carcass
2 carrots, 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 sticks of celery
Salt and black peppercorns
Parsley stalks
Water to cover

Put the chicken carcass, vegetables, seasoning and herbs in large pot.
Cover with water and bring to the boil, simmer for at least 1-1.5 hours
Leave to cool and skim off the fat

For the soup
2 chicken breasts
2-3 star anise
Knob of fresh ginger shredded
2 cloves of garlic finely sliced
handful of baby corn halved and sliced down the length
Bunch of spring onions cut into chunks leave some to shred for a garnish
Salt and pepper to taste or use soy sauce
2 bundles of ramen noodles
2 pak choi leaves and stems separated and sliced

Simmer the chicken breasts, star anise, garlic and ginger with the chicken stock until the chicken breasts are nearly cooked. Remove and shred, add back to the pan.
Then add the veg (apart from the pak choi leaves) and the ramen noodles cook for 4 minutes
Taste for seasoning and then add the pak choi greens and cook for another minute
Serve in bowls with the broth spooned over and garnish with shredded spring onions.

30 days / 30 things Day 11

Day 11 - nearly there ! I was hoping to catch up yesterday but unfortunately I just ran out of steam.

Today is a favourite recipe. This is something I cook quite often and we all love, it's something I could eat all the time given half a chance. It's simple, quick but exceptionally tasty, what more could you want !

CHICKEN WITH BACON, CHERRY TOMATOES & CHILLI

serves 4

2 chicken thighs (skin on & bone in) per person

one slice of streaky bacon per chicken thigh

large punnet of cherry tomatoes

dried chilli flakes

4-6 cloves of garlic unpeeled

olive oil

fresh basil chopped

Put the chicken thighs in a large baking dish, nestle the garlic cloves in between and tip over the tomatoes

Drizzle with olive oil and the chilli flakes plus a good grinding of black pepper

Drape a piece of bacon over each of the thighs

Cover with foil and place in a moderate oven and cook for 40 mins 

Uncover and leave to cook for another 20 mins or so letting the bacon crisp

Remove from the oven and take the chicken/ bacon out of the tin and set to rest

Pop the garlic out of it's skin and mash up then combine with the tomatoes to make a sauce - finally stir in the basil

Serve with roasted crushed new potatoes, green beans and garlic mayonnaise. I did pasta with the sauce in the photo but that was only because son no1 begged me to !

30 days / 30 things Day 9

Ok, getting closer to today's post ! Day 9 (see, only 3 days behind now !) is a sleb chef that I like.

There really is little competition for this crown despite what my tag cloud might think  ! Now yes, I do like Jamie Oliver and on the whole I love his recipes but I do think he's become a bit evangelical recently. I think his projects are good, Fifteen and the School Dinners ones especially but it all seems very all or nothing at times.

I suppose also coming from Norwich I have to have a nod to good old Delia Smith ! She is great, a true legend. Her recipes rarely let me down and even as a relatively decent cook I still have a copy of her How to Cook. The only issue I have with her is how prescriptive she can be.

So, move over Jamie & Delia. My favourite sleb chef has to be Gordon Ramsay - not only from the eye candy aspect !!

I know I have a post about sleb chef recipes coming up but I have to post this recipe by GR which I do love - and so do the kids which is always a bonus.

So with all credit to Gordon Ramsay but with a few tweaks to suit my tastes ;-)

STICKY LEMON CHICKEN

serves 2

4 bone in chicken thighs with skin
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic crushed
Few thyme sprigs
Splash of sherry vinegar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1.5 tbsp honey
1/2 lemon, finely sliced (ideally with a mandolin)
Bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper and heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Brown the chicken pieces (in batches if necessary) over a high heat with the thyme for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Return all the chicken to the pan, add the sherry vinegar and bubble until reduced by half. Drizzle over the soy sauce and honey and shake the pan to mix, add the crushed garlic now.

2 Pour in a good splash of hot water and add the lemon slices. Let the liquid bubble and reduce down until syrupy, which will take about 10 minutes or so. By now the chicken should be cooked through.

3 Transfer the chicken to a platter and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.

I served this with the champ that he suggests and broccoli but I think again I'd serve it with rice.

Spicy chicken couscous with roasted garlic tomatoes

The husband and I have a problem. There is something I love which he really doesn't like. This means one of three things. Either I go without and give in to his fussiness, I only eat it when he goes out (once in a blue moon) or he has to suck it up given the boys like it too.

This mysterious, poisonous substance ? Couscous. That humble grain eaten by millions of people all over the world. Apparently it's too "chewy". I'd call couscous many things but I'd never really considered it chewy.

Anyway, I thought we'd cracked the couscous issue after he voluntarily ordered it in a restaurant a few months ago. Fine, until I cook it at home and he proclaims it "chewy". The recipe in question I totally loved and to be honest ? He can live with it. I'm outnumbered 1:3 by boys in this house and he's outnumbered by the same ratio by people that love couscous !






SPICY CHICKEN COUSCOUS

serves 4 with left over couscous - seriously there is shedloads !

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs or 4 skinless breasts
250ml low fat greek yoghurt
1.5 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1tsp of easy chilli
3 garlic cloves crushed

Large punnet cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper

300g couscous
500ml chicken stock
2 handfuls raisins

Toasted pine nuts
Fresh coriander
Fresh mint


Mix the yoghurt, curry powder, cinnamon, chilli and garlic together and add to chicken.

Put the couscous in a large bowel, add 1tbsp olive oil and the raisins and mix well. Pour over the hot stock, cover and leave for 10-15 mins.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and put on a tray. Mix the oil and garlic and toss together. Sprinkle over some sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Mix the couscous into the chicken and marinade, dot with butter and put into the oven at 200C. Put the cherry tomatoes on the shelf below and cook for 25-30 mins until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the couscous onto plates and divide the chicken. Top with the tomatoes and sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and herbs.

Aubergine parmigiana

Finally my cooking mojo seems to have returned. Over the last few weeks I've had problems summing up the enthusiasm to cook anything new. Don't know why but I'm guessing it's something to do with the nightmare we've had over the past month. Latest drama is son no2 devloping chicken pox on possibly the worst week he could have done. Thank goodness for my Mum and some great friends who've helped us out on the childcare front though.

So, my mission over the next few weeks is to try some new recipes. The Husband doesn't consider a meal a meal unless it comes with a slab of animal protein, he'll just about tolerate fish with some protestations. So, I'm trying to increase my veggie repetoire. Something I've never really had to cook as all our friends are pretty carnivorous.

This is a fantastic veggie recipe that I've made several times. This serves 6 (apparently !) and there is always leftovers which I freeze and whizz up to a pasta sauce for the kids - minus the topping. Tonight I served it with simple lemon and garlic roast chicken but it's also lovely with steak and a side salad.

Sadly I can't take the credit for this, it's from Jamie's Italy, but I have done a few little tweaks. Best of all, it's one of the only things I've ever cooked which comes out of the oven looking almost identical to the pic in the book !

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA
Serves 6

3 large firm aubergines sliced into 1cm rounds
Olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
2x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Seasoning
Large handful basil chopped
2 handfuls grated parmesan
Large handful dried breadcrumbs
A little fresh oregano chopped
1 ball mozzarella

Firstly brush the aubergine slices with oil and cook on a griddle pan for a few minutes each side
Set aside
Heat some olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic, onion and dried oregano
Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes until the onion is soft
Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook for 15 mins until reduced
Add some seasoning, basil and a splash of vinegar
Put a smear of sauce in the bottom of a large earthenware dish, sprinkle over some parmesan and then lay over the aubergine
Repeat the layers finishing with a layer of sauce
Toss the breadcrumbs with the oregano and some olive oil
Lay the sliced mozzarella over the top and then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs
Bake at 200C for 30 mins until crisp and golden.

Say mmmmmmmmmmm lots !

Simple tomato sauce

For years now I've been trying to perfect something as simple as a basic tomato sauce. A base for so many things but I haven't been able to crack it.

Both little ones will eat pasta until it's coming out of their ears, so it's one of the staples. While son no1 loves his "squidgy pasta" aka spinach and ricotta tortelloni, I do balk a little at paying nearly £2 for a pot of napoletana sauce.

So after trial and error, I think I've cracked it. I tend to make it in bulk and freeze so there is always a quick tea in the freezer. It also works well as a pizza sauce and has the added benefit of extra veggies.

The sugar may seem an odd addition but it really brings out the sweetness and gives another note to the sauce.

MY BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic (I do so love my garlic !) crushed
2 sticks of celery finely diced
2 carrots finely diced
1 tbsp dried oregano
3x 400g canned tomatoes
a hefty squeeze tomato puree
1tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pan.
Add all the veg and sweat slowly until just soft
Then add the oregano and cook for a few minutes
Add the tomatoes and about a can of water, then add the tomato puree, sugar and seasoning
Simmer slowly until thick and rich.

Tonight I served this with shredded chicken and cooked pasta, nice and simple but quick and healthy too !

A lazy weekend

Good old Marks & Spencer and their dine in for £10 offer.

This week has been manic with work, kids and health issues and rather unusually I just didn't feel like cooking. This doesn't happen often but when it does the usual temptation is to reach for the takeaway menu. Given that the Husband and I are on a takeaway and alcohol free January - all in the interests of health and finance I might add - that wasn't going to happen.

So, our menu for this weekend ?

Yesterday evening was chicken with pesto, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes with frites followed by Millionaire's shortbread puddings.

Sunday lunch was Sweet & Smoky Hickory Roast chicken, Maris piper potato wedges followed by apple and blackberry pie and custard. Even the boys wolfed it all down, clean plates all round and the best bit ? Hardly any washing up and the only effort I had to put in was cutting up some vegetables and making custard.

Normal service will be resumed soon though I'm sure, just meal planning for next week.

Pot roast chicken

Another long gap from me. I've been rushed off my feet with the new baby and dealing with the 4 year old - they are certainly keeping me on my toes and out of the kitchen ! We've been living mainly off quick and easy meals that don't take alot of time to prepare and old faves such as spag bol and casseroles etc which I can do with my eyes closed.

Today I made this recipe which was a new one for me. Roast chicken must be my favourite food of all time but I've never done it this way before. The result was a lovely moist juicy chicken which tasted amazing. There are loads of leftovers too which I'm going to fashion into a pasta dish tomorrow.

POT ROASTED CHICKEN
serves 3 plus leftovers for the same again

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
10g rosemary
6 garlic cloves peeled and 1/4ed
300ml white wine
1.5kg chicken - ideally free range or organic
knob butter

In a large casserole dish mix the jelly, rosemary, garlic and wine and mix together
Put the chicken on top, put the lid on and roast for 1hr
After 1hr remove the lid and rub the breast with butter
Put back in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time according to weight of chicken

Simple and tasty. I served this with new potatoes, carrots and brussels plus the strained gravy.

Quick and healthy chicken curry

My darling husband decided he fancied beer and curry for dinner tonight, well no beer for me - 27 weeks and still not fancying alcohol.

Normally on a Friday night I'd cheat and head off to Waitrose for a pack of pilau rice, lamb jalfrezi and a chicken tikka masala with naan bread ! Tonight I thought I'd be good and I had all the ingredients in the cupboard fridge and they needed using up as we have a weekend of eating out ! I'm sure this would work well with lamb too which I plan to try in the next few weeks - heartburn permitting of course.

QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN CURRY

serves 2

Olive oil for frying
1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons of curry paste - I use tikka but it's up to you !
2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs chopped
4 tomatoes chopped
Splash of water
100g baby spinach
4T of either coconut milk or natural yoghurt
Handful of coriander chopped
Rice and or naan to serve

Heat the oil in a large pain and add the onion to soften
Then add the curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes
Brown the chicken and then add the tomatoes and water
Simmer for about 20 mins then add the spinach and wilt
If using the yoghurt take off the heat before stirring in else it will curdle !
Otherwise warm the coconut milk through and stir in the coriander

Curried chicken and cashew rice

This is an old favourite ripped from a copy of Good Food a few years ago, before (in my opinion) it started getting very samey. I have done my usual thing of tinkering with it to get it to my tastes but I love this and it's really quick to make. It's also weight-watchers friendly !

CURRIED CHICKEN AND CASHEW RICE

Serves 2

1t olive oil
1 onion chopped roughly
1-2 T curry paste
140g uncooked rice cooked and cooled
1 large chicken breast cooked & shredded
Handful frozen peas
50g roasted cashews
Squeeze lemon juice

Add a splash of oil to a wok and fry the onion,
Add the curry paste and heat through
Stir in the rice, chicken, peas and cashews and stir fry until piping hot.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and season well.

Chicken enchiladas

Tonight my darling hubbie is cooking me dinner and for once I have a good idea what I fancy. The last few weeks has been quite dire on the cooking and eating front as I never know what I fancy but I think that's mainly because I know whatever I eat will make me feel sick !

Anyway tonight is Mexican night. We did briefly think about chicken fajitas but Hubbie thinks they're too messy and has offered to make me chicken enchiladas - under supervision I might add.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
serves 2-3 depending how hungry you are !

SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

1 onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
1-2 red chillies de-seeded and chopped
1.5 tins chopped tomatoes
squeeze tomato puree
seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
fresh chopped coriander

ENCHILADAS

2 large or 3 medium chicken breasts
4 tortillas (I use discovery ones as they are not too big)
Grated cheese

To start, make the sauce - while you're doing this you can grill the chicken breasts until cooked through.

Fry the onion, garlic and chilli in olive oil until soft (I have used a mix of olive and chilli oil too)
Then add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients apart from the coriander. Stir well and add 1/2 can of water and simmer until thickened. Take off the heat and stir through the coriander.

Shred the cooked chicken and mix with a few spoonfuls of the sauce to bind.

Lay out a tortilla and spread with a little of the tomato sauce. Place 1/4 of the chicken mix in the middle and roll up. Put in a lightly oiled baking dish with the open side downwards. Rpt to use the rest of the tortillas.

Top this with the remainder of the tomato sauce and then plenty of grated cheese.

Bake in a moderate oven until the cheese is browned and the enchiladas are hot in the middle.

Serve with salad and a little Mexican rice salad.