Eggy Rice with Chicken
You can very easily adjust the quantities depending on how many you have to cook for – a great dish when unexpected guests turn up!
Recipe
4 chicken fillets, cut into strips
2 tablesp. oil
4-6 eggs
2 tablesp. light soy sauce
400g cooked rice
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 chilli, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Handful of coriander, chopped
Serves 4
Method
Heat a wok or large pan, then add a little oil. Beat the eggs and soy together. Pour the mixture into the wok. Cook quickly, stirring as the egg cooks. Tip the cooked egg on to a plate. Reheat the wok and the cook the chicken strips, adding a little more oil if necessary, then add in the red pepper, chilli and scallions. Stir-fry for another minutes then tip the mixture on to a plate.
Reheat the wok with the remaining oil, add in the rice and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, add back the chicken and egg mixture. Mix the lot, check the seasoning, add more soy sauce if necessary. Divide between four plates, sprinkle some coriander over each portion. Serve with a big bowl of mixed salad.
Traditional Roast Chicken with Thyme and Onion Stuffing
A really easy recipe with great results guaranteed!
1 medium chicken, approx. 1.5kg
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks of celery
2 tablesp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Thyme and Onion Stuffing
100g bread, broken into pieces
1 tablesp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablesp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 small onion, cut into quarters
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g butter, softened
Serves 4-6
Method
To Make the Stuffing:
Place the bread, parsley, thyme and onion in a food processor. Process until you have fine bread-crumbs and the onion is finely chopped. Season and add in the butter. Give it another quick whiz then pack the stuffing into the body cavity and fold over any loose skin to close. Secure with a cocktail stick.
To Cook the Chicken:
Set the oven at Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F).
Place the chicken and vegetables in a roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil and season well with the salt and pepper. Place in the center of the preheated oven. After the first ten minutes turn the heat down to Gas Mark 4, 180ºC (350ºF). Roast the chicken for approx. 1 hour 20 mins (allow 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes over). Halfway through cooking, spoon the juices over the chicken and add a couple of tablespoons of water to the roasting tin to stop the vegetables from burning. To check if the chicken is cooked pierce the thickest part of the leg – the juices should run clear.
When cooked remove the chicken from the oven, transfer to a carving board and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place while you make the gravy.
Strain all but 1 tablesp. of fat from the tin, then sprinkle in a tablesp. of flour. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add in 300-400ml of stock (home-made if possible) and bring to the boil, stirring and scraping to loosen the caramelized meat juices. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and season to taste. Strain into a gravy boat, discard the vegetables and serve.
Delicious served with roast potatoes and vegetables cooked in the oven at the same time as the chicken.
Note: To make chicken stock, peel and chop 2 carrots and 1 onion. Place them in a saucepan along with a trimmed and chopped leek and celery stalk if available. Add in a chicken carcass, 2 liters of cold water and a bay leaf. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for two hours. Strain, check the seasoning, allow to cool and then chill. Skim any fat from the surface of the stock. Freeze when cooled or store in the fridge and use within three days.
Chicken Breast with Fennel and Arugula Salad
Simple and special, salad can be prepared ahead
Recipe
4 chicken breasts, skin on
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablesp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Fennel Salad
2 fennel bulbs, sliced thinly as possible
2 tablesp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablesp. good quality mustard
Handful of arugula leaves per person
Serves 4
Method
An hour or two ahead if possible place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish. Pour over the lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.
Prepare the salad – put the sliced fennel in a large bowl, in another small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice and mustard together, taste for seasoning. Mix the fennel and dressing together – set aside.
Seal the chicken breasts on a hot pan until well browned. Then finish cooking in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Barbecued Chicken with Harissa Dressing
You can buy ready prepared Harissa but it is no comparison to the flavour of homemade – see how easy it is to prepare
Recipe
4 chicken breasts, skin on
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tablesp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Harissa Dressing
1 red pepper, roasted, skin removed and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
3-4 chillies, roughly chopped
1 teasp. ground cumin
1 teasp. ground coriander
Handful coriander leaves
4 tablesp. olive oil
Juice of a lemon
Serves 4
Method
An hour or two ahead if possible place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish. Pour over the lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.
Grill or barbecue until fully cooked.
To make the dressing: Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Process to form a thick sauce. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with the chicken, some steamed new potatoes and vegetables or salad.
Chicken Tikka Kebabs with Cucumber and Coriander Relish
Great for a barbecue or just on the grill. Kebabs and relish can be prepared well ahead. Good on the calorie count too!
Recipe
8 skewers
4 chicken breasts chopped into 8 pieces per breast
1 cucumber
Marinade
250ml natural yoghurt
Juice 2 limes
Piece of ginger about the size of your thumb, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teasp. Garam masala
1 teasp. Cayenne pepper
1 teasp. Turmeric
Salt and black pepper
Relish
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablesp. coriander, chopped
1 tablesp. mint, chopped
3-4 scallions, chopped
1-2 chillies, chopped with seeds
125ml water
Juice 2 limes
1 tablesp. sugar
Salt
Serves 4
Method
Start by mixing all the marinade ingredients together. Add in the chicken pieces, coat with the marinade. Then thread the chicken on to the 8 skewers. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
To make the relish, just add all the ingredients into the processor and whiz for a few seconds, then taste for seasoning. Store also in the fridge until ready to serve.
To cook the kebabs, place on a hot barbecue or grill pan for 5-6 minutes on each side until fully cooked. Chop up the cucumber and mix with a tablesp of the relish. Serve the kebabs on a bed of rice with a spoonful of the cucumber salad and remaining relish on top.
Warm Chicken Salad with Cashew Nuts and Mango Dressing
Recipe
4 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
Handful salad leaves per person
1 mango, sliced
Handful seedless black grapes
50g cashew nuts
Dressing
1 mango, peeled and chopped
3-4 scallions, chopped
Handful of basil leaves
1 tablesp. rice vinegar
4 tablesp. olive oil
Salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar
Serves 4
Method
The absolutely best way is to roast a whole chicken with lots of garlic cloves, a few sprigs of rosemary, lemon wedges stuffed into the cavity and seasoned with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until the juices run clear. Then an hour or two later, take the meat off the bone and make the salad. If you haven’t time to roast a chicken then you can just grill a few chicken breasts, slice them up and make the salad.
Start with the dressing, put all the dressing ingredients in the processor, give it a quick whiz, taste for seasoning.
Coat the salad leaves in a little of the dressing, arrange the leaves on individual plates or in one large bowl. Add the sliced mango, grapes, nuts and chicken. Drizzle over the dressing and serve with some nice bread.
Chicken Satay
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Recipe
4-6 breasts of chicken, cut into cubes
Marinade
1 tablesp. soy sauce
Half tablesp. rice vinegar
1 tablesp. oil
Half tablesp. red curry paste
Sauce
1 can coconut milk
1 tablesp. red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablesp. fish sauce/soy sauce
1 teasp. sugar
1 tablesp. peanut butter
1 tablesp. fresh coriander, chopped
Serves 4
Method
Thread the chicken pieces onto eight skewers. Place in a shallow dish. Mix the marinade ingredients together. Pour the mixture over the kebabs and leave for half an hour
Mix the sauce ingredients together and simmer for 5-10minutes. Grill the kebabs for 5-6 minutes on each side.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the sauce with the kebabs, some rice or noodles and a side salad
Piri-Piri Chicken with Shredded Vegetable Salad
Lovely spicy marinade.
Recipe
4 chicken breasts
A little salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Marinade
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teasp. ground coriander
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
1 teasp. ground ginger
1 teasp. sugar
1 tablesp. olive oil
Salad
½ small white cabbage
4 carrots
1 red onion
1 teasp. wholegrain mustard
1 tablesp white wine vinegar
2 tablesp olive oil
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
Cooking time
45 mins
Serves 4
Method
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add in the chicken breasts and stir to coat them in the marinade. Leave to marinate for as long as you can, but for at least 15 minutes.
Heat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F). Put the chicken in an oven-proof dish, season with salt and black pepper and place in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking make the salad. Shred the cabbage, carrots and onion in a processor if available, if not slice them very finely. Place the vegetables in a serving bowl. Combine the mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh coriander and seasoning. Mix well then pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir to combine.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with the chicken and baked or steamed potatoes.
Spicy Chicken
The combination of spices work really well together – a perfect dish for either lunch or dinner.
Recipe
4 chicken breasts, part boned with skin on
2 tablesp. olive oil
Knob butter
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
3cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 teasp. each of cumin and coriander seeds
5 cardamom pods, cracked open and seeds removed (pods discarded)
400ml tin coconut milk
2 cloves
Juice of 2 limes
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped
Cooking time
45 mins
Serves 4
Method
Put the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken and fry until browned. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chillies to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and allow them to cook for a minute or two. Grind the dry spices to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Add to the tomato mixture and cook for a minute. Add the coconut milk to the pan along with the browned chicken breasts. Season and simmer for 30 minutes, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the lime juice and basil leaves just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with rice and a green salad.
Chicken and Sweet Corn Chowder
Use either cooked chicken fillets or the remains of a roast chicken. See Traditional Roast Chicken for a quick stock recipe.
Recipe
300g frozen sweetcorn
400ml home-made chicken stock
40g butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 tablesp. flour
600ml milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g cheddar cheese, grated
150-200g cooked chicken, chopped
2-3 tablesp. cream
Serves 6
Method
Put the sweetcorn in a saucepan with the stock. Cover, bring to the boil then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Puree and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute gently for ten minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring all the time. Add in the cheese, corn mixture, cream and seasoning. Serve in warmed soup bowls with crusty bread.
Stir-fried Chicken with Ginger
Perfect quick mid-week meal. Use your favorite vegetables or whatever you have in the fridge
Stir Fried Chicken with Ginger
Recipe
4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 tablesp. olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g fresh vegetables, thinly sliced e.g. peppers, mange-tout, celery, mushrooms
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tablesp. soy sauce
A few drops of sesame oil, if available
A little salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Cooking time
15 mins
Serves 4
Method
Heat a wok or large frying pan until really hot, add a tablespoon oil then stir-fry the chicken.
When cooked remove to a plate.
Reheat the rest of the oil in the wok. Then add the onion, garlic, vegetables and ginger and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until the vegetables just begin to soften.
Add back in the chicken, the soy sauce, a splash of water, sesame oil and a few twists of black pepper. Continue to stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
Taste for seasoning. You may need to add a little salt.
Sprinkle over the coriander and serve with noodles or rice.
Grilled Chicken with Potato Wedges and Stir-fry Vegetables
For a great family dinner – all ready in 45 minutes
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
5 potatoes (approx), washed and cut into wedges
1 teasp. paprika
Sea salt, olive oil
Sprigs of rosemary
Juice of one lemon
Seasonal vegetables i.e. broccoli, courgettes and red pepper – chopped finely
Serves 4
Method
Set the oven at Gas Mark 6 200C (400F). Place the potato wedges in a bowl. Season with the paprika, sea salt and olive oil. Mix well to give the potatoes an even coating. Place on a baking sheet with a few sprigs of rosemary and bake for 45 minutes.
While they are cooking, prepare the chicken. Heat a heavy pan/grill pan. Season the chicken breasts and drizzles with olive oil and lemon juice. Place on the hot pan and brown well on both sides, reduce the heat and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes approx, until fully cooked.
For the last 5 minutes heat a large pan or wok. Add some oil and stir fry the vegetables for 2-3 minutes.
Serve the chicken with potatoes and vegetables, drizzle with a little more olive oil and lemon if you wish.
Pan-Fried Chicken with Walnut & Lemon Dressing
This makes a good mid week meal – good flavors and easy to prepare
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, skin on
Salt pepper and lemon juice
Dressing
100g walnuts
2-3 cloves garlic
Juice of a lemon
1 teasp. ground cumin
2 tablesp. coriander, chopped
125ml olive oil
Salt pepper and sugar to taste
4 scallions, chopped
Serves 4
Method
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
Set the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F.
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan, then tip them into the processor with the other dressing ingredients. Whiz for a few seconds. Taste for seasoning, leave in the fridge until ready to serve.
Heat a pan or black grill pan. Cook the chicken skin side down for 4-5 minutes to get a delicious crisp skin. Turn over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finish the cooking for another 10-15 minutes in the hot oven. Very good served with spinach, a few new potatoes and a spoonful of the dressing on top. Any leftover dressing will last for a week in the refrigerator.
Roast Chicken with Thyme
It really couldn’t be simpler – a little bit of preparation and into the oven.
Roast Chicken with Thyme
Ingredients
1½kg chicken
Small bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablesp. olive oil
A little salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Serves 6
Cooking time
1½ hours
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F).
Place the chicken in a roasting tin and put the lemon and a sprig of thyme inside the cavity of the chicken. Strip the leaves from the remaining thyme stalks and place in a bowl along with the garlic, olive oil and seasoning. Mix to combine then brush this mixture over the chicken, working it into all the nooks and crannies.
Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F). Remove the foil and roast for another 50-60 minutes. It’s fully cooked when the juices run clear when the bird is pierced in the thigh with a skewer.
Remove the chicken to a carving board and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes while you make the gravy.
Stir the pan juices over the hob to heat through. Add a little stock or water and boil up.
Serving Suggestions
Delicious served with chunky carrots, parsnip, potatoes and half a head of garlic which can be simply tossed in a little olive oil and seasoning and roasted for the last 20 minutes with the chicken.
Roast Chicken with Chilli and Ginger
This dish is really easy to prepare. Ideal for a family get together. We used supremes of chicken for this reicpe but chicken legs or thights would work just as well.
Ingredients
6 chicken breasts, skin on if possible
Marinade
Juice of 4 limes
2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
1 tablesp. sunflower oil
2 stalks of lemon grass, thinly sliced
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 dessertsp. rosemary leaves, chopped
3 tablesp. honey
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Serves 6
Method
Place the chicken breasts in a bowl. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour or two if you have time.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200ºC (400ºF). Put in the chicken into a roasting tin and cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden. Delicious served with roasted vegetables.
Pan Fried Duck Breasts with Red Wine and Orange Sauce
This is a delicious quick dish that everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients
4 duck breasts, well trimmed
2 shallots, finely chopped
300mls red wine – approx. 2 glasses
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 2 oranges
Salt and black pepper
2 teasp. redcurrant jelly
1 teasp. cornflour mixed with 1 tablesp. water
Serves 4
Method
Heat a large pan. Score the skin on the duck breasts and place them in the hot pan, skin side down. You don’t need any oil in the pan. Brown well then remove to a plate. Pour off most of the fat – leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add in the shallots and cook for about five minutes to soften. Add in the red wine, orange zest, orange juice and seasoning and bring to the boil. Place the duck breasts back in the pan and simmer for ten minutes.
Remove the duck from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm while you finish the sauce. Add the redcurrant jelly and cornflour mixture into the pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Reduce to simmer for a couple of minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Slice the duck breasts and place on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the duck and serve. Delicious with a puree of potatoes and carrots.
Roast Turkey with Thyme and Onion Stuffing
A traditional recipe that is hard to beat!
Turkey slices
Ingredients
7 kg turkey, oven ready
Salt, black pepper and a little flour
2 tablesp. softened butter
8 slices streaky bacon
Stuffing
450g bread broken into pieces
6 tablesp. fresh parsley chopped
2 tablesp. fresh thyme chopped
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
Salt and black pepper
100g – 150g butter, softened
Cooking time
3½ hours approximately
Serves 10
Method
To make the stuffing
Place the bread, parsley, thyme and onion in a food processor. Process until you have fine breadcrumbs and the onion is finely chopped. Remove to a bowl, season and mix in the butter.
To stuff the turkey
Losen the skin at the neck end with your hands. Pack the stuffing in, pushing it up between the flesh and the skin, but not too tighlty because it will expand during cooking. Tuck the neck flap under the birds back and secure with a coctail stick. Any remaining stuffing can be cooked in a covered baking dish with the turkey. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Allow 30-40 minutes per kg. (Allow 20-30 mins per kg for turkeys weighing over 8kg). Place the turkey breast side up in an oiled roasting tin.
To cook the turkey
Set the oven at Gas Mark 7, 220°C (450°F).
Season the turkey with salt and pepper and dust with a little flour. Rub all over with the butter, then lay the bacon slices on the breast, overlapping each other. Cover the bacon with a piece of buttered grease proof paper. This will keep the bacon in place. Wrap the turkey in foil and roast in the preset oven. After the first 30 minutes, reduce the heat to Gas Mark 3 (170°C or 325°F). Baste a couple of times during roasting. For the last half hour, remove the foil.
To check if the turkey is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the leg, the juices should run clear.
When the turkey is cooked remove from the oven and transfer to a large plate. Reserve the cooking juices in the tin to make the gravy. Cover the turkey loosely with foil and allow to rest for half an hour in a warm place until you are ready to serve it.
Guide to good gravy
A well flavored stock is important, so a day ahead, place the giblets, some onion slices and a bay leaf in a saucepan. Cover with water, then simmer gently for 1½ – 2 hours. Then strain and season.
After removing the turkey from the roasting tin, pour off the fat and leave behind the juices. Over a medium heat, stir in a tablespoon of flour. Blend well. Add a dash of wine. Continue to cook. Stir in the stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
A tablespoon of red-current jelly, cream or balsamic vinegar will also add to the flavour. Season to taste.