Caribbean chicken curry and rice

 

Movie night at Kitchenfairies HQ ... the film is "Straight Outta Compton" - a wholesome american tale of rap, drugs and alcohol, etc ... but also, dig deeper - Dr Dre (the dj) has dug deep in these troubled times and donated a shed load of money to help feed the community in Compton, joining up with restaurant chain "Everytable" ... and has provided 150K meals to people who need them in his community.  Respect!  This is my interpretation of one of the dishes on the menu.  It were lovely!

Vegetable oil

Onion

Garlic

Caribbean curry spice mix

Green beans

Chicken thighs 

Yellow pepper

Mushrooms

Courgette

Tomatoes

Chicken stock

Mango chutney

Basmati rice

Natural yogurt

1.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in oil, add in curry powder.  Add chicken thighs, skin side down to brown a little.

2.  Chop all the veg, turn the chicken, chuck veg in the pot, stir.

3.  Add about a pint of chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes, stir in a couple of spoons of mango chutney and simmer again for about 10 minutes.

4.  Cook the rice.

5.  Serve, with natural yogurt, scoff ... 

Chicken, ham, leek and mushroom pie

 

This was actually an exercise in using up leftovers, but it was delicious as well as "frugal".  We had chicken left over from some roast chicken thighs and ham left over from BBQ pulled gammon.

I made a sauce using the last of the leeks and mushrooms from the veg box, and some soya milk.  Threw on a pastry lid, bunged some potatoes in the oven, and we finished the coleslaw.

Olive oil

Leeks

Mushrooms

Cooked chicken

Cooked ham

Plain flour

Soya milk

Flour

salt

butter

Yogurt

Cold water

1.  Make pastry - rub butter into salted flour.  When it resembles breadcrumbs add a couple of spoons of natural yogurt and a splash of cold water, work together gently to make the pastry.  Form into a ball, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2.  Fry mushrooms and leeks in olive oil, add cooked meats.

3.  Sprinkle a spoonful of flour into the pie filling mix, coat all of the elements, then add about a muful of soya milk, stir in to form the sauce.

4.  Transfer pie filling to pie dish, roll out pastry and cover the top.  Wash with soya milk.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

5.  Serve, scoff

Barbeque chicken bake

Chicken legs ... and various bits and bobs from the veg box - but wanted to make it a bit more tasty (but easy) ... so BBQ marinated chicken, and chucked it all into a baking tray ... it was delicious, and created its own sauce.

Olive oil
Potatoes
Carrots
Fennel
Onion
Red pepper and tomato relish
American mustard
Soy sauce
Ketchup
Black pepper
Chicken legs
Garlic
Red pepper
Peas

1.  Slosh olive oil into a big oven dish and add potato chunks.
2.  Add peeled carrots, chopped into decent sized pieces (ie. average carrot, chop top third off, halve the rest and chuck those chunks in)
3.  Add fennel bulb and onion, both cut into wedges.
4.  Make "BBQ" sauce by mixing relish, mustard, olive oil, ketchup, pepper and soy sauce - squish the chicken legs around until well coated.  Then add peeled garlic cloves.
5.  Stick in the oven, at 180 for 45 mins (ish)
6.  Add chopped red pepper, stir around.
7.  After about 20 minutes add podded peas (or frozen), stir around.
8.  10 minutes later - stir, scoff ... have seconds ... it was proper tasty.

"Satay" chicken thighs, stir fry veg and rice

It's been the worst of times here at Kitchen Fairies HQ, so I've been "off air" for a good few weeks.  I'm not saying I'm back - but I am trying to put together a decent nutritious meal together for us every evening.

Tonight, headed for a thai/satay inspired roast chicken thigh thingy - with some stir fried veg and rice.

It is firmly on the "do again" list - though I think I was a bit tame on the chilli tonight.

So ....


Peanut butter
Soy sauce
Chinese rice wine
Chilli sauce
Crushed garlic
Tomato ketchup
Vegetarian oyster sauce

Chicken thighs

Jasmine thai rice

Groundnut oil
Leeks
Crushed garlic
red pepper
Pak Choi
beansprouts
Soy sauce
Chinese rice wine

1.  Mix together the marinade ingredients ... peanut butter, sauces, garlic etc.
2.  Put the chicken thighs in an oven dish and smother with the marinade.  Cover with foil and leave for 30 minutes.
3.  Roast at 180 for about an hour.
4.  Chop veg for stir frying.
5.  Put the rice on - 1 part rice, 2 parts water - pinch of salt.  Bring to the boil, turn the heat right down and slam lid on.  Now LEAVE for 15 minutes.  If everything else is not quite finished, simply turn the heat off and let it sit there in its own steam - do NOT open the lid.
6.  Stir fry the veg and flavourings in groundnuts oil for about 8 minutes,
7.  Serve, scoff ... the chicken thighs will have created their own delicious sauce.

Cauliflower cheese, roast vegetables and bacon wrapped chicken breast

Today was a day when we needed comfort food - so we have an ENORMOUS cauliflower, in cheese sauce with a breadcrumb topping - with some roast potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and red onion.  For the veg dodger (who didn't dodge this veg) we also had bacon wrapped chicken breast.

Cheese
Potatoes
Olive oil
Carrots
Mushrooms
Red onion
Garlic
Cauliflower
Chicken breasts
Bacon
Soya milk
Cornflour
Breadcrumbs

1.  Grate shed loads of cheese.
2.  Scrub potatoes and chop into chunks, roast at 180 for about 20 minutes.
3.  Break cauliflower into florets and steam - for about 15 minutes.
4.  Peel carrots, chop mushrooms into quarters and red onions into wedges.  Add some lightly crushed garlic cloves and put into the baking tray with the potatoes.  Stir them around and pop back into the oven for 40 minutes.
5.  Wrap chicken breasts in bacon, roast for 30 minutes.
6.  Make cheese sauce.  Heat soya milk, when nearly boiling add slaked cornflour (cornflour mixed with enough water to produce a loose paste) and stir.  When the sauce starts to thicken add most of the grated cheese.  Keep stirring until cheese is dissolved and sauce is thick.
7.  Transfer cauliflower to oven dish, pour on sauce - top with breadcrumbs mixed with the rest of the cheese.  Pop in the oven to brown for 20 minutes.
8.  Serve, scoff - it was delicious.

Fried chicken, macaroni cheese, collared greens and bean casserole: aka Walk the Line

 We have added a development to many of our Saturday nights.  We are having "movie nights", and as an added bonus will theme the dinner to the film.

Today was "Walk the Line" - the Johnny Cash biopic.  Johnny Cash lived in Nashville, so it was food of the American south.

Spicy fried chicken, macaroni cheese, collared greens and bean casserole.  I struggled to find many traditional vegetarian recipes which might also appeal to the veg dodger - how has a particular dislike of sweetcorn.

This dinner was declared a success, and we all enjoyed the film.

Spicy fried chicken

Chicken thighs

Flour

Barbeque spice

Soya milk

Olive oil for frying

Macaroni cheese

Soya milk

Cornflour

Macaroni

Cheddar cheese - grated

Mozzarella - grated

Collared greens

Red onion

Garlic

Cavolo nero

Vegetable stock

Spinach

Olive oil

Bean casserole

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Red pepper

oregano

Chopped tomatoes

Tin of mixed beans

1.  Place chicken thighs in soya milk and allow to soak for a few minutes.

2.  Mix barbeque seasoning, salt and pepper into flour.

3.  Start cheese sauce by heating soya milk.  Add slaked cornflour to soya milk and heating through, keep stirring.

4.  Add grated cheese to thickened sauce, reserving some for the top.

5.  Boil the pasta according to packet instruction, then drain when done.

6.  Start the collared greens and bean casserole by sweating chopped onion and garlic in olive oil in two separate pans.

7.  Dredge the chicken thighs in flour and set aside to dry a little.

8.  Add shredded cavolo nero to softened onions, with a cup of vegetable stock, and steam for about 12 minutes, then add spinach and wilt down.  

9.  Add chopped red pepper to the other onions, fry for 5 minutes, and then add beans and tomatoes, oregano and season and heat through.

10.  Drain the pasta, add the sauce, top with reserved cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

11.  Dip the chicken thighs in soya milk again, and then coat with seasoned flour.

12.  Finish the chicken by shallow frying in olive oil, bake for 10 minutes to ensure they are fully cooked through.

13.  serve, scoff … 

Proper roast Sunday dinner

Sometimes you feel like a proper roast Sunday dinner.  This was one of those days.  Around the table we had nearly every possible dietary requirement … vegetarian, veg dodger, gluten free, lactose intolerant … but we all had a damn good dinner.  Obviously the vegetarian didn't have the chicken, but we managed to get 3 of his 5 a day into the veg dodger via the root vegetable mash (don't let on!) … and then another couple in pudding Rhubarb, apple and pear nutty crumble.

As this was a proper Sunday dinner we had (unusually) a proper pudding too.  The recipe is listed separately here but I have suggested where the prep might happen in this recipe, so the dinner is all ready at about the right time.  (Thank me later)

Chicken
Olive oil
Lemon
Garlic
Baby potatoes
Carrots
Swede
Parsnips
Green beans
Leek
Courgette
Sundried tomatoes
Vegetable stock
Butter beans
Cornflour
Chicken stock
Green beans
Butter

1.  Stuff a halved lemon and a few garlic cloves into the chicken.  Rub olive oil, salt and pepper over all of the skin.  Roast (breast side down fist) at 180 for as long as it takes (1 hour for a very small chicken - 2 hours for a large one).   Remove from the oven to rest for about 15 minutes when done.
2.  Toss baby potatoes in olive oil and roast for about an hour.
*** start pudding - stage 1
3.  Peel and chop root vegetables (in this case carrots, parsnips and swede - but could also use celeriac, turnips, sweet potato or even butternut squash).  Boil until mashable - about 12-15 minutes depending on size of pieces.  Mash with lots of butter and black pepper, bake in the oven to get a crispy top.
*** pudding - stage 2
4.  Sweat down chopped leeks with some crushed garlic, add chopped courgette (and any other veg you fancy) and a mugful of vegetable stock, simmer for a couple of minutes.  Add sundried tomatoes, simmer again.  Add a tin of drained, rinsed butter beans and heat through.  Keep warm in the oven.  Chop green beans and boil water ready for stage 8.
5.  (about 30 minutes after the chicken has gone into the oven) Carefully drain the fat from the chicken pan.  Turn the chicken over onto its bottom, continue roasting.
*** pudding - stage 3
6.  Spoon off the top layer of fat from the chicken juices.  Pour the rest into a saucepan and heat through.  Slake a spoonful of cornflour in cold water.  (Slake just means mix to a paste)  Add this to the chicken juices and bring to a boil - stirring continuously.  Add about half a pint of chicken stock (from a cube is fine).  Simmer as it thickens.
7.  Take chicken out of the oven - put pudding in to bake.
8.  Steam  chopped green beans.  Carve chicken.
9.  Serve, scoff …. every gathered person picking to their tastes/requirements.
9.  Have seconds ...

Leftovers pies ...

I don't know about you, but we always overstock for Christmas … so today was about using as much as poss of the leftovers from the festivities, to make way for the new veg box etc tomorrow.

I didn't want to just resort to big bowls of "whatever" as it was also first week back at work and very cold, so some comfort was needed.

We had left over roast chicken and roast potatoes … the ends of two punnets of mushrooms (chestnut and shitake), a bag of tarragon, and some emmental.  We also had the veg dodger and the veggie, so needed tasty food to suit all needs.

Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Cornflour
Soya milk
Tarragon
Chicken (cooked and stripped)
Butter beans (tin)
Emmental (or other melty cheese)
Roast (or cooked another way) potatoes
Carrots
Courgettes
Cornmeal
Italian seasoning (herbs and a pinch of chili)
Fennel seeds
Baby Spinach
nutmeg

1.  Start the pies with the mushroom sauce which will go into both of them by sauteeing the chopped onions, crushed garlic and chopped mushrooms in olive oil.  Toss gently until the onions have softened and the mushrooms have released their water, and this has gently simmered away.
2.  Sprinkle in a tablespoonful of cornflour, stir in to coat the mushrooms, then add soya milk to make a sauce.  Stir until it boils, keep stirring and let it simmer for a minute or two as the cornflour cooks and the sauce thickens, stir in finely chopped tarragon (not too much, or it will taste medicinal).
3.  In one oven dish - empty a tin of drained and rinsed butter beans - top with half of the mushroom sauce.  Layer on emmental cheese.
4.  Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the other half of the mushroom sauce.  Mix together and transfer to an oven dish.
5.  Top both pies with sliced, cooked potato (or mash if that's what you have) … drizzle with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes or so.
6.  Mix together cornmeal, Italian seasoning and fennel seeds in a bowl.  Slice courgettes and toss in the herby mixture.
7.  Peel, chop and steam the carrots for about 15 minutes.
8.  Fry the courgette slices in a little olive oil - in batches - keep warm in a serving dish while you finish the rest.
9.  Add steamed carrots to the serving dish.
10.  Put a splash of olive oil and a small drop of water into the hot pan from steaming the carrots - add the baby spinach and put the lid on.  The residual heat will wilt the spinach.
11. Stir the spinach (put it over a low heat if necessary, to wilt it) … grate in a small pinch of nutmeg, stir in.
12.  Serve, scoff …

Sunday dinner ... vegan -> veg dodger

 On Sunday I fancied a proper Sunday roast dinner with gravy etc... but had to cater from vegan to veg dodger, so decided on a nut roast for one end of the spectrum, and lemon garlic chicken for the other - with pick and mix vegetables for all to share.

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Aubergine
Roast squash
Walnuts
Pistachio nuts
Ground almonds
Rolled oats
Vegan stock
Potatoes
Swede
Carrot
Soya spread
Kale
Red wine
Passata
Petit pois

1.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil.
2.  Mix pre-roasted squash, nuts and oats in a bowl, add a slosh of olive oil and some stock.  Let it sit to absorb the liquids.
3.  Slice and grill the aubergine.
4.  Peel potatoes, toss in oil and roast for about 50 minutes.
5.  Peel and chop carrots and swede and boil until soft.
6.  Roughly shred kale and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes.
7.  Build the nut roast by putting half the mixture in an oven dish, top with aubergine slices, finish with the rest of the nut mixture.  Roast with the potatoes for about 30-40 minutes.
8.  Drain and mash the carrots and swede and add black pepper and soya spread.  Mix, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
9.  Make the gravy by sauteeing chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil - when soft add red wine and half a cut of passata with about half a pint of stock.  Simmer.
10.  Drain the kale and fry in olive oil with a little water and season.
11.  Cook petit pois.
12.  Serve, take the bits you want, scoff.

Curry night

Chicken korma (lactose free), veggie curry, dhal and rice ... it's not that difficult, just lots of ingredients. You need to soak the cashews, so put them in water in the morning.  I started with the chicken and veg curries, and then put the rice on to boil.  As soon as the chicken went in the oven put the lentils on for the dhal ... it all kinda came together in about 45 minutes.

Onions

Olive oil

Garlic

Chicken thighs

Tikka Massala paste

cinnamon

Cashew nuts

Mustard seeds

fennel seeds

cumin seeds

chili flakes

potatoes

Courgette

Mushrooms

Carrot

Tomatoes

Garam masala

Red lentils

Basmati rice

1.  Soak the cashew nuts for some hours, or boil them for a few minutes.  Zizz them up with approximately an equal quantity of water to nuts.

2.  Sautee onions in olive oil in 2 heavy pans - one for the chicken, one for the veggie curry.

3.  Add crushed garlic to both pots.

4.  Put the rice on to boil in a heavy pot, covered by water to 1 inch above the surface of the rice..

5.  Add turmeric and a tsp of tikka masala paste to the chicken pot, then the chicken pieces skin side down first.

6.  Add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and chili flakes to the veggie pot.

7.  The add peeled diced potatoes, diced courgette, mushroom and carrot to the veggie pot.

8.  Turn the chicken over, sprinkle on 1/2 tsp cinnamon and pour in the cashew mixture.  Transfer to the oven.

9.  When the rice boils, slam a lid on it, and put it in the bottom of the oven.

10.  Add tomatoes, in pieces if whole and veg stock to the veggie curry, stir and simmer.

11.  Put red lentils and water on to boil for the dhal.

12.  When ready to serve make the tarka by frying cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chili and curry leaves, if you have them, in a little olive oil.  Pour this, sizzling over the dhal.

13.  Serve, scoff.

Chicken and chorizo

It was cold, and I was feeling lazy, so wanted a minimum fuss dinner. Chicken thighs are underused - they are cheap, tender and tasty.  To add a bit of oomph I added sliced chorizo, and to fox the veg dodger I included onions and red pepper.  So even though he body swerved the green salad, he did get some veg with his meat.

Olive oil
onion
red pepper
chicken thighs
chorizo
oven chips
salad leaves


1.  Fry onion in olive oil, add red pepper.
2.  When the onion is a bit soft, it doesn't need to be completely cooked - add chicken pieces, skin side down to brown.  The throw in slices of chorizo.
3.  Transfer chicken to an oven dish,  pour on the other ingredients, cover and bake for about 40 minutes.
4.  Cook oven chips and put out salad.
5.  Serve, scoff

Sunday roast chicken and cauliflower cheese

Just delicious - you really can't beat  good roast chicken sometimes, and this was one of those times.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Chicken
Garlic
Lemon
Chicken rub
Cauliflower
Green beans
Soya milk (or dairy milk)
Cornflour
Cheddar
Emmental
Grainy mustard

1.  Roast potatoes in olive oil, for about an hour and a quarter.
2.  Cut a bulb of garlic in half, and a lemon in half - stuff half the garlic, half a lemon, half a garlic, half a lemon into the cavity in the chicken.
3.  Rub chicken rub and olive oil all over the chicken - roast - breast side down first for about an hour and a quarter.  After 20ish minutes turn the chicken over and move the potatoes about a bit to allow even cooking.
4.  Steam cauliflower florets and green beans.
5.  Make cheese sauce by boiling the milk, slake cornflour in water and add to the milk to thicken.  Add grated cheese and a spoonful of grainy mustard.
6.  Put the steamed cauliflower in an oven dish and pour over sauce - bake for 20 minutes, or so.  Keep the green beans warm
7.  Check the chicken - if you insert a sharp knife into the fattest bit the juices should run clear.
8. Serve, scoff ... hide any seconds you might want for lunch. The veg dodger finished everything else off for a midnight feast.

Spaghetti "carbonara"

Dead easy, dead quick - and a visit to Todmorden indoor market can supply all of the ingredients.  Vegetables from Traynor, pasta (gluten free for us) from The Mediterranean Pantry, bacon and chicken from Bracewell's or Fielden's butchers.  We had some left over chicken from a roast, but you could get some ready cooked from Brian's.  An egg from all over the place, and parmesan from The Crumbly Cheese.

Olive oil
Leeks
Mushrooms
Peas
Spaghetti
Bacon
Cooked chicken
Egg

1.  Sweat the chopped, washed leek in olive oil for a few minutes, then add chopped mushrooms.
2.  Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water.
3.  Fry off chopped bacon and then add cooked chicken.  Add the leeks etc to the meat.  (I was doing a veggie version and a meat eaters version, so then split the leeks etc between the two frying pans).
4.  Chuck in a handful of peas.
5.  Drain the pasta, and add it to the vegetables.
6.  Lightly whip an egg.  Let the pasta cool for a minute, then quickly turn the egg through, forming a silky "sauce".
7.  Serve, top with shards of parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.
8.  Scoff, watch veg dodger have seconds!

Fajitas

Or should we say woman vs food!

We don't have fajitas very often, so I thought I would try to pull off the full monty - though I stopped short of a slaw as there were actually only 3 of us, and I had gathered enough for about 6!  Also, the cold did not put any of us in the mood for salad.

So - wraps - tortilla wraps from the packet warmed up for non-gf people ... homemade gf chapatti for gf person.  I tried both - the gf version was considerably nicer.

Rice - I happened to have some 7 grain wholegrain microwavable handy, so used that  - but any rice would be fine.

Refried beans:

Sweat leeks and garlic in olive oil, add cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes.  Drain a tin of red kidney beans and add, along with half a cup of water.  Simmer gently.  If I had any fresh herbs I would have added at the end - I didn't so just a spritz of lime juice, salt and pepper and a squish with a masher and they're done.

Red peppers:

Sweat leeks and garlic in olive oil, add a few mixed herbs and sliced red pepper.  Fry - let the peppers char slightly to get a nice smoky flavour, add a little water to allow them to soften without burning.

Fajita chicken:

Marinade chicken pieces in fajita seasoning and olive oil, I used thighs cut into strips, but some would prefer breast.  Fry until slightly crispy on the edges.  The veggie alternative was halloumi in fajita seasoning fried until slightly golden.

Guacamole:

Very finely dice a small onion, cut avocado into small pieces, or crush with a fork, add diced tomato and a spritz of lime.

Sour cream
Grated cheddar

(If you are making homemade chappatis make the dough first - gf flour, natural yogurt and enough water to kneed into a dough)

1.  Start with the refried beans.
2.  Then the peppers.
3.  Marinade the chicken and make the guacamole.
4.  Keep an eye on the stove top mixtures, marinade the halloumi.
5. Grate the cheese
6.  Warm the bread, make the chappatis.
7.  Serve, stack ... try to roll greedy sized thing up, spill it all down your front!  Delicious.

Chinese tonight: chicken satay, straw mushrooms and beansprouts in oyster sauce and red pepper and cashew stir fry

A little trip into a chinese supermarket gave me the idea, but you can get most of the flavourings from Oriental Foods and me in Todmorden market.

Rice
Chicken - legs in this instance
Peanut butter
Sweet chilli sauce
Shaoshin rice wine
Rice wine vinegar
Chilli
Peanut oil
Spring onions
Garlic
Ginger
Straw mushrooms
Oyster sauce
Soya sauce
Red pepper
Chinese vegetable (or pak choi)
Cashew nuts
Beansprouts
Cornflour

1.  Cook the rice
2.  In an oven dish mix peanut butter with a dash of peanut oil, sweet chilli sauce, chilli and soya sauce.  Coat the chicken in the marinade and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes.
3.  In 2 woks, fry chopped spring onion, garlic and ginger.
4.  For the cashew nut mixture add red pepper, chilli flakes, soya sauce, rice wine vinegar, rice vinegar and stir fry.  Add the chopped vegetable and stir fry again.  Add a little water to create the steam.  Finish by adding slaked cornflour to thicken the sauce and the cashew nuts.
5.  For the mushroom mixture add a tin of straw mushrooms, a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a tiny splash of water, heat through then add beansprouts.  Finish by thickenning the sauce (if required) with a little slaked cornflour.
6.  Serve, scoff ...

This went down very well, but the chicken legs were fiddly, so next time I'll use diced thigh meat on a skewer.

Cheap as chips roast chicken

Sometimes, midweek, you fancy somethings just a bit ... you know ... homely and comforting.  Chicken thighs are cheap, and possibly more flavourful than breast meat, and this is easy as ...
I made the veg just that little bit nicer by simmering in a little stock and garlic.

Olive oil
Potatoes
Chicken thighs
lemon juice
Garlic
Bouillon
Leeks
Carrots
Cabbage

1.  Cut the potatoes into wedges and roast in olive oil for about 40 minutes.
2.  Put the chicken thighs in an oven dish, season with salt and pepper, and a spritz of lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil and stick in the oven with the potatoes.
3.  In a little olive oil gently fry chopped leek, add crushed garlic.
4.  Add chopped carrot to the leek with about half a cup of stock, and simmer gently.  After about 10 minutes add shredded cabbage.
5.  Serve, scoff

Budget roast chicken dinner

Sometimes you want something really simple, but really tasty - and this was really cheap too - I think is was under £1 a head, and done in 30 minutes.

Chicken thighs
Garlic
Lemon
Olive oil
Potatoes
Cabbage
Green beans
Onions
Butter

1.  In a roasting dish - put in chicken thighs, season them, add crushed garlic and a sliced lemon.  Splosh on a little olive oil and massage it into the meat for a minute.  Roast - high heat for 30 minutes.
2.  Boil new potatoes, steam the beans and cabbage on top of them.
3.  Fry chopped onions in olive oil until soft, and a little brown.
4.  Serve - with butter for the potatoes, and the pan juices from the chicken as a simple "gravy".

Fried chicken, rice and peas and plantain

Caribbean food week - day 1

Fried chicken with rice and peas, and some plantain.  Fried chicken was excellent, rice and peas were excellent - plantain - well it's good for you!

Onion
Garlic
Coconut oil
Ginko peas
Thyme
Coconut milk
Rice (basmati)

chicken thighs
Eggs
Chicken coating mix

Plaintain

Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radish

1.  Gently sautee chopped onion and quite a lot of crushed garlic.
2.  Tip in the tin of peas - do not rinse them!
3.  Add a good pinch of thyme, seasoning and a tin of coconut milk.
4.  Bring to the boil, stir, add rice and water to 1 inch above the surface.  Stir once.
5.  Bring to the boil again, slam on lid, turn heat right down.  The rice will be done when all the liquid has been absorbed.
6.  Whisk eggs lightly, cover each chicken piece.  Coat with seasoning mix.
7.  Fry for a few minutes each side, in batches, keeping warm in between.
8.  Fry plantain for a few minutes each side.
9.  Serve with a simple salad.

A gentle start to Caribbean food week, you could, of course serve with hot sauce for more of a kick.

Chicken and chorizo, spicy wedges, griddled courgette, mixed veg and allotment salad

Summer seems to have abandoned us for now - and given the state of politics, who can blame it? The recent downpours have played havoc with the lettuces in the allotment, so it's salad with everything at the moment.  I'm not complaining about that, they're delicious.

Start with the potatoes, then the veg, then the chorizo and chicken and while that's doing wash and dress the salad.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Cajun seasoning

Onion
Garlic
Broad beans
Carrot
White wine

Courgette
Polenta
Mixed herbs

Chorizo
Chicken breast

Lettuce
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, put in a baking dish with olive oil and cajun seasoning, mix until evey wedge is coated - roast for about an hour.
2.  Pod and skin the broad beans, be patiient, this is the faffiest bit.
3.  About 20 minutes to serving.  Finely chop onion, sautee gently with crushed garlic, add broad beans and chopped carrot.
4.  Slice courgettes, put polenta and mixed herbs in a bag - add the courgette slices and shake until all slices are coated.
5.  Add a glass of white wine to the beans and carrots, simmer gently - add water or stock if it gets dry.
6.  Griddle the courgette slices in olive oil, in batches, keep them warm in the oven when done.
7.  10 minutes to serving, chop chorizo and fry, chop chicken breast into bite sized pieces and add to the chorizo.  Keep it moving now and again in the pan until it's cooked.
8.  Dress washed and dried salad leaves - I used garlic oil and balsamic vinegar.
9.  Serve - scoff.

Actually, there was also a veggie, so I fried some haloumi for them too!  Delicious.  There were seconds, and thirds, and possibly even fourths - but no left overs!

All ingredients (except for the wine) available from Todmorden market.  The Mediterranean Pantry, 3 fantastic butchers inside and veg outside.

Sunday roast - budget version

We seem to be having a bit of a run on baby roast potatoes at the moment, but they are sooooo good.

This is another VERY simple, but delicious dinner, and again - all available from Todmorden Market.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Chicken legs
Lemon
Garlic
Roast chicken seasoning
Carrots
Spring greens

1.  Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces, boil for 10 minutes.
2.  Put olive oil in 2 oven dishes - one for the potatoes, and one for the chicken.
3.  Put the potato one in the oven to warm up.  Put the chicken in the other, with 3 halved cloves of garlic, a sprinkle of roast chicken seasoning and a slice of lemon.  Chuck it in the oven.
4.  Drain the potatoes, add to the hot olive oil, and roast for 1 hour(ish).
5.  Prep the veg, and then steam for the last 12 minutes of everything else cooking.  When you put the veg on - have a look at the chicken - baste it with the juices.