Creamy Chicken, Bacon, Leek & Mushroom Pie

Ingredients:

250g ready made puff pastry

3 large or 4 medium chicken breasts

125g pancetta

Olive oil

200ml chicken stock

3 leeks, sliced

200g button mushroom, halved

2 medium carrots, chopped finely

75g butter

300ml milk 

5 tbsp flour

1 tbsp thyme

Handful of grated cheese

Seasoning 

A little egg or milk for glazing 

Method:

1. Chop chicken into roughly inch squares.
2. In a bowl mix together 3 tbsps of flour & the thyme.
3. Coat the chicken in the flour mix.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a pan until hot & add the pancetta & flour coated chicken chunks. Stir continuously until the chicken chunks are beginning to brown.
5. Add the leeks, carrots & mushrooms & a little more oil, continue to stir until the leeks are soft.
6. Mix the chicken stock with the leftover flour from coating the chicken & then add to the pan. Allow to continue to simmer for a few minutes.
7. In another pan on a low heat melt the butter and once melted remove from heat to add 2 tbsps of flour, mix to a thick paste.
8. Place back on the heat & add the milk a little at a time, whilst whisking to ensure the paste is completely combined with the milk. Gradually the sauce will begin to thicken, but keep stirring until it's the desired consistency. 
9. Place the chicken & bacon mix into the bottom of a pie dish, sprinkle over the cheese & pour over the white sauce, gently mix together slightly & allow to cool.
10. Preheat oven to 160C.
11. Roll out the pastry to the desired shape, size & thickness for your pie dish.
12. With the milk or egg for glazing brush around the edge of your pie dish & the place the pastry over the filling, crimping the edges of the pastry to the pie dish edge to seal. Make a hole in the middle of the pastry with a knife.
13. Glaze the pastry case with the milk or egg & place in the oven for 30-40 mins or until golden brown & bubbling. 

Enjoy with some greens and boiled new potatoes.

Slow Cooked Moroccan Chicken & Aubergine Tagine

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs

2 medium aubergines

2 onions

4 carrots

75g sultanas

75g apricots 

2 chicken oxo cubes in 500ml boiling water

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ginger

1 tbsp cumin 

2 tbsps flour

Black pepper

Method:

1. Chop aubergines into 1-2 inch chunks & place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Next place the chopped onions, carrots, sultanas & apricots on top of the aubergines.
3. In a bowl or jug mix the OXO cubes with the boiling water & add the spices & flour, mixing well.
4. Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables & fruit but push them into the vegetable mix and pour over everything the stock & spice mix.
5. Place on low in a slow cooker for 6-8 hrs or on high for 3-4 hrs.
6. Serve with rice or couscous.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Ingredients:

250g ready to roll puff pastry

50g butter

500g chicken pieces

salt and pepper

1 medium onion

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

250g mushrooms

100ml single cream

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp mustard

300ml chicken stock

milk to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Melt the butter on a gentle heat and add the chicken, season with salt and pepper as necessary and fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the onions, nutmeg, bay leaf and thyme and continue to fry until the onions are beginning to soften.
4. Then add the mushrooms and continue to fry until they are softening.
5. Add the cream and flour mixing together well, add the mustard and chicken stock.
6. Mix well and turn to a low heat to simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
7. Place into a pie dish and top with pastry and glaze with milk.
8. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is nicely golden brown.

Serve with roast potatoes or mash potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Homemade Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 red onion, sliced

Cooking marinaded chicken

1 red pepper, sliced

1 carrot, chopped into sticks

1 courgette, sliced

A sprinkle of dried red chilli flakes (to personal taste)

Tbsp smoked paprika

Tbsp ground coriander

Pinch of cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

2 crushed garlic cloves

Lug of olive oil

Tbsp lime juice

Serve with:

8-10 tortillas

Salsa (Optional)

Lettuce (Optional)

Grated cheese (Optional)

Sour cream (Optional)
Guacamole (Optional)

Method:

1. Place all the chopped veg & chicken into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the chillies, spices, garlic, pepper, oil & lime juice & mix well into the chicken & veg.
3. Can be left to marinade for a few hours (but it is optional).
4. Heat a wok or griddle pan to hot & add the marinaded chicken mix.
5. Stir continuously until all the chicken appears white. Check chicken is cooked through (it is often quicker that you imagine it will be & if you leave it too long the chicken will be dry).
6. Serve with warmed tortillas, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, grated cheese & lettuce.

Chinese 5-spice Slow Cooked Chicken

I made this for guests a few weeks ago and it went down really well, although I totally forgot to take a photo to make your mouths really water!!

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

400ml hot chicken stock

75ml soy sauce

6 spring onions, sliced diagonally in 2cm lengths

150ml orange juice

thumb-sized piece of ginger, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp 5-spice powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

2-3 star anise

3 cloves

10 peppercorns

1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp of cold water

oil

Method:

1. Rub the chicken skin with oil and 5-spice powder.
2. Place chicken in the slow cooker pot and add all the other ingredients in around it.
3. Cook on LOW for ~7 hours or for 1 hour on HIGH and 3-4 hours on LOW.

Enjoy with egg fried rice and stir fried vegetables.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken (with egg fried rice)

This is a great recipe to try out if you want a sneaky take away but cannot afford one or do not want to consume all those calories. I was concerned it might not be as good as the real thing, but it turned out pretty close to the real take out Sweet and Sour Chicken, so definitely worth a try at home.

Ingredients:

500g chicken breasts

3 carrots, cut into sticks

2 peppers, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp dried chillies

100g mushrooms, chopped

432g tin of pineapple in juice

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp soy sauce

oil

Method:

1. Cut the chicken in 2cm cubed chunks.
2. Drain the pineapple and cut into chunks, keep the juice in a jug for making the sauce though.
3. Heat the oil in a wok until hot, add the chicken, chillies and onion and fry for a few mins.
4. Add the vegetables and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are firm but cooked.
5. Add cornflour to the pineapple juice and mix until smooth, add the tomato puree and soy sauce and again mix well.
6. Add the sauce to the cooked chicken and vegetables for 2 minutes until thickened and warmed through.
7. Once ready to eat stir in the pineapple chunks.

Serve with egg fried rice, boiled rice or noodles and prawn crackers.

OPTIONAL: Vegetarian option - omit the chicken and add a vegetarian equivalent such as Quorn or extra vegetables...

Chicken, Tarragon & Leek Stew

Chicken, Tarragon & Leek Stew

Ingredients:

3 leeks, chopped

1 onion, sliced

1 kg chicken

2 chicken stock cubes

2 tbsp mustard

500g carrots

25g fresh tarragon (or 2 tbsps dried tarragon)

2 tbsp cornflour

300ml creme fraiche

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 or 160C.
2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the leeks and onion until soft.
3. Place the fried ingredients into the bottom of a casserole dish and place chicken on top.
4. Dissolve the stock cubes in 700ml of boiling water and pour over the chicken.
5. Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and stir in the mustard, carrots and tarragon, cook for a further 20 minutes.
7. Mix the cornflour into a few tbsps of cold water to make a thick paste.
8. Remove from oven and add the cornflour and creme fraiche.
9. Cook for a further 15 minutes.
10. Serve with rice or roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Alternatively the recipe can be done in a slow cooker, follow steps 2-4 but also add in the mustard, carrots and tarragon to cook for 4-5 hours. An hr before serving add the cornflour and creme fraiche.

Chicken, Pesto and Spring Greens Stew

Chicken, Pesto & Spring Greens Stew

Chopped vegetables

Ingredients:

1 onion

400g chicken pieces

1 spring green

2 carrots

300g potatoes

3 tbsps pesto

350ml chicken stock

oil

pepper

Method:

1. Marinade the chicken pieces in 2 tbsps of pesto for 2-12 hrs.
2. Heat the oil and fry the onion and chicken until the chicken is slightly browning.
3. Add the chicken stock to the pan with lots of grinded black pepper, spring greens, carrots and potatoes.
4. Simmer for 20-30 mins on the hob or slow cook for 4-6 hours.
5. Stir in 1 tbsp pesto before eating.

Slow cooked chicken surprise

Slow Cooked Chicken Surprise

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
2 large fresh chillies
2 onions
1 garlic clove
2 tbsps BBQ sauce
400ml chicken stock cube
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp paprika
Butter

Optional extras:
Carrots, Sweet potatoes, Peppers

Gravy:
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Halve the onions, place 1 half into the middle of the chicken and slice the other halves.
2. Chop finely the garlic and chillies.
3. Place the onion, garlic and half of the chillies into the bottom of the slow cooker, with any chopped optional vegetables.
4. Smear the butter over the chicken and put the chicken on top of the vegetables and onions in the slow cooker.
5. Sprinkle the rest of the chillies and half of the paprika over the chicken skin.
6. Mix together the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, rest of the paprika, BBQ sauce and pour over the chicken.
7. Leave in the slow cooker on high for the first hour and then on low for another 5-6 hours.
8. Remove the chicken and allow it to rest for 5 mins before carving and serving.
9. To make a gravy with the left over juices, mix the cornflour and oil together to form a dough in the bottom of a small pan.
10. Add some of the juices and whisk with the cornflour & oil mix whilst gently heating over a low heat, after a few mins it will start to thicken, so gradually add more of the juices slowly continuously stirring.

Serve with rice or potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables.

NB If there are any leftover gravy after the meal you can add it to couscous over a pan to make some beautifully flavoured couscous!

Plum Chilli Roasted Chicken with Couscous & Stir Fry Veg

Chopped ginger, chillies & garlic

  Ingredients:

  Chicken:
  8 chicken legs or thighs
  8 plums
  1-4 chillies
  4 garlic cloves
  thumb-sized piece of ginger
  3 tbsps of soy sauce

  Oil

  Salt 

  Pepper

  Couscous:
                                                            250g couscous

Chopped stir fry vegetables

  Splash of soy sauce

  Stir fry veg:
  1 onion
  1 garlic clove
  half a thumb sized piece of ginger
  1-4 chillies
  1 carrot, cut into sticks
  1 pepper, cut into strips
  100g mange tout
  100g baby corn (fresh or tinned)
  100g mushrooms, sliced (Optional)
  Oil
  1 tbsp of soy sauce

Roasted chicken with covered in ginger, chillies & garlic

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200C.
2. Put the chicken in a roasting tin, trickle with oil and season well.
3. Roast for 30 minutes.
4. Halve and deseed the chillies and cut into thin strips. Slice garlic cloves and the ginger.
5. Scatter the chillies, garlic and ginger over the chicken and turn it.
6. Roast for a further 10 minutes.
7. Halve and destone the plums.
8. Tuck plum halves around the chicken and trickle over the soy sauce, adding a little water to the tin.
9. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes until the plums and soft and yielding the juices.
10. Prepare the stir fry vegetables whilst plums are cooking.
11. Baste chicken with the juices and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
12. Add water and soy sauce to the couscous (as per packet instructions).
13. Heat oil in a wok until hot, add the onions, chillies, ginger and fry for a minute. Add the soy sauce and the rest of the vegetables until cooked but still firm.

Serve the chicken on a bed of couscous with the stir fry vegetables and ENJOY!!!

Plum Chilli Roasted Chicken with Couscous & Stir Fry Veg

If you have any recipes you would like to share please contact me with photos and we can feature it on one of the FOODY FRIDAY posts.

If you try this recipe and have any other suggestions to making it better or tastier please let me know.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

I love Mexican food and we have a friend who visits weekly who enjoys Fajitas as well so we eat Fajitas frequently.

They are so quick, easy and yummy!!

You could buy a kit but I choose to buy all the ingredients separately as I find it is generally better value for money.

Ingredients:
8 wraps
500g chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 sachet of fajita seasoning mix (whatever flavour you desire - BBQ, Mexican Herb...)
2 peppers (green, red or yellow), sliced
1 onion, sliced
100g mushrooms (Optional), sliced
1 carrot, cut into thin sticks (Optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok.
2. Coat the chicken in the seasoning mix and add to the wok.
3. Fry chicken for a few minutes.
4. Add the peppers, onions and carrots and fry until chicken in cooked through.
5. Warm wraps in the microwave for 40 seconds.
6. Fill wraps with fajita mix, grated cheese, salad, salsa, sour cream and guacamole (all optional).

Serve with nachos!

Red Thai Curry

Red thai curry

Simmering Red Thai Curry

Ingredients:

3 tbsps Red Thai Curry Paste

1 can of coconut milk

300g chicken breasts (or Paneer cheese, cubed if vegetarian)

1 pepper

2 tbsps of oil

Other vegetables of your choice: Peas, Mange Tout, Carrot, Mini Sweetcorn

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a wok and add the chicken, fry for a few minutes.
2. Add the curry paste and stir for a minute.
3. Add the can of coconut milk and mix together well.
4. Add the vegetables of your choice and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through. (Approx. 15 minutes)

Serve with rice, noodles or naan and ENJOY!!

Stir fry with noodles

Ingredients:

400g chicken breasts, cut into bitesize pieces (or 400g paneer cheese, cubed if vegetarian)

1 onion

2 chillies

thumb sized piece of ginger

1 carrot

1 pepper

1 can of mini sweetcorn, drained

2 tbsps brazil nut oil

soy sauce

250g egg noodles

Sachet of stir fry sauce of your choice: Black Bean, Hoi Sin, Chow Mein, etc

Optional extras: mushrooms, beansprouts, mange tout

Chopping chillies & onion

Frying the chicken, chillies, ginger & onion

Method:

1. Chop the onion, chillies and ginger finely.
2. Slice pepper and carrots into strips. Prepare any other vegetables you may want to add.
3. Add the oil to a wok and heat until quite hot.
4. Add the soy sauce, onions, chillies, ginger and chicken to the wok, stirring continuously for a few minutes.
5. Add the vegetables: mini sweetcorn, peppers, carrots, mange tout etc and a splash of water to the bottom of the wok.
6. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until vegetables have softened & chicken is cooked.
7. Cook the noodles as per pack instructions.
8. When vegetables and chicken nearly cooked through add the sachet of stir fry sauce and mix in the cooked noodles.

Add the vegetables

Stir fry with noodles