Friday, October 10, 2008

Spicy Roast Chicken With a Twist

Ingredients
250g Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
5 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Tarragon
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
4 Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
250g Rice (cooked)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Oven Proof Dish
1 Pan 2/3rds full with boiling salted water

The Good Bit
  1. Pre heat the oven to 230c gas 8, in the bowl mix the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of tarragon, a good splash of olive oil, the garlic and chilli flakes.
  2. Place the chicken on the oven proof dish and pour over the tomato mixture, spreading the tomatoes around the side of the dish, bake for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is done.
  3. 15 minutes before the end of cooking put your rice on.
Serves 4

Chilli Chicken Burgers

Ingredients
500g Minced Chicken (or turkey)
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 Red Chilli (seeded and chopped thinly)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint or 1/2 Teaspoon Dried
2 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander or Parsley
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Burger buns, Lettuce, Tomato for serving

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit
  1. Mix all the ingredients together then shape into 4 even sized burgers, brush with a little oil or melted butter and grill for 5 minutes on each side.
Serves 4

Cajun Chicken Salad

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts (sliced in half to make 8 thin breasts) or 12 Mini Fillets
1 Lime (juiced)
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Pinch of Salt
2 Oranges (peeled and sliced)
120g Bag of Spinach or Rocket Leaves
1 Small Red Onion (thinly sliced into rings)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Oven Proof Dish
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Plate

The Good Bit
  1. Pre heat your oven to 220c 425f or gas 7, toss the chicken into the lime juice whilst you measure out into the mixing bowl the flour, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and the pinch of salt, give it a good mix then sprinkle it out onto the plate.
  2. Lift each slice of chicken out of the lime juice and press down onto the seasoned flour, coat both sides then place on the oven proof dish. place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
  3. Mix the salad leaves with the onion and orange slices plus any juice that came out of the oranges then serve onto 4 plates and top with the crispy chicken. Enjoy.
Serves 4

Chicken Jalfrezi

Ingredients
675g Chicken Breast (cubed)
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Green+1 Red pepper (cubed)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1 Inch Ginger (finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon Curry Paste
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/4 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
250g Rice (cooked)
A Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Large Pan 2/3rds full boiling salted water

The Good Bit
  1. In the frying pan add the oil, and fry the cumin seeds for a couple of minutes until they splutter then add the onion peppers garlic and ginger, fry for 6-8 minutes.
  2. Add in the curry paste and fry for another 2 minutes before adding the chilli powder, coriander, cumin, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of water, fry this lot for 2 minutes.
  3. Put the rice on at this point. Chuck the chicken into the mix and fry for 5 minutes until it begins to colour then pour in the tomatoes stir well and cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes.
  4. Serve with rice.
Serves 4

Chicken Chop Suey

Ingredients
125g Chicken (chopped into chunks)
1 Onion (chopped thinly)
1 Carrot (julienne/grated)
1 Green Pepper (julienne/grated)
125g Bean Sprouts
1 Egg (split, white is all we need)
1 Teaspoon Sherry
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
2-3 Tablespoons Chinese stock (or water)
2 Teaspoons Cornflour
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
Pinch of Salt
Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Small Glass
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wok
1 Spatula

The Good Bit
  1. Mix the cornflour into a paste in the glass with 3 teaspoons of water, then in the mixing bowl in this order mix in the chicken, a pinch of salt, 1/4 of the egg white and the paste you have just made.
  2. Stir fry the chicken in a splash of oil until it is no longer pink, it should be white all over, take out of the wok and set aside. Add all the vegetables apart from the bean sprouts and cook for about 2 minutes then add the bean sprouts and fry off rapidly for a few seconds.
  3. Now add back in the chicken, another pinch of salt, the sugar, soy sauce and sherry mix this well then add in the stock or water, give it a good stir then serve, for authenticity you can sprinkle over a dash of sesame oil if you like.
Serves 4

Kung Po Chicken

Ingredients
250g Chicken Breast (chopped into chunks)
1 Egg (split and only the white used)
1 Green Pepper (cored, seeded and chopped into chunks)
1 Spring Onion (chopped diagonally into inch long chunks)
1 Fresh Ginger (grated or thinly sliced)
4 Dried Chillies or 1 teaspoon chilli powder (take the seeds out and cut thinly)
2 Tablespoons Yellow Bean Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sherry
125g Nuts (not salted, peanuts, walnuts, cashew or almond)
250g Rice (cooked)
A Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Small Bowl
1 Wok
1 Spatula
1 Large Pan 2/3rds full boiling salted water (for the rice)

The Good Bit
  1. Get the rice on first then in the bowl mix in in this order the chicken, a pinch of salt, 1/3rd of the egg white and the cornflour.
  2. Heat the chicken then in the wok until it browns, take out and set aside. Now stir fry the spring onion, ginger, chilli and pepper for about 1 minute then put the chicken back in along with the yellow bean sauce and sherry, stir well and cook for a further minute, lastly just before you serve up, chuck in the nuts.
Serves 4

Chicken + Pineapple

Ingredients
150g Cooked Chicken (sliced into chunks)
1 Onion (thinly chopped)
1 Spring Onion (sliced diagonally into inch long pieces)
1inch Fresh Ginger (sliced as thin as possible or grated)
1 Carrot (grated)
1 125g Can Pineapple
2 Tablespoons of Syrup (from the can)
1 Tablespoon Cornflour
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
A Good Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Wok
1 Spatula

The Good Bit
  1. Fry the onion in the oil until it has gone clear, add the ginger, spring onion and carrot and stir fry for another minute.
  2. Add in the chicken, pineapple, vinegar and pineapple syrup with a pinch of salt and mix till well blended.
  3. Sprinkle in the cornflour and stir in until the mixture has thickened then serve, you can serve with a black bean sauce or rice if desired. This also goes well with duck!
Serves 4