Garlic and lemon chicken with chilli

Serves 1

2 for a snack

Ingredients

Two chicken breasts

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp red Thai curry paste

1 red birdseye chilli

Splash of soy sauce

Small tsp of palm sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Coriander

My recipe

I made this, to be honest, as a healthy snack to accompany my vino on a Friday night.  I just sat and picked at it whilst watching Nip Tuck.  I ate it cold with a nice salad.   

Having cooked so many Thai dishes, I have come to know the basic ingredients and this is something I tried out from my head and it worked really nicely.

This is a quick and hot tasty dish.

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Chop the chicken into chunks, brown, then add the paste until it’s all mixed over the chicken.   

Add the palm sugar, stirring loads.

Followed by the garlic then the chilli and a splash of soy sauce.

Squeeze the half a lemon over when it is ready so it doesn’t all evaporate.

After you’ve taken it out of the pan, stir in a good helping of coriander.

I made a nice standard salad to go with it; lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion and pepper.

Enjoy 

Cauliflower and potato soup with two cheeses (chicken optional)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients 

½ bag new potatoes

½ cauliflower

4 tsp chicken or veg stock 1300ml

3 garlic cloves

1 large onion

Butter

50 ml double cream  

Haloumi cheese

Sprinkle of cheddar cheese  

Parsley

Salt & Pepper

Cooked chicken (optional)

My recipe

This was inspired because I hate wasting food and I had cauliflower, potatoes and cream that needed using up.

I knew the basis of a tasty soup was stock and cream and from there would work with most ingredients.  It turned out delicious; a gorgeous, tasty, filling soup. I prefer meaty soups, so I added chicken.

Chop your cauli and spuds and put them in separate pans to boil.

Chop your garlic and onion.

Slice some small chunks or thin slices of haloumi.

Whilst the veg and spuds are cooking, strip all the meat off the chicken legs.  I found I didn’t need the breast so you can use that for another night. I bought a cooked chicken that day but no doubt it would improve if you cooked a chicken yourself and used fresh stock and freshly cooked meat.

Using a knob of butter, fry off the onions in a huge pan.

I filled the kettle which is about 1300 ml and poured on top of the onions then added the chicken/veg stock powder.

Add the cream and garlic.

Throw in the cooked chicken to get it warm and absorb nicely.  Add the wings if you wish.

Add salt and pepper.

After a few minutes, if you are happy with your cauli and spuds drain and add to the soup.  

Don’t forget, if it looks too much you can always warm it up for lunch.

When serving, add the haloumi.  Dip it in under the veg and spuds so you get some nice surprises.

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and decorate with parsley.

Enjoy

Wok cooked chicken with Greek basil leaves

Ingredients

3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

The juice of 1 lime

Salt

Olive oil

Onion  

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp garlic puree

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp ground coriander

Tin chopped tomatoes

125ml warm water

3-4 tbsp Greek basil leaves

½ tsp garam masala

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

3-4 green chillis

Nann bread

Basmati rice

This is a recipe out of my curry book but as always I have adapted it slightly. 

I’m using chicken breast instead of thighs.

Tesco online couldn’t find fenugreek leaves so I bought Greek basil leaves instead.

I have used fresh ginger instead of paste.

Coat the chicken with lime and salt and leave for 15-20 mins.

Chop your onion and peppers.  You can add or remove the seeds it doesn’t really matter as the seeds aren’t packing any heat.  This is not a hot dish so you will have to add your own spice if you want it to be hot.  Try some birdseye chillis or some ghost pepper sauce.

Fry your onion then turn the heat right down and add the garlic puree, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder and ground coriander. 

Empty half the tin of tomatoes, gradually increasing the heat and then chuck in the rest of the tin.

Now introduce the marinated chicken and cook for 4 or 5 mins; pour in the warm water and simmer for 8-10 mins.

Whilst the chicken simmers, if you wish to serve with rice, turn that on now.

Add the Greek leaves, coriander, garam masala and peppers. 

Leave this for 1 or 2 mins and stick the Naan bread in the oven.

 Enjoy