Macaroni Chicken & Cheese (with hidden vegetables!)

This recipe is perfect for the upcoming cooler months. When you want more of that comfort food, or for when you want something that you can just pop in the oven at the end of a busy day that's tasty, but still full of all the good stuff you need. I like to have a bit of chicken for protein (aka extra fullness feeling) and for the little people, it's great to be able to sneak in some veggies. Peeling the zucchini (courgette) first means the colour of the dish is still cheesy and the pumpkin adds creaminess and a bit more of an earthy flavour.

Ingredients (Serves 6-8 people):

• 500g macaroni or other dried pasta shapes
• 600g chicken breast - two large breasts is about enough 
• 1 tbsp dried thyme 
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar - lemon juice would also work
• Olive oil
• 1.5 cup diced pumpkin 
• 2 or 3 zucchini peeled and roughly chopped 
• 50g butter
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1.5 cups milk 
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg - freshly grated nutmeg has the best flavour if you can get your hands on whole nutmeg. 
• 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, colby, mild, parmesan or a combination - obviously the type of cheese you use will affect how cheesy the flavour is, so I tend to stick to cheddar/mild for toddlers) 
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the packet directions. Drain and toss through a few glugs of olive oil. 

In a small saucepan boil cubed pumpkin and zucchini for 10 minutes till tender. Drain & puree with a stick blender, food processor, or just mash. Set aside. 

Slice chicken breast lengthways through the middle so you have two flatter fillets. Heat another tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry each fillet for 4-6 minutes each side till lightly browned. Set aside and allow to cool. Add thyme, white wine vinegar and a splash of water to the pan and stir to remove all the tasty juices from the bottom of the pan. Add this chicken thyme juice to the pureed veggies. 

Finally make the sauce. Melt the butter and garlic over a medium heat. Once bubbling, add the flour and stir. It will be a little foamy. Gradually add the milk, stirring well after each addition to make sure you don't get any lumps. Continue stirring and once thickened take off the heat and add half of the grated cheese. Stir till you have a smooth sauce. Add the nutmeg and pureed veggies. Stir and season to taste. 

Roughly chop the chicken and combine with the sauce and cooked pasta. Spoon everything into a large baking dish (or two smaller ones if you want to freeze half). Top with remaining cheese and then breadcrumbs. Can be chilled for 24hrs, or frozen for up to 4 months at this point. 

Preheat oven to 180*C. 

Bake for 30 - 40 mins till heated through and lightly golden on top. 

Serve with a green salad, or steamed veggies and crusty bread. 

Mini Enchiladas

These little morsels are a game changer: fast, delicious, versatile and a total hit with adults and kids alike! Even better - they're easy enough to get the kids into the kitchen. 

If you've been thinking about encouraging your children's life skills and growing their confidence in the kitchen then this dish is a great place to start. Equally, if you have a hoard of kids over after training or for a kids party, you can whip these up no trouble. 

It's all food you can keep in stock in the pantry too, even the chicken - either use leftovers or pick up one of these Tegel Shredded Roast Chicken packets which lasts in the fridge for a few weeks.


Ingredients: (serves 4-6 people - or 12 as a snack)

• 12 small to medium sized tortillas (20-25cm diameter is a good size) 
• 2 cups (approx 300g) cooked shredded chicken
• Or 1 can kidney beans for vegetarian
• 1 can corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 1 400g can Wattie's Mexican Tomatoes 
• 1 x 35g packet Farrah's Taco Spice Mix
• 2 cups grated cheese

To Serve: 

• 125 ml tub sour cream
• Sweet chilli sauce 
• Green Salad

Method:

Heat the oven to 180°C. Spray a regular-sized muffin tray (not texas muffins) with cooking oil.

Heat tortillas as directed on package (usually 30 seconds in the microwave does the trick). Press 1 tortilla into each muffin cup. Bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together chicken (or beans), onion, corn and half of the cheese. Stir in tomato and taco seasoning. Divide the mixture into the cooked tortilla shells. Top with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake 14 - 17 minutes or until enchiladas are toasted and mixture is heated through. Top each with a spoonful of sour cream, dollop of sweet chilli sauce, and serve warm with salad on the side. 

Chicken Broccoli and Quinoa Balls

Chicken and Broccoli Bites or Broccoli and Cheese Bites have been trending on food blogs for a while now, and I have been wanting to try them for a while. 

Mr 11 months dinner platter.
The chicken broccoli and quinoa
balls were demolished!

However my 'fussy eater' is weird about meat (unless it's pulverised into a puree, masked with pumpkin or kumara), and is not a big fan of cheese. He'll eat his ham and cheese sammies okay, but won't eat cheese on it's own, and didn't seem too pleased with the cheese and veggie fritters that I made (but he loves my Lasagne and Tuna Pasta Bake, go figure?). Regardless, I was hesitant to try something, which was too 'meaty' or 'cheesy', but I am wanting to introduce more finger food, so I came up with these tasty morsels: Which he devoured, and completely ignored everything else which was on his plate. Luckily these are basically a complete meal in one, so he can just eat these for the rest of his life for all I care and I know he'll be getting a balanced diet. 

Best of all, they're a hit with adults as well as children! Little ones can enjoy them plain or with a little tomato sauce, and for adults, add a teaspoon of chilli sauce to the tomato sauce for a flavour kick. Alternatively, you could serve them with spaghetti and a tomato sauce. 

Ingredients (makes 40 balls): 

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 cups of roughly chopped broccoli (florets and stalk - just remove the skin of the stalk) 
• 400 grams skinless boneless free range chicken 
• 100 grams haloumi cheese 
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dried + 1 cup water, simmer for 10-15 mins) 
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp dried thyme 
• 1 tsp paprika 

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line two baking trays with grease proof paper. 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor (depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do a few ingredients at a time, then finish up the mixing in a large bowl. 

Using wet hands, shape ping-pong sized balls of the mixture and drop them onto the lined trays. 

Bake for 25 minutes, swapping the trays around halfway to ensure even cooking. 

Cool and serve: with a tomato sauce (chilli optional), or with spaghetti and a cooked tomato sauce. 

Baby Panang (for parents too!)

As of late I have been adapting our adult meals to make a potful to freeze down for baby. I'm also aware that as he gets older, he needs to be exposed to more flavours, textures and tastes. 

For this Thai Panang Curry, each time I make it will gradually increase the amount of Panang curry paste which is added, therefore increasing babies tolerance of the different herbs and spices. Obviously stopping once I have achieved a mild flavour, I don't expect the poor kid to eat super spicy food like his Mum! The half a teaspoon used in this batch wasn't detectable to my palate, and therefore happily gobbled down by Mr 8 months. 

Depending on where your child is at with their eating, you could puree this, or pulse so still a bit chunky, or just roughly mash. We're still at the blitzing stage, also I add the rice in after a few blitzes so that it stays fairly chunky still. Feel free to use cooked rice, ground Only Organic Iron Fortified Baby Rice or a combination of the both. The good thing about adding the rice at the end is that it helps you to gain the right consistency; simply add more rice to make it thicker. 

This recipe includes everything that you need to make a meal to serve four adults (dinner and the next day's lunches for us), and 6-10 serves for baby. I freeze baby's portions in silicone ice-trays or muffin trays, then pop them out and store in a zip-lock bag in the freezer, defrosting as much as is needed each day. The first ingredient list is the total ingredients that you will need. The second is the portions which go into baby's pot. 

Ingredients (4 adults and 6-10 baby serves):

• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 a squash or pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 1/2 a head of broccoli, florets, and stem peeled and cut into sticks 
• 1 apple
• 1 small kumara, peeled and diced 
• 1 onion, peeled and thickly sliced 
• 1 400g tin of coconut cream
• 1 tbsp oil
• 50 g + 1/2 tsp Mae Ploy Panang Curry Paste*
• 600 grams free range chicken breast or thigh, diced**
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• juice of 1 lime or lemon
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups rice + 4 cups of water

*Any Panang Curry Paste will work, however adapt the amount used according to the packet directions. 

**Use protein of choice including Beef, Tofu or Pork

Begin by preparing your vegetables, as you do measure out the following amounts to go into a separate 1.5L capacity pot for baby.

• 120 g carrot
• 50 g parsnip
• 80 g broccoli
• 200 g squash or pumpkin
• 100 g kumara
• 80 g apple 

All remaining vegetables, prepare and pop aside. 

Add to baby's pot: 100 g chicken (or other protein), 1/2 tsp curry paste, 1/4 cup of coconut milk and two cups of water. 

Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Remove lid and leave to cool for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin cooking your rice, according to packet directions. 

In a large frying pan (with a lid), heat the oil and over a low heat stir in the 50 g curry paste till aromatic, add the remaining coconut cream, then fill the tin with water and pour that in too, stir to create a sauce. Add the fish sauce and sugar. Add the chicken, carrot, parsnip, squash and any kumara or apple that was leftover. Stir, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes till chicken is cooked through and vegetables are nearly softened. Add the broccoli and onion, stir and cover for another 5 minutes. 

Serve the Panang Curry in bows on top of the cooked rice. 

As for baby's pot, it should be cooled enough now. Blend or blitz in a food processor till at the desired consistency. To make it thicker, add up to 1/2 a cup of Only Organic Iron Fortified Baby Rice, or up to 1 cup of cooked rice, or as I did a combination of both. Decant this into ice-trays or muffin tins to freeze, then store frozen cubes in labelled zip lock bags in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Baby's Mexican Chicken with Mango and Black Beans

Adult’s bowl ~ Adapted from Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

As promised this is part of my series of recipes for babies. The main idea of this series of recipes are foods which are baby friendly, which can be prepared alongside the family meal. This makes preparing it easy, and it’s a two birds with one stone kind of approach. This recipe was inspired by an old recipe of mine Chicken Burrito bowls with Mango Salsa.

If you’re making this as I did with the adults meal alongside baby’s then the first ingredient list is the total ingredients you need. The second list is the parts which go into baby’s pot. So if you only want to make this for baby, just look at the second list. However, if you’re going to be making some for baby, you may as well make yourself some dinner while you’re at it! I always do four adult servings. This means that there is leftovers for lunch the next day too!

Total ingredients (serves 4 adults and 6-10 serves for baby):

• 600 grams chicken
• 1 tin of black beans
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• juice of lemon
• salad greens, avocado sour cream and cooked brown rice to serve

In a small 1L capacity pot place the following ingredients (from the list above, not in addition to) cover and simmer for 40 minutes till very soft. Keep an eye on it during cooking and add more water if necessary.

Baby's Portion

• 100 grams of diced chicken
• 1/2 a cup of black beans
• 1/2 a cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 a cup of diced mango
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• enough water to cover
• optional: 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice added to baby's pot at the end of cooking

Meanwhile prepare the adult meal. Chop the chicken into 2 cm cubes and marinate in a bowl with sliced onion, oil, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper for 20 minutes.

While this is marinating put the rice on the stove (I find 1 1/2 cups of uncooked brown rice, with 3 cups of water is sufficient for four adults, but cook as much as your appetite needs).

Prepare the mango salsa with the remaining mango, finely dice and stir through chilli flakes and lemon juice. Set aside till serving.

Finally heat a frying pan and cook the marinated chicken and onion for 5 - 10 mins on a medium-high heat, turning frequently. Add the remaining tomato and black beans, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for another 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked through.

Divide cooked brown rice into bowls and top with chicken, mango salsa, sliced avocado, sour cream and salad greens.

To complete baby's meal, cool and pulse in a food processor or blender until you reach the desired consistency. If it is too runny, you can add in the 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice, I keep enough in the fridge for the next two days, then freeze the rest into ice trays (or you can get these Closer to Nature Freezer Pots), which when frozen I store in a dated and labelled zip lock bag. I find 4-6 cubes is enough to satisfy Master 7 months, but each baby is different.  

  

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Leftover roast chicken makes a great easy pie filling, which is perfect for these colder nights that we have been getting lately. A simple addition of a mushroom gravy and puff pastry turns your leftover chicken into this gluttonously satisfying meal. 

Ingredients (Serves 4 - 6)

• 400g puff pastry 
• 2 -3 cups of leftover roasted chicken, shredded (approx 2 chicken breasts) 
• 2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
• 1 tbsp olive oil/butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 tsp dried time
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 small parsnip, finely diced
• 1 tbsp cornflour 
• 1 cup of chicken stock (salt reduced if possible)  

Finely dice the onion, carrot and parsnip (approx 5 mm, you don't want to notice them in the pie).  

In a frying pan, heat the butter or oil on a medium - low heat, and add onion and garlic, saute gently for a few minutes before adding herbs, carrot, and parsnip. Continue sauteing until softened. Add a little more butter if necessary and add the thickly sliced mushrooms, stirring occasionally for the next 5 mins till softened.
  
Sprinkle over 1 tbsp of cornflour and quickly toss to coat the vegetables. 

Pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and stir over a low heat till reduced and thickened slightly. Set aside to cool. 

Grease a pie dish and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick, line the base and sides of the pie dish, leaving the edges to over hang. 

Mix the chicken with the cooled mushroom gravy and pour into the pie dish. 

Roll the remaining pastry to cover the top of the pie. Moisten the edges of the pastry (where the base and top overlap) with a little water and then use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges together. Brush with a little melted butter then prick holes in the top of the pie before popping in a hot oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pastry is puffed, golden and the filling is heated through. 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes at least before cutting open and serving with salad. Remember: You must always blow on the pie. 

Spiced Chicken Pita's with Fix and Fogg Smoke and Fire Peanut Butter.

Are you a peanut butter fan? I most certainly am. On toast, crackers, fruit toast, hot cross buns. Toasted sandwich with banana and peanut butter, and best of all, SATAY. So when Fix and Fogg released their new Smoke & Fire Peanut Butter I was so intrigued. 
One taste and all I could think of was eating it with a chicken pita and slaw, trust me, it did not disappoint. 

In this recipe I have marinated the chicken in a lovely spice blend. I use whole seeds, which I lightly toast in a dry pan and then grind in a mortar and pestle. This is how you'll get the best and freshest flavour from the spices, but you can buy the pre-prepared ground spices if you wish. 
To make the slaw a little lighter in fat and flavour I've made a mix of garlic aioli and plain yogurt. The yogurt adds a subtle tang which accompanies the spice of the rub and Fix and Fogg perfectly.  

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• 400 grams free range chicken
• 1/4 cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1/4 red onion
• 1 heaped tbsp garlic aioli (or any good quality mayonnaise)
• 2 heaped tbsp plain yogurt 
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice 
• 4 large pita pockets 
• 4 (or more) tbsp of Fix and Fogg's Smoke & Fire Peanut Butter

First make the marinade. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Remove to a mortar and pestle and grind. Combine with smoked paprika, salt, and oil in a non-metallic bowl. Slice the chicken into strips, add this to the spice mixture and coat well. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes. 

To prepare the slaw finely shred the cabbage and onion (I used a food processor because I'm lazy, but a large sharp knife will do the same trick). Peel and grate the carrots. Pop all the veggies into a salad bowl and add the aioli, yogurt, and lemon juice. Use two large spoons to toss it all together well, you want the dressing to be lightly coating everything. Cover and set aside in the fridge till serving. You may want to give it another quick toss before serving in case the dressing has settled in the bottom. 

To cook the chicken, heat a large heavy based frying pan. Because the marinade has oil already I don't bother oiling the pan. Place the pieces of chicken in the hot pan and turn them after a few minutes, then continue cooking till cooked through. 

Warm the pita according to packet directions (or a quick pop in the toaster if they will fit). Spread a heaped spoonful of Fix and Fogg's Smoke & Fire Peanut Butter inside each pita pocket before filling with slaw and pieces of chicken. 

Chicken and Olive Tagine

I'm a big fan of aromatic foods, particularly Moroccan dishes. Technically a tagine is a curry, but more aromatic (cinnamon, cloves, ginger) than heat like you would get from an Indian curry. In saying that, this number does have a little chilli which can be increased or decreased to taste. If you don't have a tagine to cook this in, don't worry. A large saucepan with a lid will do the same job. Just when you pop the lid on, be sure to tilt it a little so a small amount of steam can escape, but effectively it keeps most of the steam circling inside. 

I serve this with a simple couscous and some harissa spiced yogurt, but it would be equally nice served with rice, roasted or mashed potatoes. You could also serve it with plain yogurt, or coconut yogurt, or simply eat it as is. I just love the sweet and spicy kick that you get from adding the Julie Le Clerc Spicy Harissa paste to the yogurt. 

Ingredients (serves 4): 

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 400 grams of free range skinless chicken thighs
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced on a diagonal
• 1/2 cup of green or black olives - I've used pitted black olives this time
• rind of 1 lemon
• 1 cup of chicken stock

Couscous

• 300 grams couscous
• 450 mls boiling water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley - mint or coriander would work if you don't have parsley
• 1/3 cup of dried dates or apricots, finely chopped

To Serve

• 1/2 cup of plain unsweetened yogurt 
• 1-2 tbsp of Julie Le Clerc Harissa paste
• Steamed green beans - or other greens - to serve

In a dry frying pan, heat the cumin seeds, cloves and peppercorns till toasted and aromatic. Remove from the pan and crush with a mortar and pestle. Place in a non-metallic bowl with the remaining spices: paprika, ginger, garlic, chilli, bay leaves, salt and olive oil, mix well, then add the chicken thighs. Stir to coat and set aside for at least 30 minutes, or alternatively overnight. 

Heat the base of the tagine, or a large saucepan and add the chicken pieces, browning each side for a couple of minutes. Add the onions and carrots and stir so the onion begins to soften. Finally add the chicken stock, lemon rind and olives. Use the addition of the liquid to lift any flavoursome sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Place the lid on top, and simmer on a low heat for 20 - 35 minutes till the chicken is cooked through - cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Meanwhile prepare the couscous. Mix the boiling water and olive oil with the couscous. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes to absorb. Add the lemon juice, parsley and dried fruit. Stir to combine. 

Mix the yogurt with the harissa paste and serve in a small bowl alongside the tagine. 

Once the chicken is cooked, remove to a serving plate, spooning the onions, olives and juices over the top of the pieces of chicken. Serve with couscous, spiced yogurt and green beans.

If you liked this recipe you could also try my Lamb Tagine with Cranberry and Almond Couscous

TP's Hawaiian Chicken Burgers

As a lover of the BK [Burger King] Hawaiian Chicken burger, who's actively trying to 'be healthy' and avoid fast food, this was the perfect home made indulgence. 

The man of the house, who shall be known as TP, created these delicious mouth watering temptations on a whim, but they will be on household repeat for sure. 

Burger

• 2 - 3 large free range chicken breasts (500 grams) 
• 3/4 c flour
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 1 tsp turmeric
• oil for cooking - rice bran works well as it has a high heat temperature
• 6 rashers of rindless free range bacon 
• Can of pineapple rings, drained 
• 6 pack of burger buns, sliced

Preheat oven to 220•C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange 6 rashers of bacon on tray, and bake for 15 - 20 mins till at your preferred crispiness. * You can also bake the chips while the bacon is cooking.

Place the chicken between two pieces of cling film and pound with a rolling pin to flatten out.

Remove cling film and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 6 roughly equally sized pieces.
Combine flour, cayenne, chilli flakes, mixed herbs and turmeric in a bowl. Coat each chicken piece liberally in this mix.

Heat 1/2cm of cooking oil in a frying pan. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, till cooked through. You should be able to fit three pieces of chicken in the pan at the same time. Once the chicken is cooked, reduce heat to low and arrange the pineapple rings in the same pan, turning once.

I also like to flick the oven onto grill for a few minutes at the end of cooking, to toast the buns - cut side up - just be careful that they don't burn.

Slaw 

• 1/2 green cabbage, finely shredded
• 4 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise - I go for full fat, but low sugar variety. 
• 2 pineapple rings, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients using two large spoons to incorporate the mayonnaise well. This does take a little time, so be patient. Taste and season with a little salt if required.

To serve: 

• Sweet Chilli sauce - optional - for the burgers
• Sliced tomatoes
• Thick cut oven roasted potato chips. We bought Pam's thick cut, which are just potato and canola oil, no added flavourings or salt. * Bake while the bacon is cooking
• Tomato Sauce - for the chips 

To assemble 

Smear a little chilli sauce on the bottom half of the burger bun, and smear some mayo on the top half. Layer on top of the chilli sauce, cheese, followed by chicken, bacon, pineapple, tomato and a large spoonful of slaw on top. Top with the bun lid and serve alongside extra slaw, chunky fries and tomato sauce. 

Fresh Chicken Noodle Soup

Seriously easy, seriously nutritious, and seriously fast way to get your chicken soup fix. 


I've used a whole chicken, skinned, jointed and breasts removed. I find this is the most cost effective way to make this soup, plus boiling all the bones means that all that goodness is added to the broth. I don't bother using the chicken breast meat in this soup, as it can get tough when poached, and is far more valuable to use for another meal - like my tasty chicken Hawaiian Chicken Burgers, or Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa for example. 


Also, DO NOT throw the skin away... I never like wasting anything! Check out this tasty way to make the most of it...  

What to do with #leftover #chicken skin? Salt and bake on a tray at 180•C for 20-30 mins till golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and devour.... Reserve the fat in a container in the fridge for next time you're roasting potatoes #chickenskin #lard #chickenfriedpotatoes #naughtytreats #youknowyouwantsome

A photo posted by Stef Parker (@sparkmypantry) on Aug 13, 2016 at 11:22pm PDT

Make sure you drain off the fat before it cools. Store in a glass container in the fridge to use the next time you are roasting potatoes. Plus the chicken crackle makes a tasty snack while the soup simmers. 

Ingredients (serves 4): 
Soup 

• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1/4 c sliced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• bunch of coriander - wash and pick the leaves off. Set them aside and use the roots and stalks in the soup
• 1 whole free range chicken, jointed, skin and breast meat removed. 
• 300 grams dried egg noodles 

For the bowls

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1/4 cabbage, finely shredded
• 6 mushrooms, finely sliced or quartered
• 2 carrots, grated or julienned
• coriander leaves

Joint the chicken, and remove the skin and breast meat. 

Simmer all of the soup ingredients - except the noodles - in a large soup pot for 20 minutes, till the meat is cooked through. 

Meanwhile shred the cabbage - a food processor works well here - grate the carrots, slice the mushrooms and spring onion. Divide the vegetables and coriander leaves, among four large soup bowls. Set aside. 

Remove the chicken - bones and all - from the soup pot, and set aside till cool enough to handle. Now add the noodles and continue boiling for 3 - 10 minutes (according to the packet directions). 

Remove the meat from the chicken bones and divide among the serving bowls. Use tongs to serve the noodles on top, then ladle the boiling broth over it all. Stir, leave for a few minutes to poach the vegetables, and make it cool enough to eat. Serve with soup spoons and chopsticks. 

Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

Burrito bowls seem to be all the craze now, they are low G.I. and provide a gluten free option, plus the brown rice adds extra nutrition. I also find that bowl food is sometimes easier to eat than a wrap, which can get a bit messy!

Even though this is spicy, there is a subtle sweetness added by the mango. Feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to taste, this amount provides a medium spice level. Serving the creamy avocado alongside with the shredded lettuce and tomato makes this a perfectly balanced meal, which also makes fantastic leftovers hot or cold. Also, if you can, use lime juice rather than lemon, it adds a much more authentic zing. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 cups of brown rice
• 500g chicken thigh, trimmed and diced
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• oil for cooking
• 1 mango
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) 
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

to serve

• tomato, diced
• iceberg lettuce, shredded

Cook rice according to packet directions. 

Meanwhile, toss the diced chicken in the paprika, cumin, cayenne and 2 tbsp of oil. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the salsa and avocado. 

Peel and slice half of the red onion into rings. Slice the capsicum into strips. Set both aside. 

Prepare the salsa, dice the flesh of the mango cheeks (skin removed). 

Dice the remaining half onion, and stir with mango and chilli flakes. Add lime/lemon juice and set aside in the fridge. 

Prepare the avocado by mashing the flesh and stirring in lime/lemon juice with the salt and pepper. Set aside to chill while you cook the chicken.  

Heat a little more oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken, stirring, for 5 minutes, if necessary add a little more oil to the pan before adding the sliced onion and capsicum, cook, stirring for another 5 minutes till onion is softened and chicken is cooked through. 

Dish warm rice up into four bowls. Serve topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, chicken, mango salsa, and a generous dollop of avocado. Provecho!!

Creamy Green Chicken Pie

Despite the name of this pie it's relatively light, using sour cream instead of full cream. The 'green' part comes from the fact that the pie is packed with greens. 

The filling is best made the day before, or at least early enough so that it has enough time to chill before putting into the pastry. 

The pastry is an adaptation of my tart pastry, however I've added sunflower seeds as I wanted to add a little texture to it. 

Filling (serves 4-6): 

• 2 tbsp oil
• 500 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp cornflour 
• 1 leek, thinly sliced - white and light green parts only) 
• 1/2 bunch of silverbeet - about 6 large leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/2 tsp salt

Heat 1 tbsp of oil a large pan and add the chicken, cook for a few minutes each side till lightly browned, but not cooked right through. Remove chicken from the pan, cover and set aside. 

Wash the silverbeet and separate the stalks and green leaves. Finely slice the silverbeet stalks and leek. Using the chicken pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and saute the stalks and leek for a few minutes till softened. Meanwhile slice the leaves finely and roughly chop the reserved chicken. 

Combine the vegetable stock and cornflour. Add to the pan with silverbeet leaves, peas, sour cream, milk, pesto and salt. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and leave to cook for 10-15 minutes till the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is quite runny, remove the lid for the last 5 minutes so that it reduces more. 

Once cooked, remove from the pan, cool to room temperature, then chill. 

Pastry: 

• 1 cup flour 
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds - other nuts or seeds would also work. 
• 90 grams cold butter, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 - 6 tbsp chilled water

In a food processor, place the flour, salt and diced butter. Blitz on high till the butter is combined and it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sunflower seeds and blitz on high again. The seeds will stay a little chunky which is good. 

Slowly add the iced water 1 tbsp at a time while the motor is running. The pastry will combine and become a soft sticky ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, or 180 degrees on fan bake and grease a pie dish. 

On a floured surface roll 2/3 of the the pastry out to line the pie dish, allow a little overhang. Roll the remaining pastry to make the lid. 

Spoon your chilled chicken filling into the pie dish and place the pastry lid on top. Wet the edges a little before pressing together with a floured fork. Prick the top of the pie before placing into the hot oven for 40 minutes. 

Once golden and heated through, remove from the oven and allow 5-10 minutes before slicing in and devouring. 

Sesame Satay BBQ Chicken Skewers

As the summer season approaches we've been firing up the BBQ on every opportunity, usually with a lot of hungry bellies to feed. This sesame chicken recipe is really easy to throw together and famously delicious. 

It's suitable for people who are gluten free, or as an alternative to satay for those who are allergic to peanuts. Which makes it a great choice for feeding a crowd, or taking a plate, when you're not sure what people's food intolerances might be. I threw the chilli in for a kick, but it can easily be left out. I usually alternate the chicken with squares of vegetables to help stretch the meat out, but again, if you have enough meat, you could just use chicken. 

Sesame Satay Marinade (per kg of meat):

• 3 tbsp miso paste 
• 3 tbsp tahini - sesame seed paste
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed ginger
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• chilli, finely chopped - optional
• 1 kg chicken meat, 3cm diced - thighs are good, but breast meat will also work
• 20 - 30 skewers - soaked for 20 - 30 minutes. 
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Optional veggies for skewering: 

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• eggplant, diced
• mushrooms, halved
• zucchini, sliced

To prepare the meat, mix all marinade ingredients together and toss through, chicken pieces. Cover and set aside overnight if possible or for at least 30 minutes. 

Soak the skewers, for 20 - 30 minutes - this stops the skewers from burning on the BBQ. 

Prepare vegetables if using. Dicing them into 3cm pieces. 

Skewer pieces of meat, alternating with vegetables, so that there's 3 or 4 pieces of meat per skewer. 

TIP: Pierce the vegetables through the skin, rather than the fleshy parts, as this will prevent them from falling off the sticks as they cook. 

On a hot BBQ cook skewers for 10- 15 minutes, turning regularly. 

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to serve.