Chicken Cacciatore with easy polenta

Serves 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours

6 chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
2 pieces of bacon diced
2 pieces of celery diced
1 carrot peeled and diced thinly
1 onion peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs rosemary
two sprigs of oregano
2 x 400g jars of tomato puree
2 jars of water to add to the sauce
salt and pepper (a shake or two)
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 cup of Marsala wine

 

In a large deep fry pan place a little olive oil then add the celery, carrot, onion, mushrooms and bacon and gently cook for around 6 minutes.  Set aside.  Then in the fry pan add a little more oil and the chicken pieces cooking until browned.

When the chicken is browned nicely add the vegetable and bacon mix and add the tomatoes, all the herbs, water,  sugar, Marsala and the salt and pepper.

Cook in oven in a large casserole pot with lid for around 180 degrees Celsius for two hours making sure the liquid covers the chicken pieces.

Serve with some buttery polenta which I use 1 cup of polenta with two cups of water and a half a chicken stock cube and then add two tablespoons of organic butter.  Stir in a Teflon saucepan until blended for around 5 minutes and if too thick add a little more water then serve hot.

Easy Paella

Preparation Time: ;10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

olive oil for cooking
2 cups of fresh chicken stock  (a little extra may be required)
1 1/2 cups of white rice (i use long grain)
1 small red onion diced
1/2 small red capsicum chopped
3 pieces of bacon diced
1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads
1 garlic clove chopped finely
1/4 cup of chopped tomato
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup of peas
salt and pepper
1 chorizo thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley finely chopped
24 fresh raw tiger prawns (shelled and deveined)
1 chicken breast cut into cubes
100g white fish (i use rockling) diced
100g fresh calamari cut into fine rings

In a large bowl place the rice and the chicken stock with the saffron threads and stir a little then let it sit for ten minutes so the saffron starts to infuse into the rice.

Heat a little olive oil in a large fry pan or electric wok.  Add the diced chicken and cook for around 5 minutes or until cooked.  Place chicken aside in a covered bowl. Then cook the fish, calamari and prawns in a fry pan with a little oil for around 5 minutes until cooked and set aside in another bowl.

In your pan/wok add the bacon, capsicum, onion, cayenne, tomato, garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft.  Then add the chorizo, peas, parsley and a little shake of salt and pepper.  Add the rice and saffron stock mixture and mix well.

Bring to the boil slowly and then reduce the heat to low simmering for around 10 minutes.  Add more stock if you need to so it cooks the rice.  Add the chicken, prawns, calamari and fish to the top of the rice and push down gently . Cook for another 3 - 5 minutes until the rice is tender.

Serve in bowls with extra parsley on top.

The freshest seafood make the best paella.  If you like mussels you can cook some in a little white wine and onion first and wait until they open. Discard any unopened ones.  Set aside the cooked mussel in the liquid and add to your rice at the part where you add the seafood.

Chicken honey chilli with broccoli on vermicelli

Note: This recipe serves one so adjust to the amount you are serving

1 portion of rice noodle (vermicelli) soaking in boiling water
200g diced chicken (best quality hormone free chicken)
2 teaspoons of sweet chilli sauce
4 teaspoons of honey
small pinch of dried garlic
1 tablespoon of water
1 cup broccoli florets pre steamed in microwave
Cashews for top (optional)


Mix the chilli sauce, honey, garlic and water in a small cup and blend into the chicken pieces.

Set a large fry pan on your stove top and add a little olive oil.  Heat on low heat and add the chicken with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring with wooden spoon.  When the chicken is cooked add the broccoli and just through gently with wooden spoon.

Drain vermicelli and place into a bowl and arrange the chicken with broccoli and cashews if desired.

Avocado with sour cream chicken sandwiches

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves : 1

2 small chicken tenderloins or fillets cut thin
1 small handful of bread crumbs
1 egg beaten in a small bowl
shake of pepper and salt
little pinch of dried chilli (if desired)
1/2 avocado cut lengthwise
premium sour cream ( i also added a little old el paso sour cream seasoning to it)
2 slices of fresh sandwich bread

Place the chicken into the egg mix and roll about, then transfer to the crumb mix with salt and pepper.

Then place coated fillets into a fry pan with a little olive oil.  Cook on low heat until cooked completely. If you prefer a little heat add a little chilli.

Prepare bread with avocado as pictured below

Then you can add a little sour cream if you like and once the fillets are cooked place on top of avocado and sour cream.

Place another slice of bread on top and cut diagonally both ways and serve.

Kids really loved this sandwich and it can be let to cool in fridge and eaten cold (eat within 2 days if chicken is fresh not frozen)

Chicken Nuggets home style oven baked

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 -8 minutes

4 Skinless chicken fillets
sprinkle of Italian herbs (thyme,oregano is perfect)
1 cup of breadcrumbs
50g butter melted
shake of salt and pepper
(if you like a little heat in the ones for the adults add a little dried chilli flakes)

Place the herbs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix through.

Chop the chicken into 1 1/2 inch size bites.

Place the butter into a saucepan and melt. Set aside.

 Each nugget is to be dropped into the butter then into the crumb mix.

Place the coated chicken nuggets onto a oven dish lined with baking paper and cook for approx 25 minutes on 180 degrees celsius. Or you can fry these in oil if you prefer.

Serve these with either vegetables or rice.

Tomato based chicken and thyme

Tomato based chicken with Thyme

This is so easy to make and the combination of thyme and a little butter in the sauce makes the chicken taste amazing and this sauce can accompany polenta.

Serves: 4 to 5 people

Cooking Time: 3 hours approx

8 pieces of chicken (either drumsticks or thighs)

750g bottle of tomato passata
1/2 a stock cube (chicken) in 1/4 cup water

1/2 a handful of thyme fresh (leaves )

2 garlic cloves 

1 teaspoon of lurpak butter
Green Beans if desired 

Combine everything in a large casserole dish.  Then place lid on casserole dish and cook in oven for approx 3 hours on around 170 degrees celsius. Turn pieces after each hour or so.  If you like green beans place them into the casserole dish 1/2 hour before serving and these will melt into the sauce.

Make with side dish of rice or polenta and steamed vegetables.

Chicken thighs with lemon and garlic

Chicken thighs with lemon and garlic

 

Preparation Time: 1 hour to marinade 1 hour to cook in oven

Serves 4 approx

6-8 chicken thighs (free range) 8 maximum

1/4 cup of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of organic honey

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves of garlic chopped

olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Lemon wedges

Parsley sprigs to decorate when served

Prepare the marinade in one glass pouring cup.  Lemon juice,honey,brown sugar,Worcestershire and garlic.  Place the chicken in a marinade bowl and pour this marinade over the chicken and cover in fridge for approx one hour.

After one hour or two remove chicken (reserve marinade) and place into a roasting tray with some olive oil.  Pour the marinade over the chicken in the roasting tray and add the salt and pepper all over.

Bake in oven around 180 degrees celsius for 30 minutes then open oven and spoon marinade over chicken and keep cooking for another 30 minutes or until cooked and browned.

Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley.



Roast Chicken with Rosemary

Roast Chicken with Rosemary

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours approx

Serves 4 approx

1 x 1.5kg size Free range chicken

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons (a good shake over your chicken) of extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of chicken stock

Preheat your oven to around 200 degrees celcius.  Place one rosemary sprig in the chicken cavity with the garlic and the vinegar.  Shake some salt and pepper over the chicken and place another sprig of rosemary on the top (breast side up).

Place in oven and reduce temp to around 180 degrees.  Cook for approx 1.5 to 2 hours. 

Turn the chicken after one hour of cooking this makes the juices run through it instead of it draining away. 

When cooked place on warm serving dish and discard the rosemary sprig.  Spoon off the fat from the roasting tin and place it in a saucepan over the stovetop burner.  Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan.  Boil until it begins to thicken.  Taste and add salt and pepper to liking.  Pour into a gravy boat to accompany the chicken. 

Serve with my side dish of roast potatoes and zuccini (see blog recipe)

Chicken and Leek Pie

Chicken and Leek Pie

Preparation Time: 40 minutes approx

Cooking Time: 40 minutes in oven fan forced

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Chicken filling :

3 chicken fillets (skinless) chopped up bite size

Olive oil or butter

1 leek finely chopped ( white part only)

1 clove of garlic crushed 

1 large tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves only

1/4 cup of plain flour
2 cups of milk

salt and pepper

Pastry consists of:

1 cup of grana padano parmesan cheese finely grated

2 cups of plain flour

130grams of chopped butter (lurpak is preferred for best taste)

1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes

1 tablespoon of milk

1 egg
Baking dish for a pie is required (glass ovenproof)

Glaze for top of pie before baking:

1 egg mixed with a splash of milk with a pastry brush (place in fridge until ready to brush pie over)

Now to prepare:

Prepare your pastry by placing the flour, cheese, salt, butter in a food processor and mix for approx 2 minutes until the mixture is finely blended. Add the egg and the milk and mix again until a smooth dough forms.  Then place dough in a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in fridge while preparing the filling.

Heat some olive oil in a deep fry pan and place your chicken pieces and cook until browned nicely.

Remove from pan when cooked and place in bowl.  In the fry pan add some butter (or oil) and place the leek, garlic clove and thyme and cook for approx 8  minutes until softly cooked but not burnt.  Discard the garlic clove.  Add the flour, milk and the salt and pepper.  Cook until thickens then add the chicken in the bowl to the sauce.   Turn off heat after mixing through and set aside to cool down.  

Pre heat your oven on fan forced 180 degrees Celsius.

Now prepare your pastry from the fridge.  Place half the ball on a piece of baking paper on a cutting board.  I used plastic wrap but baking paper is better.  Roll with another sheet of baking paper over the top of the ball until a real thinly spread pastry shell is formed.  Place into your glass baking dish  and work the edges around pulling any excess off and adding to the other ball.  Add the chicken mixture to the pie shell only when the chicken filling has cooled down considerably as otherwise it may make the pie shell watery.  The sauce should be thick and not watery when prepared.  Then once filled roll out the other pastry ball into a large round lid and place whatever design you like on the top. Crimp the edges together with your fingers.


Use some of the glaze from the fridge with pastry brush over the pie.  


Place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes.

Delicious!!!!

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes approx

2 Large chicken fillets skinless cut in half lengthwise

2 eggs lighty beaten in a bowl with a splash of milk

1 cup of breadcrumbs in a bowl

pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup of flour in a bowl

Olive oil in frypan to fit two fillets

Tomato sauce, just tomatoe puree  (i used home made italian sugo) 200g approx

Mozzarella cheese ( soft ball grated)  1/2 of a ball or enough to top the four fillets

Finely cut garden parsley for each to top

Garden salad

Lettuce cos a few leaves on each plate

finely sliced carrots peeled for each plate

radish washed finely sliced for each plate

1 tablespoon olives pitted each

few slices of finely sliced grana padano cheese

Place chicken fillets each into the egg mixture and let drip for a moment then dip into flour and shake off excess.  Then dip the floured chicken fillet back into the egg and milk mixture.   Then roll in the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper.  Fry in pan (two at a time until golden brown in frypan) and place on some baking paper or foil on a baking tray / dish. 

Place the tomato puree on the top of each fillet and top with mozzarella.  Bake in oven for approx 30 - 45 minutes on 180 degrees.

Then when ready top with finely chopped parsley to serve with salad.