Chicken Stew

March seemed to be on track to follow the old saying; "in like a lion, out like a lamb". That was until the final week when the wind picked up and twice I found myself picking up the contents of my recycling bin from the garden. I needed something warming to lift the spirits and what better than a stew? I cooked the chicken whole in the broth to extract as much flavour as possible and it really adds an extra dimension to the dish. Homemade chicken stock is a big bonus here if you have it and feel free to swap the cannellini beans for butter beans, I would have if I hadn't picked up the wrong tin!

 Serves 8

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Leeks (finely sliced)
2 Carrots (chopped)
2 sticks of Celery (chopped)
1 litre of Chicken Stock (hot)
1 whole Chicken
1 tsp Dried Marjoram
1 Bay Leaf
1 sprig of Thyme
4 medium Potatoes (peeled and chopped)
100g Lentils
150g Sugar Snap Peas
1 tin (400g) of Cannellini Beans
100g Kale (remove stems and shred leaves)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the leek, carrot and celery. Season well and cook for 8-10 minutes before adding the chicken stock and one litre of boiling water. Bring to the boil.

2. Place the Chicken in the pot and season the top of it. Add the marjoram, bay leaf, thyme and potatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper before covering with a lid and simmering for an hour. 

3. After an hour the chicken should be well cooked but check with a thermometer if unsure. Remove it from the pot and add the lentils, sugar snaps, beans and kale. Remove the skin from the chicken and chop all of the meat into bite sized chunks. When chopped, add the chicken pieces back to the pot and cook for about twenty minutes from the time the lentils went in. Check for seasoning and serve.

Paella with Chicken and Beans

Spain's most famous dish, the paella always elicits happy childhood memories for me. On our family's annual Spanish holiday it was a staple, along with my Mother's sangria and my Father's san miguel (or "piss", as he usually referred to it). Until our recent trip to Barcelona I had considered paella an arduous dish. I had tried recipes by Gordon Ramsey and Simon Hopkinson and although they turned out great, they were time consuming and elaborate, a treat. On the plane journey to Catalunya I began to read a book that I have owned for quite awhile. "My Kitchen In Spain" by Janet Mendel is full of great Spanish recipes and techniques and it was only after reading the technique for paella that I realised how simple a dish it really is.

It actually couldn't be much simpler. Sweat the vegetables and meat in a little oil for 10 minutes. Add rice, water and saffron (or food colouring if you're on a budget) and cook for 20 minutes without stirring. Not particularly time consuming, arduous or even elaborate, the paella is now a weekly event in our house. The reason not to stir it is so a crust can develop on the bottom of the pan. It should be crispy but not burnt. With this in mind, finding the exact temperature to cook it at can take a few attempts. The meats of choice in Barcelona were chicken, rabbit and pork (the meat was always on the bone) but you can, of course, use any combination of meat or fish that you like. I have gone with pancetta and chicken here.

Serves 2

Pinch of Saffron
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
100g Green Beans (chopped)
1/2 Red Pepper (chopped)
75g Pancetta or Streaky Bacon (chopped)
1 Chicken Leg (chopped into 3-4 cm chunks)
1/4 tsp Hot Paprika
150g Paella Rice
300ml Chicken Stock or Water (hot)
1/2 tin of Butter Beans
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Put a few tablespoons of warm water in a bowl and add the saffron. Set aside to infuse.

2. Heat the oil in a paella or frying pan and add the onion, green beans, red pepper and pancetta. Season and cook for 3 minutes before adding the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, add the paprika and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

3. Add the paella rice and stir for a minute before adding the stock, saffron water (including the saffron strands) and butter beans. Season, stir well, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes without stirring. Serve hot.

Whole Chicken Pt.3: Sweet Chilli Chicken Wrap

After 8 portions over two days it's hard to believe that the humble chicken is still giving. We have only used the breasts so far and now it's time to put the legs and wings to good use. This is a very simple dish but it completely elevates the chicken to new heights. It's important to use the legs and wings rather than breasts as the breast meat would dry out and become stringy, not very pleasant! The accompaniment is a peperonata style stewed peppers and onions (peperonata should also contain tomatoes but they're not needed here). It works very well and if you want an extra bit of luxuriousness replace the relish with some natural yogurt.

Serves 4

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Red Onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Red Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (cut into strips)
1 Yellow Pepper (cut into strips)
2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Dried Oregano

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cooked Chicken Legs and Wings (meat torn off)
2 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (I used Gibney's)
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

4 Large Wholemeal Wraps
4 tsp Relish (I used Ballymaloe)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. First make the peperonata; Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli and peppers. Season well and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the vinegar and oregano and continue to cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, adding a little water if it dries out too much. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile prepare the chicken, Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add the meat. Season and cook for a few minutes until the chicken starts to brown. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the chilli sauce. Cook while stirring constantly until the sauce reduces and the chicken becomes sticky. Add the sesame seeds and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Put the wraps in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to fluff up. Add a teaspoon of relish (or yogurt) to each wrap and spread it over the surface with the back of a spoon. Divide the stewed peppers and onion between the 4 wraps and do the same with the chicken. Roll up and serve.

Whole Chicken Pt.2: Chicken and Vegetable Risotto

After the delicious spaghetti with tomato sauce of part one, I'm going to continue on the Italian theme to use up the two breasts from our still untouched bird. Most of the time risotto dishes tend to be of the vegetarian variety, wild mushroom, garden pea etc. but my two favourite are risotto with chicken liver sauce and this one which uses up any bits of leftover chicken along with whatever vegetables you have lying around.

Most people like to use Arborio or Carnaroli rice and although I do like these, my favourite to use is Baldo. This is because it's much smaller than the others and so cooks much quicker. It does however, jump from under done to over done in a relatively short time so if you're not used to making risotto, one of the others may be a better option. Feel free to add any vegetables you wish to this dish. I would normally use courgette and aubergine along with the others but I just didn't have any to hand.

This recipe serves 4 but if you are only making it for 2, like me, make the same amount and use the leftover for Arancini the next day (see below).

Serves 4

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1 small stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Green Pepper (finely chopped)
2 Cooked Chicken Breasts (pulled apart into small pieces)
400g Risotto Rice (Baldo, Arborio or Carnaroli)
1/2 glass of White Wine
1.2 litres of Chicken Stock
50g Butter (cubed)
2 tbsp freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Keep at a simmer for the entire cooking process.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion, carrot, celery and green pepper. Season well and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the chicken and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the rice and stir well to coat with all the flavours. Add the wine, stir and allow to cook until it has been soaked up by the rice. Add a ladle of stock, stir in and allow to cook until it has been absorbed. Repeat this until the rice is al dente (it should be creamy but still retain a little bite in the middle). For Baldo it will take between 15 and 20 minutes while Arborio or Carnaroli may take 20 to 30 minutes.

4. When the rice is cooked, stir in the butter and cheese to increase the creaminess. Check for seasoning and serve. If you prefer a loose risotto: after plating it, pour a couple of tablespoons of stock over the top.





















To use up leftover risotto in Arancini:

Leave the risotto in the fridge overnight. The next day make the risotto into golf ball size balls in your hands. Dip into beaten egg and then into seasoned fine breadcrumbs (or polenta as I prefer). Shallow fry over a medium heat until golden.

Whole Chicken Pt.1: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

There's nothing like a bit of frugal cooking! Cheap cuts and pantry staples often come together to form delicious meals that can have far more flavour than something that costs ten times the amount. This can also extend to getting the most out of an expensive ingredient by using it to its full potential. This is part 1 of 3 of my favourite ways to use a whole chicken to feed 4 people for 3 nights. A chicken can be a relatively expensive purchase (especially if, like me, you buy organic or free range) but by getting 12 dinners out of it, it becomes quite cheap. 

First I like to pot roast the chicken in a tomato sauce. All the wonderful juices from the chicken pour out into the sauce and give it a wonderful flavour, perfect over pasta. This leaves us still with a full chicken to use up over the next two days.

Serves 4

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
50 ml of White Wine (optional)
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Whole Chicken (organic or free range if possible)
Pinch of Dried Marjoram
400g Spaghetti
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (to serve)

Use a pot/casserole big enough to hold the chicken and ensure it has a tight fitting lid.

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the garlic and chilli. Season well and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften, being careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the wine and allow the alcohol to cook off for a few minutes before adding the tins of tomatoes. Bring to the boil and add the bay leaf and oregano.

3. Put the chicken on top of the sauce and pour over the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Season well with salt, pepper and dried marjoram. Put the lid on the pot and put into a pre heated 190 degree oven for about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.

4. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in plenty (4 litres or more) of salted boiling water until al dente (or 1 minute less than packet instructions). Drain and add to the sauce. Toss well to coat all the pasta and serve with some freshly grated parmesan over the top.

Pete's Perfect Portion 1

After four weeks of 'Highs and Lows', I've realised that sometimes I just don't eat anything terrible to write about! On Ali's recommendation I've decided to change it to "Pete's Perfect Portion" and only include a low when there is one - here is this week's perfect portion:

Medium Spicy Chicken from Nando's, Swords

On Saturday, Ali and I took a trip to Swords to collect a new lens for my camera. I arranged to meet the seller outside Nando's and while waiting for him, the hunger hit us! Neither of us had ever eaten in Nando's, so once the deal was done, we decided to give it a try. I didn't hold much hope of it being good and was unsure whether it was fast food or not. I'm still not sure but the food was bloody good! The chicken had a nice amount of heat and was surprisingly tender. The selection of sauces available ensure all tastes are catered for, while the sides (spicy rice and corn) were both tasty. I definitely won't shy away from going again. 

Chicken and Prosciutto Pot Roast

Chicken and Prosciutto Pot Roast

As much as I relished the World Cup Challenge, I've loved cooking all the food I really enjoy again. Many people think cooking a whole chicken is the chore of a Sunday, but I think it's a great midweek meal with plenty of leftovers to help with lunch in the following days. This dish is simple but the flavours are delicious, especially the tomato sauce. Served with couscous and some stir- fried vegetables, it really is a no fuss dinner that everybody will enjoy!

The secret to the sauce is cooking the chicken on top of it. This allows the chicken to soak up the wonderful tomato flavour and the sauce benefits from the chicken juices and fat. You can remove the skin from the chicken before wrapping with prosciutto if you wish.

Serves 4

1 Whole Free Range Chicken (approx 1.5Kg)
5 slices of Prosciutto/Parma Ham
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1/2 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes (400g)
1 tsp Sugar
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Couscous and Stir-Fried Veg to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

1. Cover the top of the chicken with slightly overlapping slices of prosciutto and sprinkle a little pepper on top. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil over a medium heat in an oven safe casserole dish (ensure the chicken will fit and the dish has a tight fitting lid) and add the onion and chilli. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add the tin of tomatoes and sugar and bring to the boil. Place the chicken on top of the sauce and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour.

3. After an hour, remove the lid and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. (check that it's 73 deg C with a thermometer) Serve with couscous and stir-fried vegetables.

World Cup, Playoff and Final

World Cup, Playoff and Final

Day 24 & 25

It's over. The spectacular 2014 World Cup has come to an end after a month of somethimes great, sometimes not so great football. It's been great to see so many unfancied teams do so well but I think it's fair to say that the best team won.

It's been a similar story in my challenge. The nations whose cuisines I hadn't previously paid much attention to were the ones that impressed me the most. The South American countries in particular took me by surprise and I'll be ensuring that I take plenty of inspiration from more of their dishes. For the 3rd/4th place playoff I decided to celebrate dutch cuisine as I had somehow managed to neglect them for the entirety of the tournament so far.

World Cup, Day 24 - The Netherlands

Old Style Chicken

I have never spent much time delving into Dutch cuisine, you don't really hear too much about it. I spent quite a bit of time researching recipes and dishes when I came across this one. It really jumped out at me, I was salivating just reading the ingredients list! It was a resounding success, I would actually consider this my favourite chicken recipe now, give it a try! It's important to cook the legs on a wire rack over a baking tray, it means that the skin will crisp up evenly and excess fat can drip off. This recipe is an adaption of Karin Engelbrecht's Chicken From The Golden Age. I served this with Sweet Potato Chips; cut a few sweet potatoes into chips and put them on a baking tray in a single layer. Add a good glug of oil with some salt and pepper. Mix well and put into the oven with the chicken. They should cook in the same amount of time.

Serves 4

8 Free-Range Chicken Drumsticks
2 Streaky Rashers
50g Butter
1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
1 tsp Dried Marjoram
1 tsp Dried Basil
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cloves

Sweet Potato Chips to serve

1. Put everything except the chicken into a food processor and blend until smooth. Push your fingers underneath the skin of the chicken creating little tunnels. Fill these with the bacon butter and rub whatever is left onto the skin of the chicken. Put on a wire rack over a baking tray and into a 200 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Check that they are cooked by inserting a thermometer and ensuring the reading is over 73 degrees celsius. Be sure that the thermometer isn't touching the bone when making the reading. Serve with Sweet Potato Chips.

World Cup, Day 25 - Germany

Apple and Caramel Tart

The final. The last day of The World Cup Challenge! For the final I needed to cook a dessert as we were invited to a friends house for dinner so I said I'd make dessert. I took inspiration from the most famous of German desserts, the Apple Strudel. I have never been a fan of any type of apple tart (rolled or not!) so I knew I would have to drastically change things to suit my tastes. I came to the conclusion that there is nothing in the World that doesn't benefit from the addition of caramel and so the concept was born. I had to buy Carnation Caramel as I was under serious time pressure but there is no reason you couldn't make your own (either by boiling a can of condensed milk or by using a recipe like this)

I like to use the shortcrust pastry recipe that can be found here. I just replace the salt with a pinch of sugar for a sweet tart/pie.

Serves 6-8

1 Quantity of Shortcrust Pastry (see above, rested in the fridge for at least 30 minutes)
800g Bramley Cooking Apples (peeled, cored and roughly chopped)
2 heaped tbsp + pinch of Sugar
1 Tin (397g) Carnation Caramel
1 Egg (beaten)
Pinch of Ground Cinnamon 

1. Put the apples and 2 tbsp of sugar into a pot over a medium-low heat and stir well. Cover and let stew until completely broken down. Stir in the Caramel and heat through for a couple of minutes. Set aside.

2. Butter a 28cm cake tin and roll out the pastry into a circle about 10cm bigger than the base of the tin. Line the bottom of the tin with the pastry ensuring to patch any tears. Keep the sides of the pastry up and pour in the apple and caramel filling. Spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Allow the sides of the pastry to fold over the filling a little giving a lovely rustic look. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg and sprinkle over a pinch of sugar and cinnamon.

3. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 25-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out of the tin. and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.

World Cup, Semi Finals

World Cup, Semi Finals

Day 22 & 23

The World Cup is almost over. Almost a month has passed since the first match and first day of my World Cup Challenge. Two more dishes to go, Saturday and Sunday. The semi finals provided a couple of shocks including Germany's massacre of hosts Brazil. I decided to cook Brazilian for the second time on Tuesday and went with a Brazilian Style Chicken Stew:

World Cup, Day 22 - Brazil

Chicken Stew

My research into Brazilian cuisine has confirmed two things in my mind; 1. They love BBQ and 2. They love coconut milk in a stew! I really enjoyed my first Brazilian dish (can be found here) and wanted to try another. I went with a chicken stew as I couldn't handle anymore beef and, to be honest, the weather didn't lend itself to having a barbecue. I was going to serve the chicken with rice but i didn't check my larder first. I ended up mixing in some Lentils which worked very well.

Serves 4

1 Free Range Chicken (cut into pieces)
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1/2 Hot Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Large Beef Tomato (diced)
1 Tin of Coconut Milk
250 ml Chicken Stock
150g Lentils (rinsed well)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Mix the ground coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin and salt together and rub all over the chicken pieces. Lightly oil a baking dish and put the chicken in it. Cook in a preheated 230 degree oven for 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a stewpot (oven safe with a tight fitting lid) over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and chilli. Season and cook for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes longer before adding the chicken. Pour the coconut milk into the baking dish (now empty) and scrape up any stuck on bits of chicken/spices before pouring into the pot along with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and add the lentils. Season, cover and cook in the oven at 170 degrees for 20 minutes. Ensure the chicken is cooked through with a thermometer (make sure its internal temperature is at least 73 degreesC)

World Cup, Day 23 - Argentina

Rainbow Trout with Chimichurri Sauce

During this challenge I've really enjoyed cooking South American dishes. I hate to say that it's a continent who's food I had never really researched and felt no inclination to do so. I was very wrong, my three favourite dishes of the World Cup have been South American and I'll certainly be researching and cooking them more often. Argentina is famous all over the World for the high quality beef it produces. It is customary to serve any grilled meat/fish with a Chimichurri Sauce and so I decided to base my dish around it. I'm not sure how easy it is to find Argentinian Beef in Ireland but I didn't even try. I wanted fish! A trip to my reliable fish monger showed some rainbow trout on special, already butterflied and ready to cook. How could I resist. I served this with couscous that was loaded with onion, chilli, ramiro pepper and celery. (saute veg in oil and add in couscous and hot vegetable stock: 1 measure couscous to 1.8 measure of stock. Season, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10-15 minutes) Delicious!

Serves 2

For the Chimichurri:

25g Fresh Parsley (stalks included, roughly chopped)
3 cloves of Garlic (roughly chopped)
1 tsp Course Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
1/2 Chilli (roughly chopped)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Small Onion (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

For the Trout:

2 Butterflied Rainbow Trout (skin on)
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Vegetable Couscous to serve (see above)

1. First make the Chimichurri by putting all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor. Blitz until the ingredients are blended pretty small. Scrape any bits from the side before putting the processor on its lowest setting and mixing in the oil. Set aside in the fridge until needed.

2. Heat a Griddle Pan over a high heat and add the oil. Brush the oil all over the surface and allow to get really hot. Add the fish, skin side down, and season the top well. Allow the fish to cook almost all the way through (you'll see it changing colour) before flipping it over and cooking for 1-2 minutes to finish. Serve on a bed of the couscous with a generous helping of the chimichurri sauce.

BBQ Season!!

BBQ Season

My favourite time of year is finally here! Although I relish the coziness of dark evenings in front of the fire, I particularly love the al fresco nature of summer and barbecue season. Nothing beats the whole family sitting outside in the (hopefully) sun enjoying good food and a few beers. For my birthday this week we took a chance, we decided to have a small family barbecue and hoped that the weather held up (it is the middle of May after all!). Thankfully the sun shone, the rain stayed away and we had a great evening together. 

Even though it was my birthday, I decided I'd take care of the cooking and with €50 to feed 12 people (including 2 fussy kids) I knew I had my work cut out! First thing to sort were the salads:

Egg Salad - Hard boil 10 eggs, peel and roughly chop. Mix with plenty of mayonnaise, finely chopped chives and season well. Sprinkle a little paprika on top.

Potato Salad - Boil 1kg of baby potatoes until tender, drain and put into a large bowl. Add plenty of extra-virgin olive oil and season well. Add some dried oregano and some finely chopped chives. Mix well.

Pasta Salad - Boil 500g fusilli pasta in salted water until cooked, drain and put into a large bowl. Add lots of extra-virgin olive oil, plenty of halved cherry tomatoes, chopped basil and season well. Mix thoroughly and squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon just before serving.

Spicy Rice Salad - Saute some garlic, chilli, onion and chopped red pepper over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add some turmeric and stir well. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes before adding 250g of rice. Add 500ml of vegetable stock and allow to simmer. Add more stock as necessary until cooked.

With the salads complete and in the fridge, I moved onto meats. For me, the most important piece of equipment for a BBQ is an instant digital thermometer. It allows you to get everything cooked perfectly without having to overcook for safety's sake I prefer to cook chicken in the oven first and then finish off on the BBQ. This method ensures they are cooked through without burning:

For the dry rub mix together; 1tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2tsp white pepper, 1tsp thyme, 1/2tsp smoked paprika, 1/2tsp dried oregano and 1/2tsp salt.

Lightly oil a large baking tray and lay out 15-20 chicken drumsticks. Sprinkle over 3/4 of the dry rub and massage it all over the drumsticks. Put into a 150 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until just cooked through. Char on the BBQ for a couple of minutes to add a bit of life. You can also brush some of your favourite BBQ sauce onto the drumsticks before they go on the BBQ for an extra hit of flavour.

Next I made burgers: spicy lamb for those of us keen on a bit of heat and plain beef for the more conservative!

Saute 1 onion, 1 red chilli and 2 cloves garlic (all finely chopped) in plenty of extra-virgin olive oil with some salt and pepper for 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Allow to cool. Put 500g of lamb mince into a mixing bowl and add the onion mix, including the oil. Season well and add in half a beaten egg. Mix well. Lightly oil a large plate and with wet hands, shape the lamb mix into five patties. Lay on the plate, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour or two. Season each side and cook on the BBQ, brushing with BBQ sauce if you like.

You can make the beef burgers the same way but I just mixed 500g of mince with salt, pepper and half a beaten egg and continued as above.

The last bit of cooking was some Nolan's of Kilcullen sizzler and plain pork sausages which were brushed with BBQ sauce and placed on the BBQ until cooked through.

The small amount of cash left over was spent on 12 cans of San Pellegrino orange and lemon and Ali baked a beautiful orange and almond cake for dessert (and to hold the birthday candles).

 I'll have plenty of BBQ posts up over the summer, it's good to take advantage of whatever little sun we get!

Chicken and Olive Stew

Chicken and Olive Stew

On Saturday I took in my first visit to Naas Farmers Market to see what i could pick up for a Sunday dinner and, although the weather was awfull, the produce on sale was fantastic. The first thing to take my attention was the "Real Olive Company" stall where I picked up some beautiful Organic Kalamata Olives. Having bought these I decided I would make a Chicken and Olive Stew so I trodded over to the Veg stall and picked up some Kildare Spuds, some Runner Beans and some beautiful Italian Cherry Tomatoes. Although I failed to see any Chicken, I did treat myself to a wonderfully strong Farmhouse Cheddar, made in Co.Wicklow. A quick stop on the way home to pick up a Free Range Chicken and I was all set for the Sunday Stew!



This is a great one pot dish and is very easy to make. I bought myself a standalone Induction hob about a month ago and since then I've mostly been doing one pot dishes, I cant go back to the frustratingly slow electric cooker in our house! Use whatever Veg takes your fancy in this and feel free to swap out the whole Chicken for a box of Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks or whatever you prefer. For the Olives, try to buy them with the stone in and remove it yourself, they start to lose flavour as soon as the stone is taken out and there really is no comparison. Its also important to use a good Chicken Stock here, homemade is best but if not then a good quality cube will suffice.

Serves 4

3tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Small Onions (finely chopped)
1 stick Celery (finely chopped)
1 clove Garlic (finely chopped)
1.5Kg Whole Chicken (jointed into 2 breasts and 2 legs and seasoned)
100ml White Wine
500ml Chicken Stock
8 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
10 Kalamata Olives (roughly chopped)
1tsp Dried Oregano
2 Dried Bay Leaves
1tbsp White Wine Vinegar
500g Potatoes (2cm diced)
100g Runner Beans (sliced 1cm width)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Add the Oil to a large pan over a medium high heat and add the Onion, Celery and Garlic, season and as soon as the Onion starts to colour add the Chicken Pieces (throw the wings in too) and brown all over. Add the Wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck. Cook for 5 mins.

2. Add the Chicken  Stock, Tomatoes, Olives, Oregano, Bay Leaves and Vinegar. Season well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Potatoes and continue to simmer for another 10-15 mins until everything is just cooked. Add the runner beans, stir well and cook for a further 3-4 mins. Ensure the Chicken is cooked with a thermometer or make sure the juices run clear. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve with some thick, crusty Bread.

Chicken and Quinoa Stew

Chicken and Quinoa Stew

This dish came about when I got home a few weeks ago and realised I hadn't gone to the shop to get the necessary ingredients for the nights dinner. My laziness kicked in and instead of going back out, I just had a root in our well stocked press and threw this together. It worked out extremely well and I've made it plenty of times since, tweaking slightly each time until I got to this beautiful, warming dish.

Don't be put off by the Chilli in the recipe, it is removed before serving so just gives the dish a lovely warmth especially important during these freezing evenings. Feel free to buy a whole Chicken and joint it instead of just buying the legs. The legs are usually cheaper and have a better flavour but a whole Chicken will be better value if you use it for a stock.

Serves 4

4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
2 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Large Carrot (finely chopped)
4 Free Range Chicken Legs (Cut into thigh and drumstick)
6 Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1.2 Litres of Good Chicken Stock
2 Dried Bay Leaves
1 Chilli (pierced a few times)
1tsp Dried Oregano
1tsp Dried Thyme
1tbsp White Wine Vinegar
150g Quinoa
4 Small Sweet Potatoes (cut into 2cm cubes)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Saute the Onion, Garlic, Celery and Carrot in the Oil over a medium heat for about 7 minutes or until softened, season as soon as you add to the pan. Add the Chicken and brown lightly all over before adding the tomatoes. Season and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the Stock, Bay Leaves, Pierced Chilli, Oregano, Thyme and Vinegar and season. Bring to the boil, cover almost fully with a lid (leaving a little gap for steam to escape), turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. 

3. Add the Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes, season and simmer with the lid off for a further 20-30 mins until the Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes are tender. Remove the Bay Leaves and the Chilli and serve with some good bread.

Variations

As with any stew, feel free to add or take away any veg you like/dislike. if you would like a thicker consistency you could coat the Chicken in Flour/Cornflour before adding to the pan or just cook for 15 mins longer with the lid off to allow it to reduce.