Twitter: Risotto Off

Hi!

{Image source}

So, as usual some of us were talking on twitter yesterday, and the subject of risotto came up. Claudz and I were both thinking of making it last night, and while we were talking, Marisa got interested. Before long, we had a #RisottoOff on our hands!

Rules are as follows:

1. You have to have made the risotto yourself.
2. You need to post the risotto between today (Tuesday 28 September 2010) and next Tuesday (5 October 2010).
3. Please link to this post.
4. Have fun!

That is all! Within the next week, we'll all be cooking and comparing notes on our risottos. As you know, this is on my #30before30 list

Spicy Baked Chicken

Hi!

So it's all stations go at home at the moment, with just 16 days until my wedding! My dad arrived from England late on Tuesday night, so although I'm cooking again, I still have NO time. It's slightly insane, really. How do people who plan weddings have clean houses, clean laundry and clean dogs? Dear heavens, I realise now that I'm not the multitasker I though I was.

{Image source: gwendolen, flickr}
This is closeish to what I made, but I had marrows, and the chicken pieces were whole)

So, I invited my dad and my sister round for dinner (I really needed to clean my house, and figured they'd be late, so I could clean and cook at the same time - bingo! I was right.) I wanted something that was low maintenance, that I could cook in the oven, and that would be warming and tasty. Also, I had some veggies in the fridge that needed to be used (yes, sometimes I buy things and forget to use them until the last minute!). And so this dish was born.

I literally pulled out everything I needed to use, along with some herbs and spices, and 45 minutes later, out came this wonderful spicy, savoury, delicious baked chicken dish! It has no recipe (I mean, I made it up as I went along), but that's how greatness is made, not so? And without further chatter, I give you,

Spicy Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces (as many as there are people to feed; whatever piece, I used thighs)

4-5 baby marrows/courgettes/zucchini, roughly chopped into rounds

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed (or 1 tsp bottled garlic)

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tbsp veggie pickle

1 tbsp black olive tapenade

1 tsp (flat) chilli & garlic paste (it's hot, so be careful with this one)

1 tin tomato and onion

250ml white wine

1 can chickpeas

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Heat a frying pan, and brown the chicken pieces, setting them aside in an oven proof dish.
3. Heat a little oil in the same pan (having turned down the heat a bit), and fry the onions for a few minutes, until they start to soften a bit, then add the chopped baby marrows.
4. Add the veggie pickle, tapenade, the herbs and the chilli and garlic paste.
5. Fry these until the onion's translucent, and add the garlic just before the end, frying until the garlic is fragrant.
6. Add the chickpeas. Because I used tinned, they're already pretty soft. I understand that if you use dry, the chickpeas take a lot longer to cook, so bear that in mind if you decide to use dried, and maybe parboil them before adding them to the mix.
7. Pour in the white wine, a little at a time, stirring in between to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, then allow it to simmer for a bit, reducing the liquid levels.
8. When the wine has reduced, add the tomato and onion mix, bringing the whole mixture to a simmer.
9. When it's all warm, pour it over the chicken pieces, and pop the whole lot in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear when you stick a knife into them. Thighs are quite thick, and depending on your oven, this may take up to 45 minutes. Rather overcook them slightly, than undercook, as undercooked chicken can give you all sorts of funny illnesses, and it's gross to boot.
10. Serve with rice and steamed veggies or a salad.

Enjoy!

Channa Masala-inspired Chicken and Rice

Good morning, girls and boys!

This morning is icy and freezy in Cape Town, and I can't stop thinking about my dinner last night! Am I the only one who thinks about food constantly in winter? And my dear, it's been a cold winter!! If you're looking for something warm, hearty, spicy, filling and cheap, you've come to the right place! As Marisa at The Creative Pot mentioned, it's penny-pinching time, and with my wedding coming up in about a month, I'm pinching all the pennies I can get my paws on! So when I saw her Channa Masala, I was inspired to make this Channa Masala-inspired chicken dish!
{Image source: allikazoo, flickr}

I'm a huge fan of using what you have at hand and, as I may have mentioned, I'm not too wonderful at sticking to a recipe verbatim. I like to use what I have, what's available in my local shops and sometimes, what just feels like a good idea that day! So while this dish was initially inspired by Marisa's Channa Masala, it can't claim to be even a sibling - more of a distant cousin, I suppose!

{Image source: Il Primo Uomo, flickr}

That said, don't let me stop you from following every recipe to the letter! I write these down as accurately as I can, so that you can have the benefit of my inability to follow recipes.. You're welcome! Also, following recipes will make you a better baker. We all know how I struggle with that!!

And so, without further ado, I give you,

Channa Masala-inspired Chicken and Rice
Served: 2, with leftovers

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tin chopped tomatoes / tomato and onion mix
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 tin chickpeas
1/2 tin sweetcorn kernels
1/2 tin red kidney beans
2 chicken breasts, flattened and chopped into bite size pieces
150 ml white wine
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to season
Rice, cooked according to instruction, to serve

Method:

1. Chop onion (slice off the ends, then cut in half length ways. Take each half and lay it flat on the board, slicing from end to end to make half-moon shaped slices), and dice garlic.
2. Heat a little sunflower oil in a pan, and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant, and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the spices (cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper) and fry until fragrant, mixing into the mixture.
4. Add the yellow pepper, and fry a little more, but not too much, you want the pepper to remain slightly crunchy.
5. Add the flattened and chopped chicken, and stir into the mixture, until just cooked on the outside.
6. Pour in the white wine, and stir to deglaze the pan. I used Kleine Zalze chenin blanc (I'm an Ambassador! Go and follow my adventures, and leave me a little comment love!), but any dry white wine will do. Have a glass while you're at it, you deserve it!
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, sweetcorn and red kidney beans, and stir.
8. Heat through, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Serve over rice with a side salad, and enjoy!

This dish is deliciously warming and spicy, and makes a LOT, so you should have leftovers, if you're only serving 2, as I was. You can sub out the chicken for sausages, or more chickpeas, or even meatballs, if you like.

Enjoy!