Baked Chicken Legs with Apple & Cloves

This is one of those flavour combinations that is an absolute winner. The allspice and cloves give a deep, rich and almost smokey flavour; the sweet and sharp apple gives your tastebuds something to savour. The garlic in the gravy adds that little kick at the end of each mouthful and will leave people fighting over the dinner table for the last drop. Whether served with roast potatoes, a simple salad or even with some bread to mop up the juices, this simple dinner will remain a firm favourite.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken legs
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced
• 2 small shallots, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 150ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
2. In a bowl, mix the allspice, golden syrup and the olive oil together. Add the chicken legs and coat the meat in the marinade; then leave to one side.
3. In a baking tray, place on the stove and fry the garlic, shallot and cloves together until translucent.
4. Evenly distribute the apple slices, making a bed at the bottom of the baking tray.
5. Place the chicken on top of the apple and take any excess marinade from the bowl and spread over the meat.
6. Pour in the stock around the meat and place the baking tray in the oven. Leave to bake for 40-45 minutes (basting the meat every 20 minutes) or until chicken runs clean and not pink.

Enjoy 🙂

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One Pot Garlic & Lime Chicken

Getting experimental in the kitchen is when I am really in my element. Mixing things up with different spices and condiments brings nothing but pure excitement when recipe writing and testing. A delicious one pot meal that may indeed look a little underwhelming but the flavours are next level.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast, cut into chunks
• Zest of 1 lime plus juice when serving
• 120g basmati rice, rinsed
• 300ml chicken stock
• 1 dsp white wine
• 1 garlic bulb, whole cloves removed from shells
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Start by frying the garlic and lime zest together in the olive oil for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the chicken, wine and season with salt and pepper; cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the rice and pour in the stock and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat. The liquid is reduced and the rice is nice and fluffy.

Best served hot

Lemon, Chicken & Pea Barley

Pearl Barley, a versatile delicous grain that can be used in a multitude of ways: soups, stews and salads. It can be the ingredient that almost ‘pads out’ your meal or can be the showcase; either way, it’s a win win situation. With this particular recipe, I love how the chicken remains so moist and juicy, absorbing the lemon and all those delicious seasonings.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 100g frozen peas
• 100g pearl barley, rinsed
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 celery, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp onion granules
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

1. In a pan, fry the garlic and celery in the oil for 2-3 minutes.
2. On medium heat, add the chicken, lemon, onion granules, oregano and season with salt and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the barley and cook for a further 4 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, add the peas, mix and bring to a gentle boil.
5. Cover and leave to simmer on low for 40 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the barley has softened but still has a bite to it.

Enjoy 🙂

Jo Jo’s Peri Peri. Richmond

Has been a cheeky go to during the odd, random day that I have been having meat. There’s just something about Jo Jo’s that is just so delicious that when I think of a take away my thoughts go straight to this tasty joint.

On numerous occasions when I have ventured through Richmond I have passed Jo Jo’s Peri Peri and there have been countless times when I have seen a queue of people outside waiting for food. This to me screams, ‘it’s got to be good’, and ‘I need to try this’. On the whole, I generally lean towards a good ol’ trusty Nandos when I’m in the mood for peri peri flavours but after having a cheeky scroll on Deliveroo and seeing its high ratings I thought… lets give this a cheeky go.

Since my first experience of Jo Jo’s, which has happened during lockdown round 3 I have placed a fair few orders with them and every time has been a real joy to indulge. So far, (I say so far because I’ll probably be ordering it again at some point soon) I have tried the hot, medium and lemon and herb sauces which are used when cooking the chicken. Out of these 3 my favourite is the medium, which I found tasted hotter than the hot and brought the most flavour to the ol’ palate. The lemon and herb was nice but didn’t quite hit those ‘tasty buds’ that I was looking for.

One thing I really liked with Jo Jo’s is that they package the chicken in these foil-lined food greaseproof paper bags which keeps in the heat of the chicken allowing it to stay moist and delicious. Additionally, they are generous with the peri peri sauce. I am here for the saucey sauciness, please don’t be handing out dry chicken, it’s just not the way forward.

Gosh… all this chicken talk, I think I know what I’m having for dinner. If you’re local, definitely try this place out!

Giggling Squid. Kingston

Reunited! Hare & Tortoise. Chiswick

Jerk Style Chicken Skewers

Now I am not one to brag but the sauce on this bad boy is just awesome! The trick with this is to leave the chicken to marinate for at least half hour so the flavours in the sauce can infuse, and when cooked keeps the meat really tender.
I added the shallot and vegetable just for added colour and texture, you can mix this up with any other vegetables or just cook the chicken on its own.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 whole chicken breast fillets, chopped into chunks
• 1 green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 large shallot, cut into chunks
• Soaked wooden skewers (soaked so that they don’t burn when grilled)

For the marinade:

• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp onion granules
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 dessert spoon of light brown sugar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. In a bowl, add all the ingredients from the marinade list and give it a good mix. Add the chicken, cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Thread the chicken, shallot and vegetables onto the skewers and place on a grill tray.
3. Grill for 15-20 minutes on medium low heat (or until the chicken is cooked); rotate the skewers every 5 minutes or so.

Best served hot and with grilled vegetables or salad.

 

Le Val. Kingston.

I can’t even put into words the sheer excitement I had to dine at Le Val. I flipping love the food there and recommend it every time. I have been going to this restaurant for many years now and has always been at the top of my list of restaurants to go to when I venture to Kingston.

As the lockdown rules have eased I had the chance to meet up with a friend of mine who recently moved to London. I have ranted and raved about this restaurant since they moved and when we decided to meet we thought it would be about time to dine there; wahoo!!!

Le Val has quite an extensive menu offering a selection of Lebanese dishes from cold and hot mezze to main courses, to express lunch options. I have tried a fair few things on their menu, just to put it out there, their houmous is the one!!! SO damn good. Anyways, my go to meal is the chicken shawarma wrap, which consists of chicken, salad, pickle and a garlicky dressing all wrapped up in a flat bread. This normally comes with a portion of chips and a soft drink of your choice at an incredibly affordable price. They also bring you a whipped garlic mayo and a chilli sauce, which when added to the wrap just makes a whole other party in your mouth come to life; it’s also so good to dip your chips into. I’ve only just had this meal and I am already ready for another round of this quality yumminess!!

I was one happy lady at the end of my meal and was so glad to go there after all the things that have been going on.

Fantastic meal, fantastic company, a fantastic day!

 

Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup

A scrumptiously creamy chicken and vegetable soup, full of nutrients and flavour. I absolutely love the colour of this dish, the small amount of saffron used really punches up the flavour and complements the coconut milk and curry powder beautifully.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 chilli, chopped and deseeded
• 1 sweet pepper, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 diced chicken breasts
• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 flat tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 250ml chicken stock
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

1. In a pan, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
2. On a medium-low heat add the pepper and chilli and fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the chicken, curry powder, paprika, coriander and fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the carrot and potato and give it a mix.
5. Spinkle on the saffron, pour in the chicken stock and the coconut milk and mix well.
6. Leave to simmer on low for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Best served hot.

 

Lemon and Herb Chicken

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• 1 lemon
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 3 sage leaves
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1tsp garlic granules
• 1tsp dried oregano
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 100ml white wine
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp butter

Method

1. In a bowl put the chicken, grate the zest of the lemon, oregano, garlic granules, pepper, a sprinkling of salt and mix. Then add a heaped tablespoon of plain flour and mix again. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Pour the olive oil into a frying pan and fry the chicken on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping occasionally until the meat has browned.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan.
4. Add the fresh garlic, sage, thyme, butter, wine and the juice of half a lemon and leave to cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.
5. Put the chicken back in the pan and cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Flip the chicken every now and then and add a splash of water if the sauce looks too dry.

Best served hot and with some roast potatoes and salad.