Summer chicken stew

This is such a healthy, fresh one-pot dinner that’s packed full of veg – and if you don’t want to use chicken, you could use any other type of meat, or even fish. And feel free to use whichever veg you like too – It’s entirely up to you.

Ingredients: 

1 large stick of lemon grass (bang with the back of a knife to bruise and release the flavours)

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic (peeled and bashed, then added whole)

2 pints of vegetable or chicken stock

2 carrots, chopped in to chunks (no need to peel)

2 large leeks, chopped in to chunky pieces

3 courgetttes, chopped in to large chunks

A good handful of green beans, cut in half

1 whole medium chicken

2 cups of frozen peas

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

– serves 4 very large portions, or 6 average –

Instructions: 

1. Take a very large, deep casserole pot and throw in the ginger, garlic, lemongrass and all of your chopped veg (minus the peas)

2. Skin the chicken and then carve it so that you’re left with 2 breasts, 2 thighs and 2 drum sticks (you could use the carcass and wings to boil with some water and make up your chicken stock – then pick the bits of meat off for adding to a risotto the next day!)

3. Chop the chicken breasts into big chunky pieces and then add all of the chicken pieces to the pot.

4. Pour over the stock (it will speed things up a little if this goes in hot) and add the black pepper

5. Give everything a good stir, then add the lid to the casserole pot and pop it in the oven, gas mark 6 for 2 hours – giving a little stir every so often.

6. Five minutes before serving, remove the pot from the oven. add the peas and return for the final 5 minutes

7. Remove from the oven, ensure all chicken is cooked through and serve in nice soup bowls

Enjoy!

Top tip! Serve with some warm crusty bread to soak up all of the lovely broth at the end

Skate wings with capers & chorizo

 

It’s becoming harder to source skate in Britain due to it’s sustainability. If you can’t get hold of skate for this dish or would prefer to use something that is more sustainable then any type of white fish will work just as well. 

 

Ingredients: 

2 medium sized skate wings 

4 teaspoons of capers 

1 small chorizo sausage, cut into chunky cubes 

1 fresh lemon

A knob of butter 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

seasoning (ground black pepper and seasalt)

– serves 2- 

 

Instructions: 
1. Heat two frying pans each with half of the olive oil and butter 

2. Place one skate into each of the frying pans and season well. Leave to cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes

3. Turn the skate wings over and add the chorizo and capers to the pans (divide the ingredients so that you have half in each pan)

4. leave the skate to cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the chorizo has crisped and released its oil

5. Lift the skate onto your serving plates and pour some of the chorizo flavoured oil, chorizo and capers over the top of the skate. Squeeze over a wedge of lemon and serve with a large wedge on the side. 

Great served with hot new potatoes, a fresh salad and some garlic aoili. 

Enjoy!

Salmon, pea and mint pasta

A nice, quick and healthy meal that can be made in 20 minutes. Great to eat on a Tuesday night in-front of Eastenders!

Ingredients: 

2 lightly smoked salmon fillets (cut into chunks)

3 mug fulls of dried Penne pasta

100g frozen peas 

100g frozen soya beans (chunkily chopped asparagus if you’d prefer!)

A large handful of finely chopped fresh mint 

3 tablespoons of good olive oil 

A handful of roughly grated parmesan cheese

Seasoning (sea salt and ground black pepper)

2 x fresh lemon wedges

– serves 2 – 

 

Instructions: 
 

1. Boil your pasta until it’s just about ready for draining and then at the last minute add in your frozen peas and soya beans. Leave for a few minutes so that the peas and beans are cooked and then drain 

2. Heat the saucepan and add in the olive oil, seasoning and mint. Add the pasta, peas and beans and give a good stir. Add in your salmon chunks and cook for a couple of minutes. 

3. Place your some of your grated parmesan to the bottom of your bowl, and pour in your salmon and pasta, then top with the rest of the parmesan and a squeeze of lemon.

Enjoy!