Mains: Piri Piri Chicken

Piri Piri Chicken

As my grandmothers family is from the Azores (islands off Portugal's coast), my family have always been interested in Portuguese cooking. This is a favourite we often have. The chicken is flattened. If you have a good butcher, he can do this for you, or if you have a sharp pair of kitchen scissors you can do it yourself.

Essentially all I do is cut either side of the  backbone and pull it out completely. I also pull out the smaller bones connected to it (ribs) for ease of cutting when cooked, and push hard down on it when it is laid out on the tray so it lies flat (you are not pushing hard enough unless you can hear a few bones breaking).

I find this meal tasty and easy to prepare with minimal ingredients. Try it yourself.



Ingredients:

1 Large Chicken

1 Red Thai Chili, Seeded and Chopped Finely

1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika

4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped Finely

1 Lemon, Juiced

2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 160C

2. Combine all ingredients apart from chicken in a bowl and mix together.

3. Pour mixture over chicken in a roasting tray and cook in the oven for about two hours.

4.  Baste chicken with the juices around it every twenty minutes or so.

5. When cooked allow to rest for five mixtures, before cutting into pieces and serving with a green salad and some baked potato.

Mains: Chicken and Potato Mess

Chicken and Potato Mess

Quick, Easy and Tasty

Ingredients:
1 kg potatoes - preferably new- use small potatoes or cut larger ones up
6 Chicken thighs - preferably boned but unboned is ok if it’s what you happen to have in the fridge. Chicken breast would do. Remember to adjust cooking time for different cuts.
3 Cups Cherry or 4-5 large Tomatoes, Chopped 
Basil, Large Bunch
4 T Olive Oil
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 Large Red Onions, Chopped
4 or 5 Cloves Garlic, Peeled
Couple Grinds of Pepper
Pinch Salt

1. Boil potatoes in water with the oxo cube until almost cooked. I like how the oxo cube adds flavor to the potatoes, but the water is ideal for later on in the recipe so do not discard.

2. In a heavy based roasting dish (with lid) over a medium heat add 3 good glugs of olive oil. Brown chicken and turn off heat. Add particularly cooked potatoes and a 1/2 cup of the water.

3. Place chicken and the rest of the ingredients in a ovenproof baking dish with a lid.

4. Bake for 40 minutes.

Lunch or Easy Dinner: Chicken Burgers

Chicken Burgers

Mum used to make these for Weston and I when we were little. These chicken rissoles are great with some tomato relish however I love them in a bun with some satay vegetables. I use the same satay sauce as for my Noddle Stir Fry. If making your own Noddle Stir Fry sauce is to much of an effort on a cruisey Tuesday night, peanut satay is readily available in the refrigerated section at your supermarkert (or Moore Wilsons).

Ingredients:
300 Grams Raw Chicken Minced
1 Small Onion finely chopped
4 Tablespoons Crushed Pineapple
½ Teaspoon Chicken Stock Powder
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

1. Dry toasted Breadcrumbs to bind.

2. Mix all ingredients together in food processor.

3. Make into Rissoles.

4. Fry rissoles until cooked thoroughly through and crispy on both sides.

5. Serve in buns with vegetables (such as satay vegetables) / or relish and lettuce



The satay vegetables are easily made by adding onions, chopped carrots, broccoli, mung bean sprouts, etc. as well as "Noodle Stir Fry Sauce" and sauteing for a few minutes (this will be posted in a latter post).

Mains: Barbecue Marinade

Barbecue Marinade

This can be used the marinate chicken, lamb or pork. My favorite is chicken drums on the BBQ.

Ingredients:
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
2 Tablespoons Fennel Seeds
Sea salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Bunch Fresh Rosemary
1 Lemon, juiced
5 cloves Garlic
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce – I prefer Masterfoods

Method:
In a mortar and pestle grind cumin seeds, fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic, smoke paprika until statsified with the rough paste texture.

Season with pepper and salt and add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sweet chili sauce, mustard, soy sauce and lemon juice. Mix. Finally mix in the BBQ sauce.

Pour over meat and allow to marinate. The longer the better, i.e. ideally at least a few hours.

Sliced Chicken Breast Marinating