Chicken with Tomato sauce

2 Chicken breasts, skin on.

5 large round tomatoes

8 green olives, pitted & sliced

butter

lea & perrins

zest from 1/6 or so of a lemon

thyme

mixed herbs

garlic Italian seasoning

chicken stock cube, in 1/2 pint boiling water

Tomato puree

level teaspoon of sugar.

Place the chicken breasts, skin on on tin foil. (Even if you don't eat skin, cook them in it). Cover with finely sliced butter and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Wrap the foil into a loose parcel and place in the oven @ 200 degrees for 1/2 an hour. 20 mins in, open the foil up so that the chicken browns slightly.

For the sauce, skin the tomatoes (score a cross in the base, cover with boiling water for 5 mins, then drain, and cover with cold water for 2 mins), and chop them crudely.

melt a thick slice of butter (about 20g) in the bottom of a small saucepan. Add the tomatoes and olives once fully melted. Cook vigorously, stirring often.

Add in the garlic Italian seasoning (a little), the thyme (generous), lea & perrins (good few dashes), puree (good squeeze), sugar and the lemon zest. Reduce the heat and add the stock in small amounts to stop the sauce getting too thick and burning. It will need attention. Once all the stock is in, turn up the heat again, and cook down until thick and saucy. Turn off the heat and add another slice of butter (thin slice). 

Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over it, with leeks, carrots, broccoli & new potatoes.

Serves 2.

Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta

4-6 large slices smoked salmon

1 medium onion

2/3 small pack chestnut mushrooms

1 small (1/4 pint) pot of double cream

capers (2 teaspoons)

green jalapenos - from jar (3 slices)

white peppercorns (6) Crushed.

Lea & Perrins

Parmesan

Vermouth (extra dry)

Dill

2 handfuls of pasta.

Chop onions and fry until starting to turn translucent. Slice mushrooms and add those. Roughly chop the salmon and add that once the mushrooms are staring to cook and the onions turn translucent. Fry for another minute.

Add capers & jalapenos (finely chopped).

Grind peppercorns and add. Add a good dash of Lea & Perrins and a good sprinkling of dill.

Splash a little vermouth in the bottom of the pan, and turn up the heat. Liquid will come out of the salmon & mushrooms making it hard to reduce down, so just wait until it starts to boil. Pile up the salmon etc in the pan and add the cream, slowly, stirring through the salmon.

Cook the pasta according to the packet.

Once the sauce is cooking nicely grate in some Parmesan. Reduce down slowly.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sauce.

Serves 2.