Chicken & Swede Tagine

2 Chicken Breasts

1 very large pepper, or 2 normal ones.

2 onions

3 handfuls of mushrooms

1/3 large swede

1/2 litre of chicken stock (2 oxo) made up in boiling water

2 tsp garam marsala

1 tsp ground coriander seed

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp acacia honey

1 tsp very lazy garlic

1 tbsp creme fraiche

Chop the veg - onion into small pieces, swede about 1.5 cm cubes, pepper about 2 cm cubes, mushrooms into quarters if large.

Chop the chicken into rough cubes - about an inch to a side.

Fry the onions until translucent. Add the swede and cook for a while over a low heat. Push the lot to half the pan, add a little more oil, and fry the spices (inc garlic), mix in with the veg, and clear to half the pan again. Brown the chicken on all sides and mix in with the veg. Add the pepper and fry for a bit more.

Add the lot to the tagine. Add the mushrooms, and stir in. Add the stock, and enough extra water to cover everything in the tagine. Add the honey and stir in.

Leave in the oven at 120 degrees for 3-4 hours.

Take the top off the tagine, add the creme fraiche, and cook for another 1/2 an hour or so, reducing the sauce - but keep an eye on it to make sure it dosen't dry out.

Serve when the sauce is starting to thicken, with cous-cous.

Serves 2-3

Chicken Gravy

1/2 large onion

1 clove garlic

2 mushrooms

olive oil

butter

2 sage leaves

3 sprigs of winter savory

1 tsp English mustard

rice or other white wine

2 chicken stock cubes made up in 3/4 pint boiling water

Sauce (fine) flour

olive oil

butter

Juices from a roast chicken

Chop onion finely. Warm a pan with about 1 tbsp olive oil & a similar amount of butter. Once the butter has melted add the onions and cook over a low heat until transparent.

Meanwhile chop the mushrooms finely, and chop the herbs very finely.

Once the onions are transparent, crush the garlic into the pan and cook for another minute. Add the mushrooms, and cook until they are soft. Then add the herbs and cook for another minute. Keep the heat low the whole time - the onions must not brown.

Sprinkle a fine dusting of flour across the mixture in the pan, and stir in. Add enough wine to cover the pan to about 1 cm, and bring to the boil. It should start to thicken. Add the stock and bring back the the boil. Add the mustard. Cook it for about 40 mins, adjusting the temperature so that at then end you have a nice thick gravy. Probably need a strong simmer.

Just before serving add in the juices from the roast chicken (if you have any) and whisk over the heat to ensure they are well mixed in.

Red Pepper Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts, chopped into ~1 inch cubes

1 medium onion

4 cloves of garlic

2 bell peppers (red & orange?)

8 small mushrooms

1 leek

10-12 new potatoes

Cheddar Cheese (only a little)

Parmesan (even less)

2 chicken stock cubes in 1 pint of boiling water

1 large teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 small teaspoon of mild chili powder - Ancho

Lea & Perrins

Tomato puree

Mixed herbs

Groundnut Oil

Chop the onion finely, then put it through the food processor until all but a paste. Chop the peppers into large chunks - ~1" square. Half the leek and chop that into large pieces.

Put a large amount of groundnut oil in a large pan with a lid. Heat, then add the paprika, chili powder & a good sprinkling of mixed herbs. Stir to keep from burning, but keep the oil hot. After a minute or so, add the chicken, and cook until browned, not that you will be able to see!

Add the onion and garlic, and keep stirring.

Put the potatoes and leeks in a steamer & cook for 15-20 mins (once boiled).

After frying the onions for a few minutes, add the stock, a good few dashes of Lea & Perrins, and a medium squeeze of tomato puree. Stir and bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms and put the lid on for 15-20 mins. The take the lid off and reduce down, thickening with cornflour if needed.

When the potatoes are done (hopefully well before the chicken), place on a baking tray covered with foil, and mix in with the leeks. Crush the potatoes open with a masher, but don't make too much of a mess. Grate the cheddar over them, and then a fine bit of Parmesan on top.

Place under the grill for 5-10 mins until the cheese is browning nicely.

Serve the chicken in sauce alongside the potatoes.

Serves 2.

Moroccan Chicken Curry

2 chicken breasts

1 red pepper

2 medium - large onions

2 tomatoes

Large handful of mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic

2 chicken stock cubes

2 tsp dried chipotle chillies

3 heaped tsp coriander seeds, finely crushed.

2 heaped tsp garam masala

2 heaped tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

Cous-cous

Chop up the onions finely and fry until almost transparent. Remove skins from the tomatoes and chop the other vegetables into good sized chunks. Cube the chicken breasts into about 3/4 inch cubes.

Remove the onions from the pan and replace with the chicken. Fry up for a bit until pretty much browned on all sides. Add the onions and the other vegetables and fry up for another few minutes.

Make a well in the center of the pan, and fry up the spices for a minute and then stir into the rest. Crush the garlic and add.

Make up the stock in a pint of boiling water and add to the pan. Add more water to cover everything in the pan.

Heat until boiling, and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and leave for an hour or more, checking periodically to make sure it's not boiling dry.

Remove the lid, and turn up the heat, and reduce down until you get to the desired consistency (1/2 hour?). Make the cous-cous up as per the packet once almost ready to go.

Serves 2, generously.