Summer Thai Chicken

I don't really have a proper name for this recipe, but it's one of my favourites to whip up in summer because it's quick, easy and super-healthy - at less than 300kcal per serving this baby is high in protein and low in fat, carbs and anything else you don't want inside your summer body.  

For four people you'll need: 

• four chicken breasts (maybe more if someone's greedy!)
• 3tbsp thai red curry paste; again, mine's from Waitrose but if you have a world-food shop near you it's worth a visit!
• 3tbsp chopped coriander (fresh is best, but store-cupboard coriander will do!) 
• 12oz/350g natural low fat yoghurt (you'll only need a third of this for the chicken)
• a pinch (or two) of salt to taste

for the 'dip': 

• a cucumber - you'll need around half for your 'dip' but I like a little extra on the side.
• 8oz/185g/two thirds of your remaining natural low fat yoghurt
• 1tbsp coriander

and to serve:

• salad leaves (I picked these up in a packet from Waitrose straight out of my garden, naturally) 
• lime wedges.

 A little trick I use here to avoid throwing lemons & limes away/going 'out of stock', so to speak, is freezing them.  You can always get them out at a later date (just make sure you remember a few hours before you start preparing your meal, or pour boiling water on them if you just need the juice), you can pop them in your green tea to cool it down, and they make great alternatives to ice cubes in your cocktail/Pimms jug.



To make your marinade mix a third of your yoghurt with the curry paste and coriander, season with salt, and coat your chicken well.  Pop it into a shallow oven dish, with any extra marinade, cover and leave for a while (half an hour is good, but you can leave it all day if you want). 

When the time comes, preheat your oven to 180-200C (dependent on the aggressive heating power of your kitchen appliances) and while you're waiting for that prepare your dip:  chop your cucumber (chunks are fine) and add to the remaining yoghurt, add 1tbsp of coriander and a little salt/pepper if you fancy it, and leave it in the fridge.  Retrieve your chicken and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

While all that's going on in the kitchen, open your bags of salad skip to your vegetable garden and carefully pick some beautiful leaves to serve on the side.  Chop your cucumber into sticks, if you're that way inclined, and lay your salad on plates if you're eating casually - if you're cooking for guests find a nice patterned serving bowl for DIY salad distribution, find a plate for the limes and cucumber sticks, and individual dipping bowls (read: empty GU pots) add a little elegance to the yoghurt dressing.

You've got some time left here to pour yourself a large glass of white wine in celebration of the fact you haven't started a fire, burned yourself or offended any of your guests yet; alternatively setting the table and indulging in small talk are equally valid options.

When your chicken is nice and golden-y fish it out of the oven (Careful! You've come so far..) and serve on plates either with your dressing, salad and limes, or on it's own.  Wait for everyone to congratulate you, pour yourself another celebratory glass of wine, and dig in.

One of my favourite things about this meal is that the ingredients are easily doubled, making it perfect for sharing;  swap the grill for a barbeque (reduce the cooking time to 20-30 minutes) and invite your best friends around for an evening on the patio, just make sure somebody else brings dessert!

If your dietary requirements mean you cannot enjoy this fantastic recipe then enjoy this vegetarian and vegan friendly party joke instead.

Winter Blues

I spent this weekend at home, with GB and my best friend Rose.  The countryside's been pretty snow-covered, and there's no gritting here so everything looked a little bit like this:

Not only does it make everything super pretty, the snow gave us all a little chance to chill out: dog-walking, playing in the snow, building fires and making monster hot chocolates were all on the agenda.

YUM.

By the time I was getting off my train at York the snow turned to sleet, the pavements had turned to ice, and the magic had thoroughly worn off.  I was missing the sun, and I decided to cheer myself (and GB) up with a little holiday-themed cooking..  This is a great student-friendly recipe; it's based on European street-foods (gyros, shwarma etc.) and it's super easy to change depending on your mood, what you've got to hand, and how many hungry mouths you'll be feeding.

For the wraps you'll need:

• Flatbreads (I like to use traditional Arabic bread, but today I'm using thick square wraps) 
• Red onions (half an onion for two wraps) and malt-vinegar for soaking
• Chicken breasts (one per wrap - we're being greedy here!)
• Cucumber or avocado
• Tomato (again, one per wrap)
• Tzatziki
• Seasoning: Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper

 For the secret sauce, I always use my favourite blogger Rose Thomas' recipe:

• Honey
• Tabasco
• Mayo
• Harissa Paste (or Nando's sauce, if you're being lazy)
• Lime

First, chop your healthy stuff (tomatoes, onion, cucumber) and leave to one side. Chop your chicken up, add a little salt/pepper/whatever you fancy and heat on a hot pan until brown.

While you're waiting for that to cook nicely, it's time to make secret sauce!  Use roughly equal amounts of each 'sauce' and use the tabasco/lime juice to taste.  I like to buy limes/lemons in bulk and freeze them - hardly anybody uses up a whole lemon in one go, and this way you can double them up as ice cubes!  For squeezing though, pop in a little cup of boiling water and they'll soften in no time..

 I always have to make extra secret sauce, because I find myself dipping celery sticks in it while I'm waiting for everything to cook..

Unfortunately the photos stop here guys, but from here-on it's pretty self explanatory!  Warm up your bread in the oven, and assemble.  You can smother your chicken in secret-sauce, or leave it for people to add separately.  The best thing about this dish is it's share-iness; invite over some good friends, whip up some fruity cocktails, close your eyes and you might as well be here: