Greek-inspired Chicken and Rice

30th January 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 2 (easily scaled up)

Sometimes when it’s cold outside we need to bring some sunshine to our table. This Greek-inspired one pan chicken and rice dish, is perfect for just that. The rice and chicken cook together so the chicken stays juicy and the rice takes on all the wonderful flavours and stays a little crispy on the top. This is easily scaled up, just make sure the dish you cook it in has enough space for the chicken not to overlap.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs (bone in, with or without skin)

150g basmati rice

Lemon (zest and juice)

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

300ml hot water or stock (chicken or vegetable)

(Lemon infused) olive oil

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180c (fan). Take a deep baking dish and pour in the rice. Spread evenly over the base of the dish and then make four gaps for the chicken thighs to nestle in. Sprinkle over the oregano and lemon zest, along with pepper, salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Gently pour the hot stock (or water) over the rice, avoiding the top of the chicken. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 2: After 30 minutes remove the foil, careful use a fork to fluff the rice a little and return, uncovered to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Step 3: Remove from the oven, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve.

This is delicious served with a garlic and mint yoghurt and a Greek salad.

Vietnamese-inspired Chicken Wings

30th January 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

Salty, hot and sweet and bursting with fragrant flavours, these Vietnamese-inspired chicken wings are perfect served with steamed rice and your vegetable or salad of choice.

Ingredients:

600g chicken wings

4 tbsp fish sauce

2-3 tbsp sugar

1 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp chilli flakes or 1 chilli, finely chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic, minced

2 lime leaves, finely chopped (or zest of 1 lime)

2-3 lemongrass stalks, topped and tailed, course outer leaves removed, and finely chopped

Juice of one lime

Step 1: Carefully cut the chicken wings in half through their joint. Mix all ingredients, except the lime juice in a bag or bowl, and add the chicken wings. Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Step 2: Preheat an oven to 180c (fan) and prepare a baking sheet by spreading the wings carefully (they shouldn’t overlap) and reserve the marinade in the bowl/bag for later. Remember the marinade has had raw chicken in it and must be cooked before eating.

Step 3: Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. At this stage you can chill the wings until later before reheating in a wok. When you are ready, heat a wok. Add the reserved marinade, the lime juice, along with the cooked wings. Cook until the wings are hot and the marinade has reduced down to create a glaze on the wings.

Serve immediately.

Chicken and Lemon Linguine

26th January 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 3-4

This quick to cook dinner is perfect for a week-night when you don’t want to be cooking for long. My four-year old helped cook it and he was very pleased with the results.

Ingredients:

300g linguine, cooked according to the packet instructions (gluten-free if required)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 clove of garlic, crushed or minced

1 Unwaxed lemon, zest and juice

150ml creme fraiche (reduced fat if desired)

30g Parmesan, finely grated

Salt and pepper

Step 1: while the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan over a medium high heat and add the oil and chicken, cook, turning occasionally until the chicken is just cooked through. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Along with the lemon zest. Cook for a couple more minutes before lowering the heat and adding the creme fraiche and lemon juice. Stir until combined and then add the Parmesan and stir again.

Step 2: Add the cooked linguine with a little of the pasta water, toss until coated. Check the seasoning and serve with vegetables or salad on the side.

Korean-Style Chicken Wings

6th June 20246th June 2024
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

Tonight’s dinner all started with a jar of near-empty strawberry jam. I remembered a great recipe by Eric Kim I’d made last year with chickpeas in this amazing Korean style sauce, which used a tablespoon of strawberry jam. So here we have my version with chicken wings. It’s sweet, spicy and sticky. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

750g-1kg chicken wings

1 tbsp strawberry jam

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

1 tbsp gochujang (gluten-free if required)

1 tbsp sesame seeds

3 tbsp tomato ketchup

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190c (fan).

Step 2: Use a sharp knife to cut the wings on their joint to create two pieces from each wing. Spread these on a baking tray and cook for 30-35 minutes until cooked through but not too crispy.

Step 3: Meanwhile combine the remaining ingredients to a smooth sauce.

Step 4: Once the wings are out of the oven, heat a wok over a medium high heat, transfer the wings to the wok, and add the sauce, stir frying them until the sauce coats all the wings and it has reduced to a glorious sticky glaze (this should take five minutes or so).

Serve hot but try not to eat them all on your own…

Feed Your Family for a Fiver

7th May 20248th May 2024
by thefoodwife

I promised Lisa at West Wilts Magazine that I would do a few recipes where you could feed a family of four for a fiver. I’ve gone with three meals with a £15 spend (priced using one of the big supermarkets beginning with T).

Where I’m using basic store cupboard ingredients I have assumed you already have these at home; salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices, oil and vinegar.

You won’t be using all the pasta, honey, mayo, salad cream, garlic, cabbage and carrots so although this was 51p over my £15 spend you’ll have some ingredients left for another day…

Shopping list:

500g Spaghetti £0.75

2x tins of Tuna £1.70

2 onions £0.28

Garlic £0.55

2x 500g Passata £1.10

12 Sausages £2.85

1kg Small Potatoes £0.99

Honey £1.20

1-1.2kg chicken wings £2.09

4 Baking potatoes £0.75

Cabbage £0.80

1kg Carrots £0.68

Mayonnaise £0.86

Salad cream £0.91

£15.51

Tuna Spaghetti

Serves 4

I’ve been making a version of this for the last 25 years. So simple to make and it’s delicious – a crowd pleaser! Add chilli flakes if you like a little kick…

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (Olive) Oil

300-400g of spaghetti depending on appetites (gluten-free if required)

2 tins of tuna in Springwater, drained

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic sliced or crushed

1 tsp Herbes de Province/mixed herbs

1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

2×500g passata or 1x passata 1x tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Chopped Parsley to serve (optional)

Step 1: Add 1 tablespoon of oil into a heavy-based saucepan or frying pan, over a medium heat. Next add the garlic and onion and cook until softened.

Step 2: Add the dried herbs, chilli flakes (if using) and cook for 30 seconds. Add the passata (and chopped tomatoes if using) along with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Cook down for five minutes. During this time, get on with cooking the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.

Step 3: Add the tuna to the tomato sauce and stir through, cooking for a further five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Drain the cooked pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, add the pasta to the sauce adding a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen. Stir until everything is combined and then serve with a garnish of freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Balsamic Glazed Sausage Tray Bake

Serves 4

I do love a ‘shove it in the oven and then it’s ready and delicious’ meal. Especially on a weeknight. Yes you do have to visit the oven a couple of times to add things but this only takes a minute.

You can serve this as it is, or add some extra veg if you like. We had it with a cauliflower cheese dish I’d picked up reduced to 29p… bargain!

Ingredients:

10-12 sausages

800g small potatoes, quartered or large votaries cut into small chunks

4 carrots, cut into 1cm thick slices

1 tbsp oil

Salt & Pepper

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190c fan and get a high-edged baking dish ready.

Step 2: Spread the potatoes and carrots in a baking dish. Drizzle with the oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes.

Step 3: give everything a shake or mix with a spoon, spread back out and then add the sausages. Bake for a further 20 minutes.

Step 4: Mix the honey and balsamic vinegar together and then drizzle over everything and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Wings, Wedges and Slaw

Serves 4

We often have this winning combination, it such a crowd pleaser! The cat always has to be shut out of the room as he cannot resist trying to be a participant in the meal!

The great thing about this is that the wedges and the wings cook simultaneously while you make the slaw. You can just season the wings and wedges with salt and pepper but the world is your oyster for flavour if you desire. Add some dried herbs or spicy Cajun seasoning. I decided to use Cajun spices in both the chicken and the potatoes but added a big splodge of bbq sauce to the wings too.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1kg chicken wings

1/4 white/red cabbage

2 carrots

1 small red onion

2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise

1 heaped tbsp salad cream

4 baking potatoes, cut into wedges

Salt and Pepper

Vegetable oil

Step 1: Prepare two oven trays and preheat the oven to 200c (fan).

Step 2: Season the wings and wedges separately. Drizzle the wedges with 1tbsp of oil and use your hands to ensure they’re coated. Spread the wings and wedges on a tray each. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Step 3: Meanwhile make the slaw. Finely slice the cabbage, carrots and onions. In a bowl combine the mayonnaise and salad cream. Stir through the chopped vegetables, until coated.

Serve everything at the table and dig in!