Hot Southern Chicken

This recipe is adapted from a magazine cutting, the cutting doesn’t have a date but is well worn with use so is many years old. It has stood the test of time as the children have grown up, a perfect autumnal dish to use seasonal vegetables whilst they are at there best. It keeps everyone warm on a cold autumn day and best of all it only takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to make. At 383 calories it suits a dieter too. Easy to double up, this freezes really well for a quick meal on another day. An all round winner to feed a busy family.

I use two chillies and leave the seeds in which is quite hot. I recommend you use the right amount for you. If your cooking for little ones 1 chilli with no seeds is plenty. I use Swiss Vegetable Buillion powder to make the stock but use whatever you normally use and if I can’t find new potatoes I use maincrop cubed with their skin still on. If I don’t have fresh herbs to hand I buy the freeze dried herbs from the freezer cabinet at the supermarket they are brilliant for this type of dish and save money as you don’t waste half a packet of fresh herbs that get forgotten about in the back of the fridge.

This freezes well, cool it to room temperature, then label and freeze as quickly as possible. To reheat, defrost on the fridge for 12 hours then reheat in a pan on a low heat for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

2 tbspns rice bran oil

25g butter (whatever spread you use if fine)

6 skinless boneless chicken breasts, each cut into 3 chunks

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 red chillies de-seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic

2 tbspns plain flour

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 tbspns tomato puree

850ml vegetable stock

450g small new potatoes scrubbed

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks

340g can sweetcorn or kernels from 2 sweetcorn cobs

175g mixed coloured cherry tomatoes

2 tbspns each chopped fresh mint and coriander

1. Heat the oil and butter in large pan and cook the chicken in batches, turning, until it’s lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Lower the heat and add the onions, chillies, and garlic cooking for about 5 minutes until soft but not brown.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir well. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and vegetable stock, give everything a really good stir.

4. Return the chicken to the pan with the sweet potato turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low part cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

5. Check that the sweet potato is just starting to fall apart and that the potatoes are cooked through, if they are still a bit firm leave for another 5-10 minutes.

6. Add the sweetcorn and tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes.

7. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes then add the herbs before serving in bowls with some crusty bread to mop up the juices.