One-pot Chicken Pilaf

here's another great one-pot recipe in Ralph's mission to bring you easy, no-hassle, tasty and quick to make food.   
This one-pot Chicken Pilaf only takes 20 minutes to cook and is the ideal quick supper dish for one and you can even eat it out the cooking dish so less washing up...result!  Needless to say you can just double up for two.....


Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 small onion , chopped
• 1 large or 2 small boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp curry paste (choose your favourite)
• a third of a mug basmati rice
• two-thirds of a mug chicken stock
• 1 mug frozen mixed vegetables
• half a mug frozen leaf spinach

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the onion for 5-6 mins until softened. Add the chicken pieces, fry for a further couple of mins just to colour the outside, then stir in curry paste and rice. Cook for another min.
2. Pour in the chicken stock and throw in any larger bits of frozen veg. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 10 mins, then stir in the remaining veg. Scatter over the spinach, cover, then cook for 10 mins more until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender. Give everything a good stir, season to taste, then tuck in.

Nutrition per Serving:

663 kcalories, protein 50g, carbohydrate 92g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 0g, sugar 13g, salt 1.94 g

One-Pot Mexican Chilli Beef.....

This delicious one-pot Spicy Mexican braised beef recipe is a real crowd pleaser.  Not only is it easy to make, delicious, spicy and filling.....it's stress free!  This recipe is enough to feed 14 - 15 so it's perfect for a party or to feed the family and freeze the rest or needless to say just reduce the amounts by half. 

Ingredients:

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• up to 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4kg stewing beef
• 4 white onions , sliced
• 4 tbsp chipotle paste
• 8 garlic cloves , crushed
• 50g ginger , grated
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2l beef stock
• 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 5 x 400g cans pinto or kidney beans , drained
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Method:

Heat a small drizzle of the oil in an extra-large flameproof dish. Brown the meat in batches, adding a drop more oil, remove from the dish and set aside. Add 1 tbsp oil to the dish, then the onions, and cook for 7-10 mins or until caramelised.

Stir the chipotle paste, garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and flour in with the onions and cook for a couple of mins. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time, so it's fully mixed in with the other ingredients. Add the tomatoes and oregano, season and simmer for 10 mins.

Now tip in the beef, cover and simmer very gently for about 1 hr 45 mins until tender, removing the lid and adding the beans for the final 15 mins. If the sauce is thin, let it boil down for a further 5-10 mins with the lid off. Before serving, adjust the seasoning. Serve with the garlic bread and salsa.

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Prawn and Apple Curry.....

I love a well-made apple pie with quality ice-cream but you can only eat so many apple pies before the shine wears off (yup even me) and you look at the lovingly-made pie your best friend presents you with despair, not because it isn't going to be great, but because you are truly sick of it.

Of course, it might just be that you don't like apple pie, but you love apples but if so, never fear - this recipe helps to use up those apples, and not a single pie, crumble or tart in sight!

This is a mild, sweet curry, perfect for Autumn and the softer apples it brings.

Ingredients:

1 Onion, chopped

2 Celery stalks, chopped

50 g of Butter or Olive Oil spread

2 Apples peeled and diced

80 g sultanas

3/4 teaspoons medium Curry Powder

2 teaspoons Cornflour

175 ml Chicken Stock (or fish, if you've been feeling adventurous and made your own)

350 g Prawns, cleaned and veined

Method:

Gently fry onion and celery in butter until they become transparent and get some color. 

Add apple slices and sauté another minute, or until they soften. 

Stir in curry and flour, add stock and sultanas then mix everything together thoroughly. 

Add the prawns, cover and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked.

Serve with a nice long-grain rice, basmati or rice noodles.

Serves 4