Crunchy Nutty Chicken Casserole

This delicious casserole is quick and easy to prepare, takes only 30 minutes from scratch and its flavours are a cross between a curry and a satay sauce. The crunch comes from using crunchy peanut butter. It can be made with or without dairy and the chicken can be replaced with vegetables and chickpeas on meat free monday.

Crunchy Nutty Chicken Casserole
Serves 4

Paste:
1 chilli
15ml ginger grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
30g fresh coriander
10ml water

10ml oil for frying
4 chicken breast, cubed
1 onion chopped
5-10ml ground cumin
75 - 100ml crunchy peanut butter
250ml Greek yoghurt or 250ml coconut milk (I used coconut milk)
50 ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
coriander chopped for garnish

Place the paste ingredients into a food processor and blend to a paste.
Brown the chicken pieces in a little oil.
Remove from the pan and fry the onions until soft then add the cumin and the paste, cook for 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the yoghurt or coconut milk, peanut butter and stock, cover with a lid and reduce the heat.
Simmer for 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, season and garnish with coriander.
Serve with basmati rice.

Optional: Add 30 - 50 ml chopped cashews.

Picture and recipe copyright by Tamsyn Wells

Tomato, Chicken and Chickpea Casserole

It's 2012 and as mentioned in my previous post I am cooking Paleolithic meals for dinner which is basically no carbs and no dairy. So far it has been easy and I have not missed the carbs at all. It's summer time here and this is possibly making it easier to eat salads and vegetables as it's much lighter in the heat. All I do is add more vegetables / salads to our meals and think of clever ways to replace the starch, for example the other day I made bangers and mash but used gem squash instead of potato and I made Eggplant parmigiana but roasted the vegetables with no crumbs instead of crumbing and frying it. I will post these recipes in time as the festive season was a bit too crazy to take pictures with house guests and parties going on daily. Chickpeas and pulses are not supposed to be eaten on this diet as they are also seen as carbs but I really like them and think they are really good for the body so I add them in the diet along with sprouts occasionally.

Results so far are that I feel less bloated even after eating a whole plate of food, the dinner is digesting easier, I have lost a few kilos, I feel more energetic and keen to go to gym even after a busy day at work, I look forward to making dinner and thinking of something to make and it's a lot faster to cook and clean up afterwards.

I suggest giving it a try for a fresh start to the year, keep following this blog for suggestions.

Tomato, Chicken and Chickpea Casserole
Serves 4

1.2 kg Chicken pieces ( I had with the skin but would prefer without)
50ml oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stalk, peeled and chopped
4 young carrots, diced
1/2 punnet mushrooms, sliced
2 large baby marrows, sliced
1 tin whole peeled tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas, strained
1 bunch basil chiffonade
3 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp cornflour
lemon juice
salt and pepper
worcestershire
1 bag baby spinach, washed

Method:
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, fry for colour in a pan with a little oil.
Remove the chicken pieces to a casserole dish that has a lid.
Pour off some of the fat and fry the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms and courgettes.
Pour in the whole peeled tomatoes and break them up in the pan, add another 3/4 of the tin filled with water.
Bring to the boil, season the sauce with lemon juice, worcestershire, salt and pepper and pour over the chicken pieces.
Add the fresh herbs and cook for 50 minutes on 190 degrees C with the lid on.
Slake the cornflour in a little water and pour over the dish as well as the rinsed and drained chickpeas.
Place back in the oven for another 20 minutes at the same temperature with the lid on.
Remove from the oven and correct the seasoning.
To serve, rinse some baby spinach and place on the place, place the chicken pieces next to the spinach and spoon the chickpea sauce over the spinach to wilt it.


Recipe and picture Copyright by Tamsyn Wells