Saturday 7 March 2015

Easy Chilli Chicken Pot with Peppers and Basil


This dish is so simple, delicious and quick. It's perfect for any dinner party as you can leave it to cook while attending to your guests. This was invented from fridge leftovers, so you can chop and change the vegetables as you wish. The radishes were a late addition, and I don't think I've ever cooked them before - but they really work!

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 4 chicken legs or thighs
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes or similar
- 2 peppers (any colours), chopped into big slices
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly sliced
- 1 whole red chilli, chopped
- two sprigs of basil with around 14 leaves, roughly chopped (I keep leftover basil in the freezer so that it doesn't go bad, and then get it out when I don't have it fresh. Any herb can be frozen and used this way, saving waste and money)
- a few good glugs of leftover red wine (or any wine if you don't have red)
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 100g radishes (optional), chopped in half

1. Firstly, brown the chicken in a little vegetable oil (it might be good to use a deep frying pan with a lid - to avoid spitting), for around 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Remove the chicken from the pan and fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes. When they begin to soften, add the wine and tinned tomatoes and cook until the sauce starts to bubble. 

3. Place the chicken, peppers and chilli in the pan and cook on a medium heat for around 20-25 minutes. Fill the empty chopped tomato can with 1/3 boiling water and the stock cube, and add that to the pan 10 minutes in along with the chopped basil. If you like lots of sauce, keep the lid on so that the juices don't evaporate away. Keep an eye on the heat too...it might need turning down a little.

4. If you're using radishes (or another alternative like peas or mushrooms) add these to the pan 5 minutes before serving.

Serve this dish alongside rice, potatoes or some delicious bread. Minimal effort and washing up, maximum tummy happiness!




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