1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
100g chorizo, roughly chopped
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 x 400g tin of tomatoes
300ml water
1 tsp paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1kg chicken legs
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp Ras Al Hanout (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
TO SERVE
Spinach
Couscous
Preheat the oven to 160⁰C fan/180⁰C/gas 4.
Place the onion, garlic, rosemary, chorizo, chickpeas, tomato puree, paprika and tomatoes in a roasting tin, and use the water to rinse out the tomato tin before pouring it in with everything else. Mix it up and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Arrange the chicken thighs over the tomato mixture and rub with the olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, dried oregano and Ras Al Hanout, then rub it in. Transfer to the oven and roast for an hour. Check it, stir the stew if needed and pop it back in for however long you think. For me it’s usually 20 minutes but my oven is a little temperamental, yours might be different.
THE SIDES
While the chicken is cooking prepare your sides. I serve this with wilted spinach (or greens) and couscous. You may have your own cooking methods but here is how I prepare them.
Couscous is the easiest side in the world. I pre-warm my lidded dish by filling it with boiled water. I measure out a cup of couscous, add a little salt, then add the exact same volume of boiling water. It needs to be as hot as can be, so work quickly as soon as the kettle boils. I leave it 10 minutes then fluff it up with a fork. I can usually avoid cooking it any further, but if it still has a little bite I add a spoonful of water and give it 2 minutes in the microwave.
I like spinach lightly steamed. I put it in a large lidded pan with a tiny amount of hot water (2 or 3 tablespoons.) I leave it on a low heat for 3 to 5 minutes with the lid on, stirring halfway through. It’s amazing how much it shrinks down so I cook loads of it. I drain it then serve it straight away, drizzled with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little salt and black pepper.
By now the chicken should be golden brown and cooked through. I transferred mine to a serving dish for this photo because my roasting tin is huge and ugly and I wanted to inspire you to give this delicious recipe a try. Enjoy!
This recipe is one of my fail-safes. If my week’s schedule is looking busy then I’ll plan to cook this because I can even knock it together the night before and leave it in the fridge, ready compiled, to stick in the oven the next day. (Sometimes I get the kids to do that for me if I’m due home late.) If you are too tired to cook sides then you can just serve it with crusty bread, but it’s healthier if you serve some greens on the side. There are lots of rich juices (it’s has the consistency of a thick stew) so all sorts of vegetables will work well alongside it – broccoli, cabbage and spinach all work well, or in the photo I served it with spring greens.
This recipe was inspired by one from The Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer. I have added paprika and ras al hanout to give it extra flavour, but did you know that adding spices to your food also brings health benefits? Spices are rich in phytochemicals, which are healthful plant chemicals. Paprika for example is an anti-inflammatory and can help with healing wounds. Ras al Hanout is a spice blend and as such contains an especially wide range of phytochemicals, albeit in small doses. Isn’t it nice to think that you can make your cooking healthier just by adding more flavour?
This recipe was inspired by a classic Greek dish called Avgolemono. It has a velvety texture which is very moreish, and it contains a whole host of vitamins and minerals thanks to the spinach and lemon. For a warming soup which is filling enough to serve for dinner, read on.
This recipe is much more substantial than most salads, with interesting and interesting texture thanks to roasted seeds, quinoa and avocado. The dressing includes maple syrup and is sweet and delicious.
Koftas are Middle Eastern meatballs, and they’re delicious stuffed in a pitta and served with salad and a tangy yogurt sauce. Turkey makes a healthy alternative to lamb, and the broad bean salad is packed with fibre and nutrients.
Look at all the colours in this lovely salad! Salad Nicoise is a big favourite in our house because there are so many flavours in it. Sweet tomatoes, sour capers, salty anchovies, zingy basil and hearty spuds. To find out how to make this classic dish, read on.
