Red-pepper Pesto Chicken Strips with Barley & Feta Salad

This isn’t necessarily a ‘knock your socks off’ kind of meal, it’s not necessarily going to be something that you suddenly want to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity, unassuming and un-fussy, and packs a generous punch in the flavour department, so what’s not to love? Oh, and besides being almost über healthy, barley is one of the cheapest staples out there, so if you’re feeding a crowd, this is where it’s at.

Quick & Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms and Tarragon

I think that tarragon is definitely one of the unsung heroes of the food world – well, certainly in South Africa anyway. It’s definitely my pet herb of the moment (just like chorizo was my best friend a little while ago, see this Slow Cooked Chicken with Chorizo & Cider), and this is one of my favourite finds so far… Call it an updated twist on your good old classic chicken casserole if you like, but with the added elegance that this favourite French herb adds to everything it meets.

Ten Minute Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Winter she’s a-coming, I can smell it, I can hear it, and I can feel it. The air has that little chilly edge to it, the trees are gracefully dropping their leaves, the light has a different quality about it. And besides the poetry of it all, it means soup weather, cosiness, fluffy socks, boots and more steaming mugs of tea than usual. And a whole lot more than that. I for one am not going to be found complaining

And speaking of soups, I thought this was a good place to kick off when it comes to fighting the chill. There is a plethora of quick and easy Thai chicken and noodle soup recipes out there. This is my version, delivering as much bang for your buck, prettiness and punch as it can muster in just 10 minutes of cooking time.

Slow-cooked Chicken with Chorizo and Cider

Chorizo time again. I can’t seem to beat the habit. However, I am going to take a positive stance on this, as I try not to be in the habit of eating underwhelming food either.
I like to think of this one-pot-wonder as a kind of slow-cooked miracle. You have the spicy robustness of the chorizo, the silkiness of the slow-cooked onions, the good old humble and comforting roast chicken pieces, and then punch of the cider rounds it all off beautifully. Perfect happy-making weekend food (that I shall unashamedly be cooking again and again).
If you also have a little chorizo fetish at the moment and missed out on my Chickpea and Chorizo Stew a couple of weeks ago, you can read it here.

Speedy Chicken and Cous Cous Salad

Blimey time flies when you’re having fun. And moving house. And I hasten to add that the two are absolutely, definitely mutually exclusive. It’ s been so long i don’t know where to start. So where the heck have I been? Why on earth did I neglect you all for so long?? And why, more importantly, have I left you all staring into your pantry cupboards without a friend at your shoulder to suggest a sprinkle of this and a dollop of that?

Roast Chicken stuffed with Feta, Parsley & Walnuts

Let’s set the scene… Winter, Wimbledon, Waiting for Baby. So it’s June, my Mom was in town and we we’re waiting for ‘Pip’ (now known as Sophie since her much anticipated arrival). And of course, everyone needs to eat. Especially on Wimbledon Sunday when it’s cold and rainy. Indulging her penchant for endlessly flipping through food magazines, my Mom decided to give this feta, parsley and walnut-stuffed roast chicken a go. And boy were we glad she did. I tried my own hand at it a couple of weeks ago, with chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken, and decided that the first round wasn’t a fluke. It’s uncomplicated, honest, charming AND it’s a one pot wonder. In short, this is one heck of a dinner dish. 

Speedy Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Hotpot

Sometimes, life calls for quick fixes. A repertoire of effortless week-night recipe options that are fat with possibilities and versatility is worth its weight in saffron. And though one might call this little dish rather undignified, I have no compunction in recommending it because as a speedy supper option, I think it’s heroic.

Quick Quick Mexican Chicken Wraps

Dragging her heels somewhat, Winter finally seems to have arrived in Cape Town. And I am probably one of the few who was not sad to welcome her in. After all, what’s not to love about cosy evenings by the fire and endless amounts of comfort food? I’ve no idea what got me on this little Mexican bandwagon and the very real NEED to get my hands on some spicy chicken-filled tortillas, but we weren’t sad about that either when we descended on them with shameless greed last week.

Chicken Cottage Pie, And The Book Hand In

This was inspired by the ever-inspiring Alida Ryder  on her Simply Delicious Blog. Not only was she SA’s Food Blogger of the Year last year (in her first year of blogging) but I also consider her one of South Africa’s Queens of Speedy Suppers. I guess you go through a baptism of fire when you have twins as she does, and it’s the small minutes in your day that really count right?! Either way, I love stopping by Alida’s blog for quick fixes, and that’s also why I chose to feature her in my book. Just sharing the love. As you do. Thank me later.

PS There are no photos of the actual cooked pie, as, well, there were just no leftovers to speak of.

Zesty Roast Chicken Salad

There are so many things right with this, starting with the fresh citrusy punch of the orange and lemon, the piquancy of the ginger, and ending with moist and tender roast chicken breasts just waiting to be turned into a glorious salad. And yet it’s nothing overly polished or serious. We were more than happy to scoff the spoils last weekend…