As part of my new recipe challenge last week I made chicken in garlic and mushroom sauce well although today is only Monday I have outdone myself with two new recipes already under my belt for the week. I decided to do this as part of another personal challenge which is all about budgeting and creating little waste. So today I used up the remaining thigh and drumstick meat from the chicken I used to make the dish with the garlic and mushroom sauce in a chicken, chorizo and chickpea casserole for my first new recipe and then used up the old scraggly bits of meat and the rest of the carcass for my first ever attempt at making chicken stock. My house has smelt pretty damn good all day long.
The recipe for the chicken stock which I found on the wonderful Jamie Oliver website is here: Jamie’s easy chicken stock it really is easy to make and I enjoyed it. I can’t imagine I will be wanting shop bought stock anytime soon.
The casserole was made using just a frying pan and my slow cooker. I love my slow cooker, I probably don’t use it enough but its fab and they are reasonably cheap these days so treat yourself for those days when you want a delicious meal but less time fussing over a hot stove. Ideal for when you want to spend your evenings relaxing with your loved ones.
Chicken, chorizo and chickpea casserole
Chicken – I used two thighs, two drumsticks and a little breast meat
1 tin of chickpeas drained
3 inch chunk of chorizo chopped into small cubes
1/2 a courgette
2 sticks of celery
A handful of cubed sweet potato
1/2 green pepper chopped
Tin of chopped tomatoes
1 pint or chicken stock
Mushrooms chopped (optional)
Red onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of saffron threads
2 teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika
In a hot pan with a little olive oil brown your chicken and chorizo together before adding garlic,onions,celery and mushrooms leaving to soften.
Pour chickpeas,courgette,chopped tomatoes,pepper, sweet potato and stock as into slow cooker before adding saffron and paprika and turn onto high setting.
After 10 minutes add contents of pan into slow cooker also and leave for 3-4 hours.
And that’s it. Your kitchen will smell beautiful and the smoky sweet paprika combined with everything else will give you a delicious meal with hardly any hassle. Enjoy x