First Birthday of this Blog Today and Catalan Chicken with Chickpeas to Celebrate!

Crikey I can hardly believe it is twelve months ago today that I made my first post for a Hamburger! I started the blog really to catalogue recipes for family and friends, a more modern version of a recipe book. I was surprised that other people actually managed to stumble upon it and thrilled when 12 visitors a day grew and grew and people I had never met from all over the world were making my recipes and I theirs. I have had 53,002 visitors since I started, mind boggling.

I love cooking and entertaining but it has become more difficult to post as often as I still go back to the old favourites that I have posted before, what the blog has done is to make me attempt new dishes and try new things more often, and I have made a great many friends in the food blogging and twitter world.

One of my great highlights of the year was to have Nigel Slater actually reading some posts and rather liking them. Surreal.

 Anyway this is based on a recipe I saw in Saturdays Financial Times only they used Quail! I marinated the Chicken with Salt Pepper a squeeze of Lemon and a tbsp of sweet Paprika only an hour or so, then in a Casserole dish melted some butter with a glug of Oil and browned on both sides the Chicken Breasts and set aside.

I added just a touch more butter and added finely chopped Onion Garlic about two cloves and finely diced celery and Carrot and sweated them off gently for about 20 minutes

 Then add some finely chopped Chorizo and a finely chopped Red Chilli and cook out for a further few minutes I added a generous glass of dry White Wine, and of course poured a glass for myself, all cooks should drink whilst they cook simply rude not too!

Now add about a pint of chicken stock let it simmer...I made in a mortar and pestle a very simple Picada, I dry fried some almonds added them to my mortar and pestle along with a garlic clove some rock salt and a touch of Lemon juice and drop of olive oil and crushed them into a paste which I added to the pot and stirred in.
It helps thicken the sauce and gives a lovely depth of flavour

Now add a jar of Chickpeas (cooked) and top with the Chicken put it on a slow low simmer covered with a lid and cook on the stove for around 20 minutes.

Serve on a plate with freshly chopped Parsley and season to taste Delicious only would be better I think with Quail!

Paprika Chicken with Charred Red Peppers and Chilli

Dont get me wrong I am relieved and delighted to be very busy at work but gosh my twitter and blog life has come to a standstill! Time is in short supply and the dishes I am cooking, when I have been cooking which has not been often of late have been very quick and simple affairs.

 This is typical of my recent cooking exploits so quick and yet still packs a punch with flavour, Simply marinate the chicken breasts in Lemon juice Paprika Picante and a pinch of Chilli Powder and a glug of Olive Oil and let them marinade at least an hour, I did these in the morning for Dinner in the evening

Get your Griddle pan smoking hot and I added some sliced Red Peppers and fresh chillies just dressed in Salt and Pepper and a little Oil and blacken them for 3 or 4 minutes, set aside to keep warm.

Then char your Chicken breasts 3 minutes either side and put in a preheated oven for around 15 minutes at 200c. meanwhile take a tub of Greek yoghurt and the juice of a Lemon and a glug of Oil.

Serve the chicken on top of the Peppers with a spoonful of the Yoghurt...It doesn't get simpler than that really quick and very tasty.

Lemon Marinated Pork Chops

 I have been a bit absent of late from my little blog for two reasons really firstly just manicaly busy at work, which is a jolly good thing given the economy, seem to be bucking the trend for now anyway so making hay whilst the sun shines. Secondly as I have posted over a hundred different dishes over the year do tend to find the dish I am making I have already blogged or it got late and just couldn't be bothered!

 Anyway here is one of those dishes I made the other day when I really was a bit pressed for time and wanted a one pot wonder!
It couldn't be easier I marinated some pork chops over night in Lemon juice and Garlic then quickly pan fried them to give a bit of colour and added them to a clay pot which I had put some sliced Potato

 some sliced Onions a chopped Tomato a crushed clove of Garlic and a sliced Courgette, Mixed them all together with a glug of Oil some Oregano and plenty of Salt and Pepper and a glass of White Wine and put them in a pre heated Oven for around 45 minutes before adding the Pork Chops at 200c

 After 5 minutes added some frozen Peas and cooked for around another ten minutes so the chops are just cooked through.

Take the dish out the oven add the zest of a Lemon and a little squeeze of Lemon Juice and sprinkled over some Freshly chopped Parsley for Colour. Really tasty great flavours from humble little ingredients and hassle free to make!