Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

I only made this for the first time last weekend, and I never normally post recipes until I've tried them a few times, but this was an absolute triumph with all of the family.

It is an ideal Indian fake-away meal; it's mild enough to appeal to the younger family members but so delicious; I would usually go for something much spicier such as a Dhansak, madras or jalfrezi, but this was so nice, I genuinely didn't miss the chilli heat. 

Making it in the slow cooker is a double bonus - one is that the slow cooker does all the hard work for you (thank you Crockpot) two is that the house will smell incredible all day as this cooks.

The below serves four and we had with these quick and easy BBC Good Food Naan Breads  which were brushed with a drop of melted butter with minced garlic and coriander and some rice. 

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Here's how:

• 4-5 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3cm piece of ginger
• 1/2 jar of Korma paste (I just used one from Lidl)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tin of coconut milk
• 2 tbsp fat free or low fat natural yoghurt (you can use full fat this is just quite a calorie-laden dish)
• 2 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 lime

Firstly make the base. Peel the onion and slice it, or if you have fussy little ones, dice it and add to the slow cooker. Peel and mince the garlic and do the same. Peel and slice the ginger and add to the slow cooker.

Now chop the chicken thighs into large chunks - don't go too small as you don't want the meat to dry out; and add to the slow cooker.

Now add the fats; the butter or ghee, the natural yoghurt and the coconut milk.

Finally it's time to layer the flavours. Spoon in half a jar or 3 heaped tablespoons of Korma paste.  Add the tomato puree and then the garam masala, paprika, cinnamon stick, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric and cardamom pods. 

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Now give the mix a good stir, place the lid on and cook for a solid 4 hours on the lower setting. Try not to open the lid for the first hour to allow the heat to build up. After that, you can give it a stir every 30-60 minutes of cooking time if you like, but it will be fine if left to it's own devices too. 

When the butter chicken is cooked and you have dished it up, squeeze over the juice of the lime for a final flavour hit. Enjoy!

If you want some other Indian fake-away inspiration here a few other ideas:
Chicken Biryani
Sag Paneer
Chicken Dhansak
Beef and Lentil Curry
Chicken Tikka with Lentil Dal

Slow Cooker Beef Shin Ragu

Whilst an ordinary ragu with beef, pork, lamb or even in my case turkey mince is a beautiful thing in its' own right, if you have the time, this Slow Cooker Beef Shin Ragu, really does bring this up a notch; it's rich, unctuous, glossy and the meat shout fall apart. 

As with most cheap cuts of meat, beef shin benefits from low and slow cooking and cooked in this sauce, in the slow cooker, the meat will just break away at the slightest touch of the spoon and melt in your mouth. You can easily source beef shin at any butchers, and Morrisons often stocks this; but if you do struggle this would work with other cuts of stewing beef.

If you haven't got a slow cooker, then you could cook exactly as below, just in a casserole pot either low on the hob for 3-4 hours or in the oven at about 150 degrees, and covered with a lid. 

I am a recent slow cooker adopter (Crockpot) and have to say they are a handy purchase, particularly mid-week. While we've been working from home, I've found it really useful to throw some ingredients into the slow cooker first thing; and then can spend some time with the kids when logging off from work before having to tend to dinner. 

This dish does take a small amount of prep in frying off the meat in some seasoned flour, which you could omit from doing if you're time poor, but it does help to thicken your sauce and make it thicker and glossier. 

Often a ragu uses red wine, but I prefer white wine, and I would say use any open bottle; if it's good enough to drink, it's good enough to use.

The below serves 4-5 and can be frozen once cooked so is great for batch cooking too.

Slow Cooker Beef Shin Ragu

Here's how:

• 450g beef shin
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• Drizzle olive oil
• 1 large white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 jar passata (or use 1 tin of chopped tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 glass of white wine (you can use red wine if you prefer)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 3-4 tbsp boiled water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Salt and black pepper

Firstly place a frying pan on a medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil.

In a small bowl, place the plain flour and season generously with salt and black pepper. Mix a little and then take the beef shin and coat it in the flour so all of it is covered. Now sear it in the pan, just allow it to gently brown on each side. Repeat until each piece of beef shin is seared and then place into the slow cooker.

Peel and finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the slow cooker. 

Finely slice the celery and peel and dice the carrot and add to the slow cooker. 

Pour in the passata, white or red wine and balsamic vinegar. Make the chicken stock cube up in the 3-4 tbsp of boiled water and pour in. 

Add the sugar, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and then season generously with salt and black pepper. Give a stir and pop the lid on and cook. I use the lower setting and try to cook for 4-6 hours if time allows, but if you are pushed for time cook in 2-3 hours on the higher setting. 

Do not touch the slow cooker for the first hour of cooking to allow it to build up enough heat, and then every 30 minutes or so, carefully open the lid and give a gentle stir. 

To test the meat is cooked through, just use a metal fork or spoon to gently pull at it, it should break up really easily and you know this will be cooked through and delicious.

Serve with your choice of pasta; we prefer the usual spaghetti or tagliatelle but my kids love it with penne or farfalle. Before you drain your pasta, be sure to take 1-2 tbsp of the pasta water and add it to the ragu and mix it through with the pasta before serving - it helps the sauce to stick to the pasta and give it a good coating. Serve with some Parmesan, Pecorino or even Cheddar grated over.

Chicken Arrabiata Bake

If you are looking for some lower calorie meals, this delicious and spicy Chicken Arrabiata Bake is a great way to go. 

Each portion is about 200 calories, I serve with a green salad for me, and if you want to add some carbohydrates for the rest of the family you could either have the bake over some just-cooked pasta or some fresh crusty bread; both work well.

This has all the heat and flavour of a Pasta Arrabiata but without the calories. The melted mozzarella feels like a real treat too when you're following a lower calorie diet. 

The picture doesn't do this justice as it really tastes a whole lot better than it looks!

Chicken Arrabiata Bake

The below serves four.

Here's how:

• 400g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 white onion
• 2 red chillies
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Handful basil leaves and stalks
• 1 courgette
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• Salt and black pepper
• Pinch sugar
• Drizzle of olive oil, or a few sprays of Fry Light

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. 

Now peel and finely dice the onion and mince the garlic, and slice the red chillies and place on a low heat with the olive oil or Fry Light in a frying pan or wok.

Now take the stalks from the basil leaves and finely chop, set both the leaves and the stalks aside for the minute. 

Tear the mozzarella into thin slithers, and set aside.

Chop the courgette into bite sized pieces and also set aside.

Now take the chicken thighs, and chop into large pieces. 

By now, the onion and garlic should have softened in the pan; at this point add the chicken to the pan to gently sear. 

Now add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Season well at this point and add the pinch of sugar and the basil stalks to add flavour to the sauce. 

Cook out for about five minutes, then add the courgettes and stir through.

Now transfer the contents of the pan to an oven proof dish and ensure to spread out as evenly as you can. 

Place over the mozzarella all over the dish, again trying to evenly distribute as best you can.

Chicken Arrabiata Bake

Place the dish into the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the mozzarella is nicely melted and the chicken is cooked through. 

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a minute; serve with your choice of accompaniments and garnish with a couple of basil leaves if you like. Enjoy!

If you are looking for some lower calorie meal ideas here are a few you may enjoy:

Sticky Asian Salmon

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Tuna Fishcakes

Vegetarian Chilli

Roasted Celeriac Soup

Beef Kofte Kebabs

Reduced Calorie Bolognese

Thai Beef Salad

Pesto Topped Haddock with Herby Couscous

Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs

Italian Chicken Skewers

This is essentially a marinade utilising some fabulous Italian flavours; and it's absolutely mouth-watering delicious.

This recipe is to make the Italian Chicken Skewers, but just so you know, this marinade also works for roasting a whole chicken or chicken pieces, as well as stirred through just-cooked pasta and as a dip (a la tapenade) or even as a tasty salad dressing.  

The below serves four.

Italian Chicken Skewers

Here's how:

• 3-4 skinleks, boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp capers
• x3 sundried tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 50ml olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 40g Parmesan or Pecorino

Into a blender, place the capers, sun dried tomatoes, peeled garlic clove, basil leaves, dried rosemary, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add the salt and pepper.

Grate in the Parmesan, or if you are lazy, or cannot be bothered, chop it into small pieces and add to the blender or Nutribullet. Blitz well for a minute. When you remove the lid, prepare yourself as the smell is a little intoxicating!

For the chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces, that will later be threaded onto skewers. Pop into a container that is big enough for all of the chicken and the marinade and has a lid. 

Pour over most of the marinade, but retain 2 tbsp to pour over or brush the meat with post-cooking. Use a spoon to mix the chicken in all of the marinade and ensure every piece is coated. Pop the lid on and put into the fridge for at least two hours. 

If you are using wooden skewers to cook the Italian Chicken Skewers, then place them into water at the same time that you marinate the meat. Make sure they are completely immersed in a roasting tin, or in a pint glass (you may need to rotate if using a glass). This is to prevent them catching alight on the BBQ or under the grill. I strongly recommend investing in some metal skewers though, you can pick some up for less than a fiver and we use ours all the time (plus they are more environmentally friendly too!)

Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook to allow to come back to room temperature. Now thread the chicken onto the skewers; you want to pack the chicken pieces on tightly if possible. 

Whether cooking on a BBQ or under a grill, make sure whichever one is very hot before you begin cooking and then cook for 4-5 minutes on one side without touching at all. 

Now turn onto the other side and cook for a further 4-5 minutes which should cook them all the way through. To check the meat is cooked through, remove one of the skewers and cut into the biggest sized piece of meat to ensure there is no blood or pink. If there is, then of course return to the BBQ or under to grill for a further few minutes, and check again. If they are cooked through, then remove from the heat, and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. 

At this point, brush each Italian Chicken Skewer over with the remaining marinade and serve. I serve with a Tricolore Salad and over just cooked pasta with a spoonful of the marinade stirred through just like a pesto.

Italian Chicken Skewers

If you love Italian flavours you may like these recipes:

Chicken Cacciatore
King Prawn Linguine with Chilli and Saffron
Vicky's Special Seafood Stew
Mediterranean Pork Belly Strips
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Three Cheese Topped Pork Lasagne
Tricolore Salad
Crab. Chilli and Asparagus Pappardelle
Walnut and Basil Pesto
Bruschetta Two Ways
Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato and Garlic Sauce
Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup
Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron
Pork Fillet in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Turkey Meatball Bake
Mediterranean Soup
Reduced Calorie Bolognese
Chicken a La Milanese with Spaghetti

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Cacik Dips

If you love Turkish food, you'd be surprised to know just how simple it is to create some of your favourite dishes at home.

I've already shared the Lamb Shish Kebab, Beef Kofte Kebabs and Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs but what about the delicious dips to go alongside? So here are two of our favourite dips that would be fantastic with some fresh bread and any of those dishes; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Cacik.

Cacik is very similar to Tzatziki (although this of course originates in Greece) except rather than using mint (although in some cases mint is used), in my experience this is often flavoured with fronds of dill.

As I am on a never-ending quest to shift some weight, I often use low fat or fat free yoghurt for Cacik, but you will get a creamier version if you use full fat natural yoghurt, and if you are lucky enough to live close to any shops that stock Turkish produce, I strongly recommend finding a Turkish Yoghurt which is super thick and creamy and makes for a really authentic Cacik.

Cacik and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Cacik

Here's how:

• 3 tbsp yoghurt (fat free if you want a lower calorie version, Turkish or Greek full fat if you want the authentic version and to tell with the calories)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of salt
• Handful of dill fronds, finely chopped

In a small bowl add the yoghurt and salt. 

Grate the cucumber down and add to the yoghurt. 

Peel and mince the garlic and add to the yoghurt. 

Finely chop the dill fronds and add to the yoghurt then give it all a good mix and spoon into your serving dish; or cover and place into the fridge until you need. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

There are tons of varieties of hummus out there, but this is our favourite, taking flavour from those delightful jarred roasted red peppers. If you don't have any and/or can't get hold of them, you can simply place a whole red pepper into the oven at a very high heat and roast until charred all over. Then remove from the oven, allow to cool, and peel off the charred skin and remove the lid, and the seeds inside. 

Here's how:

• 1 large roasted red pepper
• 1 tin of chickpeas
• 2 tbsp tahini 
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Olive oil

For this you will need a food processor or if you have one, a Nutribullet. 

Firstly drain off the tin of chickpeas and add 90% of the tin to the Nutribullet or blender (save a few for garnish). Add the tahini and squeeze in the juice of the lemon.

Now peel and mince the garlic and add with the salt and pepper and the roasted red pepper. 

Pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Now put the blender lid on and blitz. You will most likely need more like 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil to get a smoother, runnier consistency, but if you add a little at a time, and just blend until you are happy with the consistency.

Once ready, place into the fridge for later with a lid on or dish up into you serving dish and scatter over the remaining chickpeas. If you are making ahead of time, and you find the hummus has gone a little dry in the fridge, just add a few drops more olive oil and mix again with a fork or spoon or give another quick blitz.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

If like us, you’re absolutely embracing the chance to bake at home and enjoy the spoils of your labour; then these gorgeous Chocolate Chunk Cookies are an absolute winner.

I made these with the girls a couple of weeks back, using up some of the leftover Easter chocolate and they devoured them. They are a little thicker in texture than say the Mini Egg Cookies, but this makes them a great choice for desserts too; ice cream sandwich, or just served with some ice cream, or crumbled into a sundae dish, topped with ice cream and some chocolate sauce.

The below makes about 18-20 cookies so they should last a few days if kept in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Here’s how:

• 220g butter
• 300g brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 320g self-raising flour
• 75g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100g white chocolate
• 100g dark or plain chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line 2-3 baking trays or oven dishes and set aside.

In a mixing bowl first add the butter, if this isn’t already at room temperature, blast in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften down.

Add the sugar and cream together with a spoon until all combined. Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and mix well.

Now sift in the cocoa powder, baking powder and self-raising flour, a little at a time. It might help to first measure out into a separate bowl.

Keep mixing until you have added all of the dry ingredients and you should have a fairly thick cake batter. At this point, add the milk to loosen and thin out a little and mix well.

If using chocolate chips, add these to the cake batter. I prefer to use bars of block chocolate to get the real chunks, that are so delicious in these types of cookies. Break up all the pieces and chop into 3-4 pieces per square then add to the cake batter.

Once combined and the chocolate is well spread out amongst the batter, use a tablespoon to spoon out a mound of batter and pop straight onto the baking sheet. You should leave plenty of space around each mound of batter, as this will flatten a little and spread during baking. Repeat until you have no more than x5-6 on each baking sheet.

Now place into the oven and bake for 13 minutes exactly. Then remove from the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking trays. They will, at this point be quite soft still, but they will harden up a little.

Now use a fish slice to carefully remove the cookies and place onto a wooden board, or a wire rack to cool down. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Then repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough.

These cookies can also be frozen, they will take a couple of hours to defrost and are great for taking on picnics or family outings once we are out of lockdown. Enjoy!

If you love biscuits with your families here are four other biscuit recipes you may enjoy:

Monte Carlo Biscuits

Easter Cookies with Mini Eggs

Chocolate Hobnobs

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

Chicken Biryani

If like us, you’re craving an Indian takeaway, but aren’t keen to order in at the moment until Covid-19 is a little more under control, then why not try this stunning Chicken Biryani fake-away at home?

It’s an Indian-takeaway favourite and has become a staple meal at our house since I started cooking it last year.

It’s not a difficult dish at all and if you want some tasty dishes to run alongside it to make it like a real takeaway, try this Chicken Dhansak, Sag Paneer or Chicken Tikka with Lentil Daal, but rest assured the below serves 4-5 comfortably as a main dish. 

Chicken Biryani

Here’s how:

• 350g basmati rice
• 300-400g chicken thighs  
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger
• Handful cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 heaped tbsp Korma Paste (I use Patak’s)
• 1.5 pints chicken stock
• 2 tbsp frozen peas
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1-2 heaped tbsp crème fraiche
• Handful fresh coriander leaves
• Drizzle olive or vegetable oil

Firstly rinse the basmati rice in cold water in a sieve until the water runs completely clear – this will avoid it becoming starchy and gloopy and is really important.

Now in a sturdy bottomed pan (preferably one which has a lid) add the knob of butter.

Cut the onion in half, and then dice one half and slice the other half. Set the sliced onions aside for now. Add the diced onion to the pan.

Mince the garlic and either finely chop or grate the ginger and add both to the pan to gently soften with the onion.

Now add in the spicing by adding the turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods to the pan. Mix gently and allow the spices to cook out for a minute or two.

Now chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan to sear. Move the chicken around to ensure all pieces get seared on each side.

At this point add the Korma paste to the pan, stir and then the rice. Allow the rice to cook in the pan for a minute or two, stirring to get a good coating in all the flavours in the pan. Add the frozen peas and raisins and then cover with the chicken stock, season with salt and black pepper and pop the lid on.

Bring this up to the boil and then cook for about 9 minutes, until almost all the water has been absorbed by the rice. Stir gently and then remove from the heat and leave to stand for ten minutes with the lid on, where the rice will continue to cook and absorb any remaining water.

In the meantime, heat the oil in another sauce pan on a really high heat and fry the onions until really dark and charred; these will work as a garnish for your Chicken Biryani. Once darkened, place onto a plate on top of some kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Now remove the lid from the Chicken Biryani and scatter over the fried onions, add the crème fraiche, either in little flourishes or one mound in the middle, and scatter over the coriander leaves and you’re ready to serve at the table. Enjoy!