Popcorn Chicken Bites

I have been playing around with these for a while and making a version of them for years, but since I tried Half Baked Harvest's recipe for Chicken Tenders back in January, which introduced me to the cornflake crust, it's honestly been a game-changer and this version has been voted for as a winner by my family. 

You can soak the chicken in buttermilk, but I make a version of my own and have included the details for this below as buttermilk isn't always easy to come by.

I cannot stress enough the importance of using boneless and skinless chicken thighs here for the juiciest little crispy bites of chicken; you can use chicken breast if you prefer but it will inevitably be drier! 

You can also play around with the seasonings in the crust, I have just a gentle spicing, as my girls don't like anything too hot, but I think cayenne would work really well here. 

However many you make, they will go, and I guarantee once you make this once, you'll be making it again and soon. I served this here with my Slow Cooker BBQ Beans with Chorizo but they'd also work well with my Healthy Coleslaw.

Popcorn Chicken Bites

Here's how:

• 600g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 3 heaped tbsp of natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 140g cornflakes
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Fry Light Sunflower Oil

Firstly make your own buttermilk, by combining the yoghurt with the white wine vinegar and stirring through and place into a container big enough to hold the chicken. If you don't have white wine vinegar, any white vinegar will work or you could even use the juice of half a lemon.

Now cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and place into the buttermilk. Once all chopped and added to the yoghurt use a spoon to mix the chicken all around and ensure every piece is coated. Put a lid on the container and place into the fridge for at least an hour. 

When ready to cook, pop the oven on at 200 degrees. 

For the crust, blitz the cornflakes in a blender or a Nutribullet and place into a bowl then add the seasonings; paprika, oregano, black pepper and garlic salt and mix.

Get a couple of baking trays ready - I line them with baking paper to stop the chicken sticking and losing any of the crust.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and take off the lid.

Use a fork to pop each piece of chicken into the cornflake mixture and move it around to ensure it's completely coated then place onto the baking sheet. Repeat this until every piece of chicken has a good coating. 

Now give all of the chicken pieces a spray with the Fry Light.

Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and crisp. Enjoy!

I serve with a Jack Daniels' BBQ dip and then two dips which I knock up quickly myself and which are always devoured. 

The first is a Honey Mustard dip and it is simply 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1.5 tbsp honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper and a drop of white wine vinegar and mixed together.

The second is an Asian dipping sauce and is a minced garlic clove, and a 2 cm piece of ginger grated or finely chopped and heated in a pan with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp sriracha, 1 tbsp red bean chilli paste. 

Again, if you make either of these dips I guarantee it won't only be the once!

Pulled Pork in Barbecue Sauce

There aren’t many dishes more moreish than this pulled pork and banging barbecue sauce. It’s a really great family meal and we often have as an alternative to a Sunday roast dinner.

We take out some of the pulled pork to have plain for my eldest daughter who doesn’t like the heat of the barbecue sauce.

There are many variations of side dishes for pulled pork, coriander rice, mash potato, spiced potato wedges and I could go on and on. We had the pulled pork here in a toasted brioche bun with my Healthy Coleslaw and buttered corn on the cob.

The pork does get a little attention with a dry rub and I do like to leave the meat in the rub overnight so the meat is full of flavour. If you are shorter on time or decide in the morning you want that for your evening meal, try to allow for at least an hour in the dry rub. I’ve done this before and it still makes my mouth water. I’ve also been told pulled pork is wonderful in a slow cooker but I’ve yet to try it that way.

The barbecue sauce is hot, sweet and sticky - everything a barbecue sauce should be. I blend it but you can leave it chunky too, it’s fab both ways.

The below was with a 1.5kg shoulder of pork and makes enough for 6-8 portions for a family of four so we have it two days running. 

Pulled Pork and Barbecue Sauce

Here’s how;

The dry rub;

• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1.5 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1.5kg shoulder pork

The barbecue sauce:

• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp chipotle paste
• Salt
• Pepper

Firstly in a bowl combine the dry rub ingredients. Add the pork to the bowl and use your hands to get the seasoning all over the edges of the pork and into any crevices where flesh or skin is. Then wash your hands and cover the bowl with clingfilm and place into the fridge overnight - or for as long as you are able.

Once ready to cook the meat, place the oven onto a low heat of 160 and place the pork into a baking tray or tin. Cover loosely all over with tin foil and place onto a middle shelf for 4 hours. Don’t use you best ceramic dish as this will get charred and messy.

For the barbecue sauce simple drizzle the olive oil into a saucepan and place on a low heat.

Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan.

Slice the chilli (keeping the seeds) and place into the pan too.

Once this mixtuew has softened down a little add the tin of tomatoes, the chipotle paste, balsamic vinegar, honey and soy sauce. Season generously and stir and leave to cook for twenty to thirty minutes.

The barbecue sauce during cooking

Remove from the heat and allow to cool right down. Once cool blitz or blend - I use a Nutribullet so always allow it to cool right down.

When the meat has cooked for the full four hours, it should be super tender and easy to ‘pull’. To test, simply poke at it a bit with a fork and see if it is easy to shred. If not, return to the oven with the foil for a little longer.

Once the pork is out of the oven place onto a plate and allow to rest for twenty to thirty minutes.

Once resting time is up, any liquid that has escaped the pork, carefully place into the barbecue sauce, and pop the sauce back on a low simmer to warm through.

On a large chopping board, pull the pork by using two forks to shred the entire piece. 

Pulled pork

Once shredded, retain any you don’t want in the sauce then place the rest of the pulled pork into the barbecue sauce and stir through to ensure all of the meat is well coated. 

Pulled pork in barbecue sauce

Allow the pork to warm right through before serving with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Healthy Coleslaw

This is a great side dish for any table and can be served alongside meats, sandwich platters, BBQ and a variety of other salads.

It's pretty guilt-free too - made with Fat Free Greek Yoghurt instead of mayonnaise but pepped up with English mustard and white wine vinegar, so it still has plenty of flavour.

Rather than faffing around with graters too - I prefer a much chunkier texture so cut everything by hand.

The below serves four people and each portion comes in at around 50 calories.

Healthy Slaw

Here's how:

• 2 large carrots
• 1/4 red cabbage
• 4 spring onions
• 3-4 tbsp Fat Free Greek Yoghurt (I use Lidl's Milbonna)
• 1 tsp English mustard (I use Colman's)
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar (I use Aspall)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Firstly peel the carrots and take off the ends, and then cut into two or three lengths. Then with each piece, slice it into lengths, and then finely slice into long rectangular pieces then place into a mixing or salad bowl.

Now remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, and cut off a quarter of it - or a half if it's a particularly small red cabbage. Slice into similarly sized pieces as the carrot.

Prepare the spring into the same sized long slithers and add all to the bowl.

Now add the yoghurt - try 3 tablespoons to start, and then when you've added everything else and mixed well check if you are happy with the consistency - if not add one more.

Add the English mustard and white wine vinegar and then season to your taste. I like to add a pinch of salt and go generous with the black pepper.

Mix really well and serve with your choice of accompaniments.