Chicken and rocket pita pockets

Ingredients

2 whole-wheat pitas, halved and opened

110ml mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon zest

110ml rocket pesto, recipe follows

2 store-bought rotisserie chicken breasts, diced into 1-cm pieces

8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

225g rocket

For the rocket pesto:

450g packed rocket

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

110ml olive oil

110g grated Parmesan

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method

Chicken and rocket pita pockets

1) Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2.

2) Arrange the pita halves on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.

3) In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and arugula pesto. Stir in the diced chicken.

4) To assemble the pita pockets, fill each pita half with the chicken mixture. Top with tomatoes and 60g arugula and serve.

5) For the pesto, blend the arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan and salt and pepper.

White bean and chicken chilli

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

900g chicken mince

1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp fennel seeds

15g dried oregano

2 tsp chilli powder

3 tbsp plain flour

2 (425g tins) cannellini or other white bean, rinsed and drained

1 bunch (about 450g) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 3-cm pieces

340g frozen corn, thawed

900ml low-sodium chicken stock

Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

110g grated Parmesan cheese

60g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

White bean and chicken chilli

1) In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken mince, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chilli powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. 

2) Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer. With a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. 

3) Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chilli has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

4) Ladle the chilli into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Chicken, chilli, and cheese quesadillas

Ingredients

For the quesadillas:

175g Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Colby cheese, thinly sliced

1 tbsp. chopped pickled jalapenos

85g shredded cooked chicken

12 corn tortillas, preferably white

60g unsalted butter

For the topping and salsa:

450g vine-ripened tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes)

¼ small red onion

2 to 3 tbsp. chopped coriander

Hot sauce such as chipotle or Mexican green chilli sauce to taste (½ tsp.)

Salt

1 avocado, halved, seeded, and sliced

Method

Chicken, chilli, and cheese quesadillas

1) Lay 6 tortillas on the work surface, and divide the cheese, jalapenos, and chicken among the tortillas. (Its best to leave about a 2-cm border on the edge of the tortilla uncovered to allow for the spread of the melting cheese.) Top with remaining tortillas and press gently to seal. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan. Carefully place a quesadilla in the skillet and fry, turning once, until golden and little bubbles appear on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes in all. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas, wiping out the pan between batches if the butter burns. 

2) While the quesadillas cook make the salsa: Halve the tomatoes and grate them on the largest holes of a box grater into a bowl, discarding the skins. Grate the onion into the tomato and stir in the cilantro, hot sauce and salt, to taste. 

3) Cut quesadillas into 4 wedges with a pizza wheel or knife and serve with the salsa and avocado.

Shellfish and chicken paella with saffron rice, chorizo and green peas

Ingredients

For the lemon aoili:

4 cloves garlic, peeled

½ tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

*2 egg yolks

60ml fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

180ml olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

For the paella:

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 tbsp honey

120ml olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2.4L chicken stock

Large pinch saffron

12 littleneck clams, scrubbed

1 (1.1kg) whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces or 4 legs and 4 thighs (dark meat)

225g chorizo, cut into 1cm thick slices

¼ large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

450g Arborio (paella) rice

12 mussels, debearded and scrubbed

8 large prawns, peeled and deveined, with tail on

8 baby octopus

4 baby squid, cleaned and sliced into rings, tentacles reserved, and/or 225g cuttlefish pieces

150g fresh or frozen peas

2 cooked lobsters (700g each), tails in the shell, split lengthwise, claw meat in the shell or out, as desired

Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

120ml lemon aioli, recipe follows

Method

Shellfish and chicken paella with saffron rice, chorizo and green peas

For the lemon aoili:
1) Place the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

2) Slowly add the oil, drop by drop at first, until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the paella: 
1) Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, and roast until soft. Set aside.

2) Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of saffron. Transfer about 120ml of the stock to another saucepan, add the clams, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook just until the clams open; remove the clams from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.

3) Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a very large frying pan or paella pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the heated pan. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Add the chorizo, onion and garlic and saute until the chorizo has browned and the onions are translucent.

4) Add the rice, about 1.8L of the chicken stock, the reserved clam liquid, and any juices from the chicken and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the rice and cook, uncovered, until the rice is quite al dente, about 15 mins. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer; the rice on the bottom of the pan should form a dark brown crispy crust by the end of the cooking time. If the stock is disappearing too quickly, just add a bit more of the remaining stock.

5) Add the mussels, prawn, octopus, squid and/or cuttlefish, and the peas. Cook until the prawns are pink and the mussels open. Add the lobster, clams and roasted tomatoes and heat briefly. At this point, you should still be able to see liquid bubbling gently; it will settle when you turn off the heat. Fold in the parsley and lemon aioli and mix until combined, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*RAW EGG WARNING 
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

Basil chicken hash

 

Ingredients

2 whole (4 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

16 basil leaves

Olive Oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

90g unsalted butter, divided

900g boiling potatoes, peeled and large diced

2 red onions, chopped

2 red peppers, large diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

5g fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp paprika

15g tomato puree

4 minced spring onions, white and green parts

5g chopped fresh leaf parsley

Sour cream, cheddar and sliced lemons, for serving

 Directions

Basil chicken hash

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

2) Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Place 4 basil leaves under the skin of each chicken breast. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won't dry out. With your hands, rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 mins, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones. Cut the chicken in large dice pieces and set aside. 

3) Melt 60g of the butter in a large saute pan. Add the potatoes and onions, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and saute over medium heat for about 10 mins, until evenly browned and cooked through. 

4) In a separate saute pan, melt the remaining 30g of butter. Add the red peppers, garlic, thyme, paprika, tomato puree, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and saute over medium heat for about 5 mins, until the edges of the peppers are seared.

5) Add the chicken and the pepper mixture to the potatoes and heat through. Add the spring onions and parsley, toss together and place on a serving platter.

Slow-Cooker Barbecued Ribs

Ingredients

3 1/2

pounds pork loin back ribs

1/4

cup packed brown sugar

1

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

3

tablespoons liquid smoke

2

garlic cloves, chopped

1

medium onion, sliced

1/2

cup cola

1 1/2

cups barbecue sauce

Directions
Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Remove inner skin from ribs. Mix brown sugar, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and garlic; rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4-inch pieces. Layers ribs and onion in slow cooker. Pour cola over ribs.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until tender. Remove ribs from slow cooker. Drain and discard liquid.
Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl. Dip ribs into sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat setting 1 hour. 
NoTE
This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.

Slow-Cooker Korean Beef Stew

• Ingredient

2         lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

1

bag (16 oz) ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots

6

green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2

cloves garlic, chopped

1/2

cup tomato juice

1/4

cup soy sauce

3

tablespoons sugar

2

tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil

1/4

teaspoon pepper

2

teaspoons cornstarch

4

teaspoons cold water

3

cups hot cooked rice

• Directions

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix beef, carrots, onions, garlic, tomato juice, soy sauce, sugar, oil and pepper.
Cover; cook on Low heat setting 9 to 11 hours (or on High setting 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes).
In small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until blended; stir into beef mixture in slow cooker. If cooking on Low heat setting, increase to High. Cover; cook about 20 minutes longer or until mixture is slightly thickened. Serve with rice.