Roast chicken with peppers & feta

 

• 1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves, 3 crushed, remainder left whole
• 2 tbsp chopped oregano
• 2 lemons, juice of 1, the other cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 chicken (about 1.6kg/3lb 8oz)
• 3 large red peppers, deseeded and cut into large chunks
• 3 small red onions, cut into wedges
• 4 large courgettes, cut into thick wedges
• 3 tbsp chopped mint, plus a few sprigs to serve
• 200g pack feta cheese, crumbled into chunks
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• crusty bread, to serve (optional)

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the crushed garlic and oregano with the lemon juice and 3 tbsp of the oil to make a dressing. Season. Make a few slashes in each chicken leg, then put the chicken in a large roasting tin and rub with 2 tbsp of the dressing. Stuff the squeezed lemon shells inside the body cavity. Roast for 30 mins.

2. Meanwhile, tip the peppers, onions, whole garlic cloves and courgettes into a large bowl, and toss with the remaining oil and some seasoning. After 30 mins, pile the veg around the chicken, drizzle with half the remaining dressing and roast for 1 hr.

3. Remove the chicken from the oven, lift onto a platter, cover with foil and leave to rest. Check the roasting tin, and if the chicken has rendered a lot of fat, pour it off, skim and return the juices to the tin. Stir the lemon wedges, mint, feta, chickpeas and remaining dressing through the veg and juices, then return to the oven for 10 mins to warm through. Pile around the chicken, scatter with mint sprigs and serve with bread, if you like, to mop up the juices.

Chicken Thigh Curry

Pre heat over to 180 degrees. Fry chicken skin side down first for 5-8 mins.  Remove from pan and remove all but 1tbsp oil.  Fry onion cut into half moons.  When transparent,  add garlic and ginger.  Add tomatoes, curry powder, lime juice,  honey and chilli powder.  Then add half a can off coconut milk.  Place chicken back on top and oven bake for 20 minutes.  

Served with bombay potatoes,  mint raita, and yoghurt flatbread. 

Crumble mix

100g plain flour

50g caster sugar

25g muscavado sugar (can use 75g granulated of don't have the other 2)

50g cold butter

Pizza sauce

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 carton passata

garlic

oregano

sugar

salt and pepper

Slow cooker on low for 6 hours.

Pizza Dough

1kg 00 flour

200g plain flour or strong white bread flour

2 x 7g packs of yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp caster sugar

650ml warm water

Mix salt, yeast and sugar into water, leave for a few minutes. Sift 00 flour into large bowl ( kitchen aid), make a well and mix flour into the middle with a fork. Once dough formed, mix with kitchen aid dough hook until smooth. Heavily flour bowl and put dough back in. Flour top and put a damp cloth on top before proving for an hour in a warm space.

Knock back and add in a fair bit of the additional flour before deviding up. Can use straight away or place cling filmed in fridge until ready to use. Roll 20 minutes before use.

Old School Chocolate Cracknell

• 
  
  150g cornflakes
• 200g golden syrup
• 120g butter
• 75g dried milk powder
• 25g cocoa powder

1. Measure out the cornflakes in large bowl and put aside.
2. Melt the golden syrup and butter in a saucepan on a very low heat.
3. When just melted, remove from heat then add the dried milk powder and cocoa powder, and whisk.
4. Add back on heat and stirring all the time for about 3 minutes on low heat.
5. Remove from heat and pour over cornflakes, mixing very well until all covered.
6. Then with a large ice cream scoop press cornflakes into it and then put on a baking tray.
7. Chill in fridge for an hour then enjoy

Old School Iced Sponge

250g butter

250g granulated sugar

4 eggs 

250g self raising four

1 tbsp milk

300g icing sugar

Sprinkles 

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Sift and fold in flour and add milk. Pop into lined tray and cook for 25 minutes on 170 degrees.