Peri Peri Chicken Pasta

Peri peri sauce and of course Nandos is becoming ever more popular in the UK; the place to go for your chicken fix. I love the taste, but fancied trying it in a slightly different format.

I based this dish on a pasta dish I enjoyed in Portugal earlier this year. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 inches cooking chorizo
• 100ml Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce
• 150ml single cream
• 12 cherry tomatoes on the vine 
• 250g fresh pasta 

Recipe 

Keeping your tomatoes on the vine, place on to a baking tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them into the oven for 20 minutes at 180c.    

    

Whilst the tomatoes are roasting, cut your chicken into chunks and then stir fry on a high heat, for 5 minutes until the chicken starts to brown. 

Cut your chorizo into chunks and stir fry for 2 minutes. 

    
Stir in the Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce and cream, then let this simmer for about 5 minutes and reduce slightly. 

  
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Cook your fresh pasta by placing it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes (or as directed). 

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and plate up. Ladle the chicken and sauce over the pasta. 

Take the tomatoes out of the oven and cut the vine in half. Place tomatoes on top of the dish, and serve.

  

Meatballs with Melted Mozzarella in the Slow Cooker

I’ve just turned 25 and my boyfriend parents bought me the most amazing present…a slow cooker! It’s every busy girls dream to be able to throw some clean, healthy and tasty ingredients into a dish and let this bubble away whilst you go about your business. I must admit, I was slightly sceptical about how my first dish would turn out, but now I can’t wait to try out even more recipes! 

After birthday dinner and drinks all we wanted to do was get some fresh air and eat some carbs – so what a better dish to make than meatballs with melted mozzarella oozing out of the middle.

Ingredients (creates 6 portions)

500g lean mince

60g breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp of flour

3 tins of chopped tomatoes

1 ball of mozzarella

Handful of basil

2 chopped chillies

Seasoning

Recipe 

Combine the mince, breadcrumbs, flour, seasoning and egg in to a large mixing bowl. 

Drain, then cut the mozzarella into about 25 small pieces of mozzarella.

Take about 1 tbsp of mince add a piece of mozzarella into the middle of this and then add another tbsp of mince.
Using the palm of your hands, turn this into a ball shape, ensuring it all sticks together and no mozzarella is poking out.

Repeat with all the mixture, keeping the shape and size as consistently as possible. Each serving is typically 4 meatballs and I managed to make 24 meatballs from the mixture.

Now you’re meatballs are ready, heat a little oil in a large frying pan and seal all of the meatballs.

Once sealed, transfer to your slow cooker and cover with all the chopped tomatoes.

Add in your basil and chilli, mix and then leave on low for 4-5 hours.

Once you’ve got home, smelt the amazing aroma coming from the kitchen and ready to eat – boil some water for your pasta.

Cook pasta as per instructions and serve four meatballs with plenty of sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese! Enjoy!

There was only two of us eating, so I froze the other four portions to serve another day – try serving them with just a salad or courgetti if you want to avoid carbs mid-week.

Indulgent Pasta: Chicken, Chorizo and Goats Cheese

Pasta is seen as part of the staple diet, and often referred to as an easy and quick “student dish.” That might be the case in some households, but I whipped up an indulgent dish with more flavours than most other dishes. Here’s how you can do the same:

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 chicken breasts
1 red pepper
Handful of roughly chopped chorizo chunks
Handful of fresh basil
1 Tin of chopped tomatoes
2 portions of fresh verde tagliatelle
1/4 pack of goats cheese

Recipe:

Firstly, prepare your ingredients. Chop the chorizo, chicken and red pepper into roughly sized chunks. Roughly chop the fresh basil.

Heat up a large pan and add olive oil. Add the chicken and chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, ensuring that all the chicken pieces are sealed.

Add the tomatoes, red pepper and basil into the pan and lightly stir for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down and let it simmer away for another 15 minutes.

Whilst you’re waiting, slice the goats cheese thinly.

Once there’s 10 minutes left for the sauce, put your pasta into a pan of boiling water and cook as per packet instructions. I used fresh pasta so it took 4 minutes.

Finally, drain the pasta and mix it into the sauce, along with the goats cheese. Once the goats cheese has begun to melt, it’s time to serve.

I find it easier to use tongs to serve the tagliatelle, then spoon the sauce on top! Add a small piece of goats cheese and a basil leaf for decoration.