Bean and chicken casserole

This warming casserole is adapted from a Domini Kemp recipe. Her’s is vegetarian, mine is not.

Bean and chicken casserole

Once everything was in the pot, I left it simmering for about an hour, but that was just because I was doing other things and wasn’t in a rush to get to the table. You will happily feed four people with this.

a tablespoon of olive oil

one red onion

as much garlic as you like

a good knob of ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

some chilli, again, what you like and how hot you want your dinner

2 chicken breasts

a tin of tomatoes

a couple of stock cubes

1 tin cannellini beans (I found these in the cupboard, possibly bought in the GB at Merode. Use whatever you can find in the local shop)

1 tin chick peas

a persevered lemon

coriander and spring onions

I served this with some cous cous mixed with coriander and spring onions, and Greek yogurt.

I just discovered I left out a couple of the ingredients, such as the curry powder and the orange stated in the original recipe. A lesson in re-reading through the recipe at the end if ever I heard one! Nonetheless, it was really good.

Heat a little oil in a pot and sweat the chopped onions. I grated the ginger and crushed the garlic and added both to the onions for a few minutes to cook for another couple of minutes. Add the spices and cook all of this for about five minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss it into the onion spice mixture to colour the outside. Pour in a tin of tomatoes and about half a tin of water. I added the chopped up preserved lemon at this stage and the stock cubes together with a little salt and pepper.

Rinse all the beans under cold water, drain and set aside. Leave the tomato mixture to cook and simmer gently for as long as you have (make sure the chicken is cooked through so at least 20 minutes. I left it bubbling gently for about an hour), before adding the beans. Cook for about 10 minutes and check the seasoning. You can sharpen up the flavours with some lemon juice and Tabasco sauce. 

Pan-fried fish

ok, ok, I've been a bit remiss on filling in my blog recently. Part of this is due to not taking photos of my food. My new month resolution is to take more photos of my food.


Last night I made a super low-fat pan-fried fish. I don't have any other name for it. Its a 365things original dish. Maybe.


For two people, you'll need:
120g white fish per person - I use monkfish or pangasius (catfish)
150g potatoes per person (or less potato and more root veg)
1 pepper (any colour)
2 large tomatoes or several smaller ones
1 onion
salt n pepper
various herbs


Peel and cut the potatoes (and the other veg if you're using) into pieces. Boil in some water for about 20 mins until soft. Drain and add about 50ml milk and 10g butter and mash until smooth.


While your potatoes are cooking, chop the onion into 8ths, the pepper into strips and the tomatoes into chunks. Cook these in a frying pan (I do this without oil) in a bit of water. Add whatever herbs and spices you like, and a little salt and pepper. These should take about 15 minutes to become soft and cooked through.


When your veg are all cooked, remove them from the pan and add your fish. Cook for about 4 minutes on the first side and about 3 on the other. Fish varies in thickness so use your judgement - it's cooked when it becomes opaque.


To plate up, put some of the vegetable mixture on first and the fish on top. The mash can be served on the side. Or, if you're otherwise inclined, pop the fish onto the mash and serve the vegetables on the side.