Friday Food Lust - Lemon Spiced Chicken With Chickpeas

Source

Over the past few weeks, I've been on a one-woman cooking mission to fill my freezer with healthy, tasty meals, ready to whip out when Baby H finally makes an appearance.

I have tried out many, many recipes and have quickly found one pot meals to be my new best friend. Easy to make (they're basically idiot-proof), you just chuck everything in and leave the spices or ingredients to work their magic!

My new favourite is this BBC Good Food recipe for Lemon Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas. I have to admit that I changed the recipe a little (I added dried chilli flakes for an extra kick, as well as red peppers, plum tomatoes and some flaked almonds for colour and interest), but it worked a dream. Both hubby and I loved it, and it's become a firm Hadadi favourite!

Anyway, if you're fed up of making the same old healthy meals, give this one a go...

Sam x

Lemon Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas


Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion halved and thinly sliced
4 skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
zest and juice one lemon
400g can chickpeas, drained
200ml chicken stock (I actually ended up adding 300ml for extra juice!)
250g bag spinach

Optional extras (see above):

Plum tomatoes

Red pepper, diced

Handful flaked almonds

Chilli flakes


Method:


1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the onion gently (as well as the red pepper, if using) for 5 mins. Turn up the heat and add the chicken, frying for about 3 mins until golden.

2) Stir in the spices and lemon zest (including the dried chilli flakes if you're using them), fry for 1 more min, then tip in the chickpeas and stock (as well as tomatoes if you are using). Put the lid on and simmer for at least five minutes. I find that turning the heat off after this stage and leaving for half an hour or so really brings out the flavour...it's not essential, but if you have the time, why not try it?!

3) Season to taste, then tip in spinach and re-cover. Leave to wilt for 2 mins, then stir through. Squeeze over the lemon juice just before serving.