Quick Chicken Skewer Wraps

Oops! I’ll admit that I totally forgot to prep a post for today! I spent the weekend over in Manchester visiting my sister and went to the Cake and Bake Show on Sunday, which has thrown me off my usual schedule somewhat! It’s nice to get away and do something different though isn’t it?

This recipe for quick chicken skewers should stand anyone in good stead for a speedy last minute dinner. Ideally you want to leave the skewers to marinate for as long as possible. If that’s a few hours, great, if you only have a few minutes that’ll do just fine. Flexibility is the objective here. I like to make these when I’m after a meal that’s light yet packed with flavour. The fact that they’re so quick to make is another point in their favour and, even better, any leftovers are just as good cold for lunch the next day. Any variation from my usual ham sandwich is always welcome!


Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp dried coriander
1 tbsp lime juice
tortilla wraps, salad and natural yogurt to serve

– Slice the chicken thighs into 3 long strips each.
– Thread the strips of chicken onto bamboo or metal skewers.
– Place in a dish and scatter over the chilli flakes and coriander then sprinkle over the lime juice.
– Turn to coat evenly.
– Leave to marinate for as long as you can spare.
– Heat a grill then cook for about 5 minutes, turn then cook for about another 3 minutes.
– Serve in tortilla wraps with plenty of fresh salad and drizzle with yogurt. If I’ve the time I like to chop a little red onion and fresh garlic into my yogurt and leave it to marinate for as long as the chicken gets. It adds another layer of flavour with almost no effort on my part, which is always good!

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Slow Cooker Chocolate Chilli

I love chilli. It’s such a comfort food. Especially when you get to load it up with cheese! Some weeks I know going in that work is going to kick my ass. So I try to be prepared. If I make a vat of chilli at the beginning of the week I know I have a home cooked meal ready and waiting for me whenever I make it home. The red meat is going to help me get through and give me a much needed iron boost and the veggies that are hidden in there mean that I’m not missing out on too many vitamins. All in all this chilli recipe is a real lifesaver. I love this mix of spices, if you don’t have smoked paprika in your arsenal I highly recommend it, it really adds an edge to the dishes you use it in. The chocolate is a nice little addition too, subtle but very worth it!

750g beef mince
1 onion, chopped
1 large pepper, finely chopped (I only used green to use the damned thing up! Nigella is right, they’re simply unripe!)
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smokey paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2x400g tins chopped tomatoes
5tbsp tomato purée
1tbsp granulated sugar
50g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

– I love slow cooking because the directions basically boil down to this: Throw everything but the kidney beans in a slow cooker, give it a stir and then put the lid on and leave overnight/through the day. 8 hours is what you’re aiming for.
– When you’re ready to eat it you add the kidney beans and leave for another 30 minutes. If you left it to cook overnight and switched it off during the day you can put it back on high with the kidney beans in there until it heats through.
– Serve with rice or nachos, creme fraiche and cheese!