QUICK (AND EASY) CHICKEN WEEKNIGHT DINNERS

Busy weeknights just got a whole lot easier!

---

From a one-pot meal to a delicious pasta salad – these simple chicken dinners are your new weeknight lifesavers

ONE POT CHICKEN DINNER
Serves 4 // Cooking time 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1kg chicken drumsticks & thighs
6 carrots, halved and peeled (keep the skins)
6 beetroots, quartered
4 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp paprika
1 cup white wine

METHOD
1. Brown chicken pieces in some olive oil. Add carrots, beetroots, thyme, garlic and paprika. Fry on low for 10 minutes.
2. Add wine. Place the lid on the pot, leaving it open a crack. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve over couscous with a green salad.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Samantha Pinto/HMimages.co.za


CORONATION CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
Serves 4 // Total time 30 minutes



INGREDIENTS
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 Tbsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp mild curry powder
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp chutney 

400g fusilli pasta, cooked
1 can (400g) peach halves, diced
Salt and milled black pepper
Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Squeeze of lemon

METHOD
1. Add chicken to a bowl and toss with half the spices and 1 Tbsp of the oil.
2. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and brown chicken for 3 minutes (add an extra splash of oil if it starts to catch).
3. Combine buttermilk with remaining spices and chutney to make a dressing.
4. Toss chicken, pasta and peaches together in a serving bowl, then coat with dressing and season.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon just before serving.

Words: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine


PORTUGUESE CHICKEN WITH RICE
Serves 4 // Preparation time 15 minutes // Cooking time 1 hr 5 minutes



INGREDIENTS
6 skin-on chicken pieces
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Portuguese spice mix
1 Tbsp oil
2 bell peppers, cored and diced
1 cup white rice
1 tin (410 g) tomato & onion mix
½ cup frozen peas
Parsley, to garnish
Lemon juice, optional

METHOD
1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and rub all over with 2 Tbsp Portuguese spice, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan. Cook the chicken pieces skin-side down until crisp. Turn and cook until browned all over. Set aside on a plate.
3. Lower the heat and add the bell peppers. Cook until slightly softened, but still tender. Add in the rice and stir-fry until it smells nutty and is starting to pop. Add in 1 tsp Portuguese spice mix and fry for a few seconds until aromatic.
4. Add in the tinned tomato & onion mix and 2 cups of water, then stir well to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Place the chicken pieces back in the pan along with any juices. Cover the pan with a lid or piece of tin foil and place in the oven for 40 min or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
6. Place the peas in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain. Remove the covering from the pan and move the chicken to a plate. Stir the peas through the rice. Place the chicken pieces back on top of rice and grill for 8–10 minutes or until chicken is golden and crisp.
7. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of lemon juice, if desired.

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen, Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Chanelle Naudt