You may have noticed that the vast majority of recipes this year in Critic have been vegetarian. This is for two reasons: 1) meat is expensive and we are povo and 2) the food editor and 90% of the contributors live meat-free and vege-plenty. However, we understand that not everyone is this way inclined, so this week we have killed some animals for y’all. Aren’t we nice? Specifically, this week we are workin’ with chicken.
The following recipes contain shredded chicken which is easily available in the deli section (it is regularly on special too) and is less finicky than cooking chicken from raw. You could also use leftover roast chicken. The pasta bake is really easy to mix together after a long day and the pita bread recipe is tasty for a picnic or similar around exam time when the sun is finally out again.
Chicken and Cheese Pasta - serves 4/5
500g pasta (rigatoni is the best as the sauce bursts out of it)
Dolmio “Pasta bake sauce, three cheeses? (not four)
1-2 cups of milk
Shredded chicken (can be from the deli or leftover roast)
Pour the uncooked pasta into a 3L ovenproof dish and scatter the chicken over this. Spread the sauce over the top and then ?ll the jar with the milk and shake it up so it picks up all the sauce left on the side of the jar. Pour this over the other ingredients and stir all up well. Add more milk or water to make the bake saucier. Bake in the oven covered for 30 mins at 180°C and then uncovered for 20 mins. You may have to check if the pasta is cooked through. If it still needs some cooking, cover it and cook for a further 10 or so minutes. Be careful not to overcook though as the bake will dry out. NB: ignore the instructions on the side of the jar, this works too.
Chicken Chickpea Pitas
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 courgette, sliced in half and half again, cooked
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or 400g of deli chicken)
10 black olives, sliced and pitted
Pita bread, lettuce and mayonnaise to serve
Combine the chickpeas, corn, courgette and chicken in a bowl and season well. Fold in the black olives and mayonnaise. Toast the pitas (can be done in the oven to get them all done at the same time) and place them on the table with the lettuce for people to make their own.
Chicken Tonight?
