baking pan chicken (air fryer version)

I felt like making that baking pan chicken recipe again but didn’t want to use the oven (it’s 40º here this week!) and I also didn’t fancy cooking a whole chicken’s worth of pieces. So as I had two free range chicken thighs in the freezer it seemed like the perfect amount for the air fryer, and also for two people. You could use any chicken pieces, of course, but it’s important to have the skin still on. I changed the original recipe a bit, using a 50/50 mix of lemon/lime juices instead of just lemon, and I used cumin in the marinade too (that last change was actually an accident but a happy one as it turned out).  Also, I wilted the spinach before adding it to the garbanzos this time (used the microwave, just a couple of minutes on medium heat does the job).

And wow was it delicious. The chicken was super tender and the garbanzos so full of flavour. In the original recipe the chicken sits in the middle of the tray with the garbanzos around the sides, in this case the chicken was directly on top and so the beans soaked up more of the chicken juices. I don’t remember it being quite this fabulous last time. Anyhow, you’ll notice I didn’t have any red onions, so I used sweet onions instead. And I forgot to sprinkle the fresh cilantro/parsley on top afterwards (oops). Served here with some crispy baked garlic chiabatta, also done in the air fryer.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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spinach hummus

I was at a friend’s restaurant the other day and saw that they had spinach hummus on the menu and, although we didn’t try it that day, I decided to try it at home as soon as possible. So here it is. It’s actually just a riff on my basic hummus recipe with a bit more garlic and, of course, spinach. Also, after linking to that original recipe (posted in 2009), I am reminded that I really need to update those photos!

Ingredients and instructions below…

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espinacas con garbanzos 2

I’ve already posted a nice recipe for espinacas con garbanzos here, a very traditional version, and it’s delicious. But it turns out that I almost never make this dish the same way twice and the other day I looked up a few more recipes, got confounded by some that add tomato (wut) and then made this version, which is kind of what I’ve been doing for a while, except this time with added ground almonds (game changer!). So here it is. Oh, and as I didn’t have any bread in the house I used some olive oil regañas (kind of a cracker, and as they were already baked with olive oil I didn’t have to fry them). I like using the baby spinach because then you don’t have to boil anything and the spinach comes out much brighter and tender, and (I think) has more flavour.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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baking pan chicken

sheet pan chicken (1)
I found this recipe via Twitter. The original is by Alison Roman (New York Times). I’ve made a couple of small changes from the orignal here – added bit more cumin, left out the ground fennel seed (but feel free to add 1 tablespoon to the garbanzos), and added white wine to the marinade. But the biggest change was adding fresh spinach to wilt in the hot garbanzos at the end. This of course means it’s no longer a “one pan meal”, but oh well.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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garbanzo & feta salad

garbanzo feta (1)
I was about to make hummus today and then remembered that I had some feta cheese.  So I ended up making a “fridge forage” garbanzo bean salad and it turned out very well. It’s great on its own, or as a side dish. Also handy because you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge (up to two days). It’s also something you can play with, changing ingredients here and there (see below). Nice summer dinner option.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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garbanzo burgers

garbanzo burgers

Got inspired this morning when I saw this Instagram pic by Ellie, co-owner of the Pear Café in Bristol. Hers were a much “healthier” version. I went for more of a traditional burger thing, first making two cheeseburgers with tomato, lettuce and onion, mayo and dijon. The other two I topped with fried onions and served with a soya-mayo (just mayonnaise with some soy sauce added). Both types were fabulous, served on freshly grill-toasted artisanal molletes (a soft Spanish bread roll), though in retrospect I realised I should have made eight smaller burgers from this recipe, which I did on my next try. Also the second time I added fresh cilantro – made all the difference. Very filling, super delicious.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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spinach & garbanzos with fried eggs

garbanzos and spinach

The other day I had a bag of fresh baby spinach that needed using up so I had a quick look online for some “spinach and egg” inspiration and found this, which as it turns out is a typical Spanish dish. I hadn’t planned on making a stew, let alone something with garbanzos, but this looked interesting and so after a few adjustments to the recipe I’d found I decided this would make a nice meal. And it was! I used chicken broth but you can swap that for veggie broth if you want a vegetarian dish. Serves two but just double the recipe for more people or to have some tasty leftovers the next day.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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