Chicken Pelau.....with seasonal veg and Apple and Blueberry Crumble

I wandered down to our vegetable plot this morning with the help of my husband...as you get to know me, you will understand why that is. We looked at our crops to see what was ready for picking today; great, we thought...yum! Runner beans, mini-sweetcorn, green and yellow courgettes, Bramley apples and raspberries. What a feast we can make with all this...so for today's meal

6 boneless chicken thighs- skinned
1 tsp jerk chicken seasoning
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp Soy sauce - dark
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - pressed
1 tin chopped tomatoes (we love Suma organic - full and flavoursome)
1 tin baked beans
1 Knorr Stock Pot Jelly - chicken
300ml boiling water
2 sprigs fresh thyme/ 1tsp dried thyme
300ml brown rice
400ml boiling water
1 tin red kidney beans

METHOD

I use our slow cooker for this delicious one pot meal. Preheat on high for 15 mins with lid on. You could cook slowly in your main oven, at about 130°C, if you don't have one.
Stab each thigh 2 or 3 times. Rub with jerk seasoning. Place chopped toms, baked beans, onion, garlic and remaining spices into slow cooker...mix well. Add soy sauce, jelly stock and water. Stir until jelly has dissolved. Add chicken pieces making sure they are submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. DO NOT PEEP DURING THIS TIME!!
Add the rice, thyme and 400ml boiling water, stir well. Cook for further two hours on high, then add red kidney beans and cook for another 40 mins.
Serve with runner beans, mini-sweet corn and young courgettes...delicious!


Pudding....

Bramley Apple & Blueberry Crumble

4 large Bramley Apples
100g Raspberries- washed
75g Demerara sugar
2 tblsp water

150g plain flour - sifted
75g butter
25g wheatgerm
25g oatmeal
100g Demerara sugar

METHOD

Peel, core and slice apples. Place into microwaveable dish and add first Demerara sugar and water. Micro for three mins. Meanwhile, make crumble: tip flour and cubed butter into processor. blitz for one minute. add wheatgerm, oatmeal, and second Demerara. As apple finishes, remove from microwave and drain water. Spread into flat ovenproof dish, add raspberries, evenly spaced and top with crumble mixture. Cook at 160°C for 25 mins approx or until golden and bubbling.... Serve with custard, cream or ice cream x

HANDY TIP

When making crumble, I usually make up loads and freeze it. You can use it from frozen. So...here is a bulk recipe in case you are interested.

1.5kg Marriages Organic Plain Flour - I cook/bake loads and find this gives reliable tasty results
750g butter - cubed
250g wheatgerm
250g oatmeal - Mornflake crushed
1kg Demerara sugar

METHOD

As this is so much mixture, I use my Kenwood Chef. So, place flour in mixer, whizz for 10 seconds (equivalent to sieving) then add butter and whizz again until like breadcrumbs. Add wheatgerm, oatmeal and sugar. Finally give it a mix until all combined. This then goes into an airtight (I use a Lock & Lock) box and straight into your freezer. Can be used direct..just shake box a little to loosen.