Recipe Squadron

For the marinade

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 chipotle chillies

1 fat clove garlic

Salt and pepper

tsp cumin seeds, freshly ground

4 tbsp olive oil

800g chicken thighs, cut into strips

For the wrap

A wholewheat flatbread

A large handful of coriander leaves

Cos lettuce leaves

½ avocado

A pickled jalapeño, sliced

Smash up the garlic, salt, cumin seeds and chipotle chillies with a pestle and mortar. Add the rest of the ingredients and smear over chicken thighs. Marinade for at least 45 minutes, preferably a few hours. Char-grill for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your strips. This chicken is delicious with rice for supper. For lunch, wrap the chicken up with the coriander, cos lettuce leaves, jalapeño and avocado, and make everyone jealous at work.

Ingredients
1 large onion or 2 banana shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli deseeded or keep half with seeds if you like it spicy
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Olive oil, for frying
500g good quality beef mince
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
3 fresh tomatoes or 1 beef tomato, roughly chopped
400g chopped tomatoes
100-200ml chicken or beef stock
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
400g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
Handful of chives, chopped
200ml soured cream
Boiled rice, to serve

1. Sweat the onion, garlic, chilli and thyme in 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan. At the same time, brown the mince in a separate pan over moderate heat in a little oil.

2. Add the dried spices to the onion mixture and cook until they release their aroma. Then stir in the beef and mix well. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes and leave to cook down a little for about 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the chicken or beef stock and stir in tomato puree to taste. Drop the cinnamon and bay leaf in then bring to the boil and leave to simmer.

4. Once the sauce is beginning to thicken add the kidney beans and leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the flavours. Check for seasoning.

5. Mix the chives and soured cream together. To serve, spoon the chilli into the centre of a mound of rice, with the soured cream and chives in a separate bowl on the side.

Ingredients
For the marinade
large knob fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2-4 green chillies, cut in half with the stalk, seeds and membranes removed
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
For the chicken
800g/1lb 12oz chicken pieces, skinned and pricked all over with a fork
3 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
4 slices white bread, processed to crumbs in a food processor
1-2 large free-range eggs, beaten
1 lemon, to serve

Method
1. For the marinade, combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well to make a paste. Add the chicken and coat each piece well in the paste. Cover with cling film and leave for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature before continuing.
2. Preheat the oven to 225C/435F/Gas 7.
3. Pour the oil into a roasting pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in one layer. Place the pan on a high shelf in the oven for 15 minutes to heat up.
4. Mix the salt, black pepper and cumin into the breadcrumbs. Take the chicken out of the marinade, letting the excess drip off and roll each piece in the crumbs ensuring an even coating on all sides.
5. Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten egg and add a second coating of crumbs. Place them on the baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Then lower the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6, turn the chicken and cook for another 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken pieces), or until cooked through.
6. Place on a serving dish, cut the lemon into wedges and serve.