I’ve always been a fan of the humble chicken thigh. They’re full of flavour which lends them perfectly to curries and strong flavours; they’re great in the slow cooker; they’re deliciously juicy simply roasted – and to my mind far superior to the humble drumstick which can be a bit sinewy; they are toddler friendly because they become so soft after slow cooking; and, in these budget conscious times they are way cheaper than breast meat.
Hubby, Isaac and I do our best to eat together where possible, especially our evening meal. This one pot meal (an adaptation of a Jamie Oliver recipe) suits all our tastes. Isaac can nibble away at all the things he likes and of course, it’s totally adaptable to what you like or indeed what you have in the fridge! Think of it like a nutritious box of Quality Street. Everyone has their favourite bits.
Boost the nutrients in this dish by including lots of sweet potato, beetroot, carrots and tomatoes.
Sticky chicken thighs with root vegetables and cherry tomatoes (baby and toddler friendly).
Serves 2 and a bit with leftovers for lunch the next day (depending how hungry you are)
Handful of new potatoes, scrubbed
1 large or two small sweet potatoes, peeled or scrubbed and cut into chunks
2 or 3 cooked beetroot in natural juices, cut into wedges
A packet of cherry tomatoes, preferably skinned
Oregano (fresh or dried)
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar (balsamic works too)
6-8 chicken thigh fillets (chopped into finger sized pieces – you can use whole thighs too)
Salt and pepper to taste (you can add salt later if you have little mouths to feed)
Method:
Boil the potatoes for around 10 minutes, if you’re using sweet potatoes too you can add these to the spuds.
Put the chicken thigh fillets in an ovenproof/hobproof casserole and cook them over a medium heat until they’re sealed and nearly cooked.
Add all the remaining vegetables and potatoes to the pan and toss around in the chicken juices.
Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a good splash of the vinegar, oregano and salt and pepper. Then give all the ingredients another mix.
Put the casserole dish (lid off) in a pre-heated oven (200 degrees, Gas Mark 6) for 40 minutes until cooked through and golden.
Serve with a big bunch of watercress on the side x
