Chicken-ella Recipe!

A friend of mine the other day was talking about quick and easy recipes, and I told her there were a few posted on my blog she could check out. When I searched though, I realised that I only have one savoury recipe posted! Time to rectify immediately, as I cook a great deal more savoury than sweet :D So here is my "patented" Chicken-ella Recipe. It's akin to a Chicken Curry, but this is a recipe I originally came up with in University, and have adapted and added to over the years. This is the finalized version, including all the options you can throw in. Total prep time to cook is about 30 minutes.

What you'll need (serves 4)

1/2 Kg (1 lb) Chicken Breasts

3 large tomatoes

1 large onion

2 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp black pepper

1.5 tbsp garlic (to taste - I like really garlicky stuff)

1.5 teaspoons thyme

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional ingredient)

Dash of tobasco

1 large bell pepper (I recommend green or red - this is an optional ingredient)

1 can sweetcorn (again, an optional ingredient)

What to do:

1. Slice your chicken breasts into thin strips. Toss with vinegar, red pepper, thyme, 1 tbsp garlic, black pepper and 1/2 of the onion, finely chopped. Throw in dash of tobasco, cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes. I prefer to let this marinate as long as possible.
2. While your chicken is marinating, chop your veggies. Dice your tomatoes, chop the remaining onion, and bell pepper if you have added it.
3. In a large pan, add your 1 tbsp olive oil. Warm over medium heat, and add onions. Saute until almost translucent, about 3 - 4 minutes.
4. Add your chicken to the pan. Use the 1/2 cup water and add to the marinate dish. Swill around to pick up all the extra spices, add to the chicken and onions. Add your curry here if you plan to use any. Cover your pan, and let cook over medium heat until the chicken is white around the outside - about 10 minutes.
5. Add your remaining vegetables, and let cook over medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with warm bread, 2 cups rice or spaghetti. Whatever tickles your fancy. I usually opt for rice ;)

The trick here is that the tomatoes while cooking will release their juices that then cook through the chicken and create a delicious tomato sauce. You can choose to thicken it up by adding 1 tbsp of tomato paste, your call.

Bon appetit!