Recipe: Spring Vegetables with Roast Chicken and Feta (Gluten Free) #TipsTuesdays

So I tried out a new recipe last night and Rob gave it a 9.5 out of 10, so I had to share. It's based off this one on GoodFood, but I added and changed a few things, so this is my version :).

Now this recipe only fed two of us, but I had 2 chicken thighs and Rob had the other 7 because he had just finished in the gym and was craving the protein, hence I think it would serve 3 comfortably.

This recipe is entirely gluten free.

For a Vegetarian Version sans Chicken

I think it would be very easy to convert this to being a vegetarian dish with just a few changes. Quorn pieces or baby new potatoes would make a good substitute for the chicken, but I'd add about 100ml of vegetable stock as well to make up for the lack of chicken juices that are released during cooking. Also, watch the cooking time and just take it out when everything is tender. Always check your cheese as well, just in case, to make sure it doesn't use animal rennet.

Spring Vegetables with Roast Chicken and Feta

Serves 3 (to serve 4 just up the number of vegetables)

Ingredients

• 1 pack of chicken thighs (8 or 9) (I used thigh fillets because I hate dealing with bones when eating but with skin on the bone works too if you like crispy skin etc) 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon (the original recipe zested the lemon, but I hate lemon zest in things and you still get all the flavour without that)
• 4 shallots
• 4 sprigs of rosemary or 2 tsp dried rosemary (guess who didn't have fresh rosemary last night :))
• 2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 1 large courgette
• 250g peas (the original recipe wanted fresh, but they are often hard to get and frozen work well)
• ~100g asparagus spears
• ~100g tender stem broccoli (Morrisons do a nice mix pack of asparagus and tender stem broccoli, which is what I used)
• 100g feta (about half an average block)

Equipment

• 1 large roasting tray
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 chopping board
• 1 spatula
• 1 saucepan

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the over to 200C/400F | 180C/350F fan | Gas 6
2. Cut you lemon into eight wedges.
3. Put the lemon into the roasting pan, giving each wedge a gentle squeeze to release some of its juice.
4. Chop the shallots and add them to the roasting tin. I like my shallots to melt away into nothing so I chop them finely, but you can have larger rings if you would like.
5. Drain and chop the roasted red peppers into bite sized pieces and add to the roasting pan. I always split the ones I bye down the middle first and then make sure there are no seeds left in them.
6. Split the courgette down the centre and the chop into thick chunks on the diagonal. Add to the pan.
7. Add the oil and mix everything around. I added just a pinch of smoked salt at this point because my pepper were preserved in brine, so not much salt was needed, if yours are just in water you might like to add a pinch more.
8. Add the chicken thighs and mix. If you are using skin on thighs, make sure they all end up skin side up once they are coated in the oil.
9. Put the roasting tray in the oven and cook for 40-50 mins until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
10. Take out of the oven and cover with a lid or foil to let the chicken rest.
11. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the peas, asparagus and broccoli for 4 mins.
12. Drain the vegetables and add to the roasting tin, mixing everything around to coat the vegetables in all the lovely cooking juices.
13. Crumble over the feta and serve.

This really was delicious and its packed with vitamins and good things.

~*~

Defence, Pretence, Offence

by Beren (aka Tasha)

3rd and 4th chapters of my new Harry Potter fanfiction are now up.

Summary: The threat of open war in on the horizon. The Order and the Ministry are of one accord and both know that where Harry Potter is, Voldemort will eventually be. Preparations are being made and this time the side of the light will not be caught unawares.

Summer classes, sabotage, revelations about Draco's father, teaching and the final showdown with Voldemort all await Harry and Draco in this exciting sequel to Gold Tinted Spectacles (LJ | AO3 | Wattpad).

Links to CH03: LJ | DW | AO3 | Wattpad
Links to CH04: LJ | DW | AO3 | Wattpad
Link to other parts: LJ | DW | AO3 | Wattpad 

New chapters are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Warning: This story is canon compliant until the end of Order of the Phoenix and then goes AU. None of the HBP or Deathly Hallows plot will be used, or the Horcruxes for that matter since this story was planned before we knew the details about those things, and hence has it's own fanon. This includes birthdays and other information that have since been revealed on Pottermore and in further productions.