Variations on a theme by Jackie
I was so tempted by Jackie’s paprika chicken with cannellini beans that I decided to give it a go. I followed her recipe faithfully for the first half, cutting chicken breast into broad strips and flash frying before a generous dusting of paprika, then adding lemon juice. I did the onions and garlic, too. Then I thought, “How would this work in a casserole?” One way to find out. The chicken went at the bottom, then onions & garlic. Next I added the cannellini beans. Now the variations came thick and fast. I put in sugarsnap peas, mushrooms, aubergine, and then the chopped tomatoes. Half a stock cube in half a cup of hot water, and into a hot oven with the lid on. One hour later it looked and smelled delicious, but as I was eating it I regretted I hadn’t included the optional cayenne pepper, so I added it then. It made it even better.