Chicken Balls with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken Balls

• 2 quantities of Chicken Bites   
• 2 tbsps olive oil

Tomato Sauce

• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 cans no added salt tomatoes
• 140g no added salt tomato paste
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine

Directions:

1. Follow steps 1 to 3 of Chicken Bites
2. Form mince mixture into balls, about 1 tbsp each
3. Heat oil in a fry pan and brown chicken balls all over.  Drain on kitchen paper.
4. Add onion and garlic to fry pan and sauté until onion is softened.
5. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper, sugar and wine.  Bring to the boil.  Add chicken balls and simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Serve chicken balls and sauce over pasta.

Chicken Bites

Ingredients:

• 300g chicken breast 
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 zucchini
• 100g low sodium cheese (I use Nimbin Natural Cheese)
• 1 tbsp cornflour

Directions:

1. In a food processor, process chicken until smooth.
2. Add carrot and zucchini and process until combined.
3. Add cheese and cornflour and mix well.
4. Roll into balls, each about 1 tbsp.  Place on tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through.

Thai Green Curry

This recipe is from Junior Masterchef Australia: Official Recipe Collection but I've altered it to be low salt.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 8 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
• 270ml coconut cream
• 175g green beans, trimmed, halved
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tsp caster sugar

       Curry Paste

• 3 or 4 long green chillies, seeded, chopped
• 3cm piece of ginger, grated
• 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 eschalots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Thai basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 2 tbs + 1/4 tsp water

Directions:

1. Make curry paste by placing all ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a smooth paste.
   Chef's Tip: The quantity of ingredients for the paste should fit in a small food-processing barrel-attachment for a food-processing wand.  The straight sides will do a better job than the concave sides of a full-size food-processor.
2. Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until chicken is browned and almost cooked through.
4. Add coconut cream, beans and lime leaves and stir to combine. Simmer, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through. Add sugar and stir to combine. Serve with rice.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from a recipe on taste.
Ingredients:

• 3 tbs olive oil
• 12 chicken thighs, skin on
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g button mushrooms, sliced
• 100ml red wine (although traditionally dry white wine is normally used I prefer the taste of the red wine)
• 800g can diced no added salt tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary(or I use dried rosemary if I don't have any fresh)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsps salt skip chicken stock
• 150ml water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned all over. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot to the pan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further minute. Add the mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Add the wine, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, herbs and stock to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.  Serve with rice.

Butter Chicken

This recipe is from Women's Weekly Cook but I have altered it to be low salt.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg chicken thigh fillets, halved
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 cup (140g) yoghurt
• 80 g no added salt butter, chopped
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons no added salt tomato paste
• 410 g can no added salt tomato puree
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) salt skip chicken stock
• 5 cardamom pods, bruised
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 300 ml cream
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, garlic, spices and yoghurt in a large bowl, cover; refrigerate 3 hours 
2. Melt butter in large saucepan, cook chicken mixture stirring until chicken browns lightly
3. Add vinegar, paste, purée, stock, cardamom and cinnamon; bring to the boil.
4. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered , stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Add cream, stir until heated through.  Stir in coriander.