Spanish Chicken with White Bean Mash

Spanish Chicken with White Bean Mash

Smoked paprika is one of my all time favourite ingredients because it adds a lovely smoky complex flavour without needing to BBQ or smoke your food! It’s especially good with chicken taking it from ho-hum to ah-maz-zing. If you can’t find smoked paprika, regular paprika is the next best thing but it’s worth going to a specialist spice store or ordering some online. Trust me, you won’t have any problems finding ways to use it!

Serves: 2
Takes: 15 minutes
450g (1lb) minced (ground) chicken
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 red capsicum (pepper), sliced into ribbons
1 can white beans (400g / 14oz), drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Heat a large frying pan (skillet) on a very high heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, chicken and paprika. Stir fry for a few minutes.

2. Meanwhile chop the pepper and add to the pan. Continue to stir fry until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Season.

3. Mash beans and lemon juice together and season.

4. Serve chicken on a bed of beans with a little extra lemon if you think it needs it.

Prepare Ahead?

Feel free to mash the beans and cook the chicken ahead of time. Reheat the chicken in a pan and serve as per the recipe. You may need to add a little more oil.

Leftover Potential

Great. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Variations

vegetarian / vegan – replace chicken with crumbled tofu. You may like to increae the amount of paprika to add a little more flavour to the tofu. A few tablespoons of tomato paste will help too. You could also replace chicken with cooked rice or quinoa.

bean-free – serve chicken on a bed of your favourite pasta or noodles or even steamed rice.

more colourful – toss in a sliced green pepper or a handful of snowpeas at the end.

carb lovers / more substantial – serve with steamed rice or cooked potatoes.

low carb / paleo – cauliflower mash. For dairy-free use olive oil instead of butter in the cauli mash.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

chicken – freeze.

paprika, beans – pantry.

red capsicum (pepper) – will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for weeks. Can be frozen.

lemon – whole lemon will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag for months.

Problem Solving Guide

chicken sticking to the pan – add a little more oil for now. But next time, best to use a hotter pan and stir more frequently.

too bland – it’s important to use good quality free range chicken if you can. Seasoning generously and adding a little more smoked paprika can help.

too dry? – this dish isn’t super saucy. For now add a little more olive oil or maybe an extra squeeze of lemon. A little tomato puree will also help make it more saucy.

Serving Suggestions

Great as is. Might be nice to have a little green salad or some steamed broccoli on the side.

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