I’ve had a busy family week and so find myself a little behind work-wise so have to do a little ‘overtime’ this weekend. With that in mind I am planning ahead an easy main meal that I can virtually ignore since it needs no mid-cook attention.
It uses chicken legs and they are cooked until the skin is crispy – remove the skin before eating if you want to reduce the calories and fat. They are mixed with fabulous mixed cherry tomatoes (I use the ones from the Tomato Stall – ordering online) which are everywhere at this time of year and you might even be harvesting your own from the kitchen garden – no matter there is a deal to be had for sure.
Mixed with a chopped leek (or use 1-2 onions), 2 handfuls of new potatoes, some garlic and fresh herbs, the tomatoes then cook to a sticky and jam-like consistency which means you don’t need to thicken at all. I like to serve with a green vegetable but salad is also good too.
CRISPY CHICKEN LEGS WITH MIXED CHERRY TOMATOES
Ingredients
METRIC/US
4 chicken legs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 leek, sliced
2 handfuls new or waxy potatoes, halved or quartered depending upon size
12 mixed cherry tomatoes (I used Isle of Wight from The Tomato Stall)
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 sprigs fresh tarragon or rosemary
low-fat cooking spray or mist
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190 C/375 F/gas 5.
- Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the leek, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and tarragon in a large shallow pan. Nestle the chicken legs in the pan between the vegetables and spritz well with low-fat cooking spray or mist.
- Cook in the oven for 1-1½ hours, until the chicken is crispy, potatoes cooked and the tomatoes have turned sticky.
- Serve with a green vegetable or green salad
SERVES 4
WLS PORTION: ½
CALORIES PER PORTION: 265
PROTEIN: 22.5 g
CARBOHYDRATE: 16.3 g
FAT: 12.4 g
Image courtesy of The Tomato Stall