Going nuts over chicken

This post is what I like to call a 'twofer', as in a 'two for one' deal. No, I am not offering you twice as many tubes of toothpaste as you actually wanted, so that you can put the second tube in the back of a drawer and forget you have it next time that you run out. Nor am I offering a bottle of laundry detergent twice the normal size, and sooooo large in fact, that it is impossible to lift it to dispense the liquid, thus rendering any financial savings completely pointless. No, what I am offering you lucky people is two chicken recipes, both of which distinguish themselves not only by being tasty, but also by including nuts in the sauce.

Other than that, the two dishes are quite different. The first is an Indian-style Korma curry (note the use of the word 'style' there, as I know it probably is not even close to authentic!), for which the grainy texture of the sauce is achieved by using cashew nuts, ground up in a food processor. It satisfies my family's requirement that Indian food is spicy, whilst not being hot, and it satisfies my requirement that it be reasonably healthy, since the recipe uses yoghurt rather than cream, and since cashews, whilst being high in fat, are high in the good kind of fat (meaning, you can still eat that cupcake afterwards and feel relatively OK about it!). The original recipe came from a magazine called Clean Eating.

The second recipe is about as far from Indian as you can get. It is a rustic French-style dish and yet another piece of slow cooker genius from Judith Finlayson, featured in her brilliant book The Healthy Slow Cooker. Here the grainy texture of the sauce is achieved with ground walnuts. The sauce also has a wonderful green color from copious quantities of fresh parsley which is ground up with the walnuts.

According to Judith (so it must be true), "Numerous studies show a strong link between the consumption of nuts and reduced rates of coronary artery disease." So there it is, people. Go nuts. It's good for you.

Chicken Korma
Serves 6

1/2 cup unsalted cashews
3 TBSP canola oil/sunflower oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 TBSP fresh ginger, grated, or finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
2 1/2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce (passata)
1 tsp salt
1 cup plain low fat Greek yoghurt
4 tsp cornstarch
5 cups cooked basmati rice

1. Place cashews in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add onions, ginger and garlic and cook stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder, and turmeric and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in broth, tomato sauce and salt. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In a food processor, blend cashews with soaking water and yoghurt until smooth. Add to skillet and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Blend cornstarch with 2 TBSP water and stir into skillet. Cook for 1 minute or until thickened.
6. Serve over cooked rice.

Chicken with Leeks in Walnut Sauce
Serves 6-8

1 TBSP olive oil
4 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP all-purpose (plain) flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
3 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup walnut halves
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP red wine vinegar

1. In a skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive oil for 30 seconds. Add leeks and celery and cook, stirring, until softened (about 5 mins). Add garlic, tarragon and black pepper and cook for a further 1 minute.
2. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 more minute. Add stock and bring to the boil. Cook stirring for about 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season to taste (add about 1/2 tsp salt).
3. Arrange chicken pieces evenly over the bottom of a slow cooker and cover with the leek mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or HIGH for 3 hours. By this time, the chicken should be fully cooked.
4. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine walnuts, parsley and garlic and process until finely ground. With motor running, gradually add oil and then vinegar, processing until smooth.
5. Add walnut mixture to stoneware and stir well. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, until walnuts are heated through.
6. Serve with boiled potatoes tossed in parsley and a little butter and whatever veggies you choose :-)