I’m excited to present this Petits Chefs post on behalf of Hunt’s Tomatoes and UrbanMoms.ca. When they approached me to see if I would like to be involved in this campaign, my initial response was “I don’t have children” but then I thought, what better way to prove that dinner doesn’t have to be stressful and that a healthy, from-scratch meal can be made in 20 minutes or under than with my Petits Chefs? After all, we’re the masters of the kitchen science lab and produce amazing things in under an hour!
For this 20 minute meal, I recreated something that I used to make on a regular basis when I was at university and just starting to learn to cook for myself. The recipe is actually adapted from – of all things – a diced tomato can label. I’ve changed it up a little to make it quicker (and, I think, tastier) and the word on the street is that the boys (and their parents) loved this dish. A few said it could have been spicier – I agree and I am sure that Mr Neil, who had this for lunch last week, would agree – but better to err on the side of caution when it comes to spice!
It is such an easy recipe and very versatile – as well as tomatoes and peppers, you could add any other vegetable you like (in my notes on the 20 year old label, it says “leeks and mushrooms” so clearly I was adding other stuff too). Up to you how many veggies you want and how spicy but the point is that if 11 little boys can make this in about 30 minutes on hot plates only, you can make this for dinner.
We practised our knife skills…
And some of us worked with raw chicken (thighs, not neat clean breast meat) for the first time:
We learned how to dredge chicken to create a crispy coating:
Drained some tomatoes…
And swooned at the smell as the chicken cooked away…
Finally adding it to the mix of peppers and tomatoes for a wonderful array of flavours and textures.
Sweet Chili Chicken
A sweet and spicy chicken dish that will please both adults and kids. A 20 minute from-scratch meal - what could be easier?
Ingredients
- 900g (2lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- approx 800g canned diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 sweet bell peppers, sliced in thin strips
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Trim the chicken thighs, leaving some of the fat.
- Cut the chicken into small strips.
- Combine the flour, sugar and chili powder in a large bowl, making sure the chili and sugar are evenly distributed.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, using your hands to coat evenly.
- Heat 1/2 the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the pepper strips and sauté gently for a couple of minutes.
- Add the drained tomatoes and stir to combine peppers and tomatoes.
- Cover and lower heat, simmering for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a heavy frypan over a high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and pan fry until golden brown,about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the tomato mixture and stir to combine well. Simmer on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.
- Season to taste.
- Serve over plain white rice with a garnish of chopped parsley.
Result?
A tasty dinner that you could easily kick up the spice a notch or two to accommodate every palate in your household. A 20 minute meal to please everyone? It’s a winner in my book 🙂
Disclosure: I am a member of the UrbanMoms Network and received compensation for writing this post about the UrbanMoms Hunt’s Tomato Cook-off. Opinions expressed belong to eat. live. travel. write. and are not influenced in any way. The compensation I receive will be donated towards the Les Petits Chefs programme to purchase some extra equipment for the boys.
Mardi – I love that you have this group of “young men” in training!
PLUS, one at home… 😉
Hardly!
I love teaching these guys cooking!
That chicken looks delicious cooking in the fry pan and in the pot! The finished dish is so appetizing looking. You and Les Petits Chefs are now responsible for having made this a *new favourite meal* in many households with this post.
I hope so Paula!
Just like police interrogation, cooking can be done “the easy way or the hard way.” I actually like both, but it’s true that when the kids are little, 20 minute dinners are life-savers!
When kids are little…. or when they are helping in the kitchen 😉
Simply devine, I like that its served with both my fav, chicken and rice.
Well and the possibilities are endless – you could serve this with any sort of grain you like!
Great post and yummy sounding recipe! Way to go helping getting kids into the kitchen at an early age 🙂
I couldn’t agree more – so so important!
This dish looks incredibly delicious and full of festive flavors, yum! Thanks for sharing, great photos too! =]
Thanks – I think for children, both taste and colour are so important!
What a fun lesson this was for the boys!! This chicken dish looks so good!!
Yes the boys love their cooking club!
Mardi –
I am so happy to watch your blog take of and see it’s growing recognition. I know how much work it is even if it is a labor of love. Seeing you do well warms my heart!
Dawn that is pretty much the sweetest comment ever!
Love this recipe… Perfect for young cooks. And old ones like me. 🙂
Oh Jen! Yes I think you would like this recipe a lot!
This sounds so easy and delicious, I love hearty meals that are simple to prepare! Thanks for sharing : )
Thanks – and it tastes hearty without being heavy too!
I am glad to see that there was added chilli in it… I love my chilli heat.
Mmm – well and I love that you can pretty much customise this to your own taste…