Recipe 1

As the author of two cookery books, I am sometimes asked for a quick and simple recipe that can be cooked on the stove that produces a delicious result. I sometimes offer CHICKEN AND LEMON RICE.

The dish takes but a few minutes to prepare, uses leftover chicken and can be made well before needed. And it only takes 20 minutes to cook.

Chicken and lemon rice has the great advantage of being cooked on the stove during the first course when family or guests have come to the table.

You will need: chicken pieces (leftover, or cooked for 15 minutes in water that will become part of the stock needed), stock, rice, a lemon, onions (and garlic if wanted), olive oil, pepper and salt.

In a saucepan cook finely chopped up onions and garlic in olive oil until they are just turning brown.

On them pour a measure of rice (cup, mug, half pint measure, or other container) over the onion and stir for a further minute or so. Turn off the heat if you are to serve the dish sometime later.

Add pepper and salt, the grated rind from a lemon, and half its juice.

Now add chicken pieces and twice the rice volume of stock (i.e. two measures). The stock can be made of a stock cube dissolved in hot water.

Right away, or later, bring all to the boil and, turning down the heat, cook it slowly (covered) for 20 minutes. That's it.

The dish is excellent when using peeled prawns instead of chicken. If they are added at the beginning - like the chicken - they will be firm to eat, if added shortly before serving, they will be softer.

Aim for fish stock if making this dish with any kind of seafood, though, using a beef or chicken stock cube will do perfectly well.

Use any kind of rice.