Mango chicken casserole

I am never in touch with what is in season when… and for months now I have been craving a mongo chicken casserole, but there were no mangos to be found (even when the recipe urges you to use the canned variety – I could not locate these).

Let me also just put on the record that I do not like mangos on their own, it is a texture thing together with the hassle to eat them, but these mangos add the perfect sweet to the sour, and the nutty taste of the fried peppers just pulls everything together.

When I went for the weekly hunt in the grocery store this weekend, though, mangos were everywhere.

So, it was finally time.

Let me also just put on the record that I do not like mangos on their own, it is a texture thing together with the hassle to eat them, but these mangos add the perfect sweet to the sour, and the nutty taste of the fried peppers just pulls everything together.

In between loadshedding and 6 meetings on Monday I thought that we may need to get takeaways, but I persevered and am so happy that I did.

Yes, you can do it on the fire!

This is the recipe I followed… very vaguely.

We braaied the chicken with a little more spice than only salt and pepper, and I added it to the rest in the pot when it was already done. I served it with pasta rice, but I think couscous would be my first choice. It was loved and devoured by all.

Lamb shanks in the oven

The inspiration for this recipe was found here and the story of the happy accident can be read here and my version… below:

Ingredients:

2 huge lamb shanks (I see that all the recipes call for 6, but these could easily feed 6 people)

1 tin copped and peeled tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 cinnamon stick

Garam Masala, enough to season the meat

Salt and pepper

1 beef stock cube dissolved in 250 ml water

Rind of one orange

200 g Turkish apricots

Method:

In a pan on the stove top, fry the onions until translucent

Ad the garlic and fry for another minute or two

Pour in the tomatoes

pour in the stock

Ad the orange rind and the apricots

Lightly stir until all the flavours have had some time to blend and heat up a little

Remove from stove

Pour this sauce in the casserole.

Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and the garam masala and place them in your casserole on top of the sauce.

Cover your casserole and place in the oven @ 160 Degrees Celsius for about 3 hours. Mine was in for four.

Occasionally take it out of the oven and pour the sauce over the shanks again.

I served mine with couscous and a side of baby carrots.