Cajun chicken and creamed spinach

I'm a big fan of all things cheesy, and mixing vegetables with a creamy, cheesy sauce is no exception. We had this for dinner a couple of nights ago, with cajun-spiced chicken - amazing. The spiciness of the chicken goes really nicely with the creamed spinach, and neither ends up feeling too decadent. Normally I would grind spices together in a mortar and pestle - unfortunately I managed to smash mine last week, such is the strength of my pestling arm! I put the spices through an old coffee grinder instead, and the result was a fine powder which coated the chicken really easily and didn't require a massive amount of arm muscle - I know how I'll be grinding spices from now on! Recipe is enough for 2 people.


Cajun-spiced chicken


2 boneless chicken thighs
baking paper

spices - 

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

Grind the spices together until they are a fine powder. Lay your chicken thighs out on a piece of baking paper big enough to fold over the top - you might want to remove any fatty bits first. Sprinkle the spice mix over the top, cover the chicken with the baking paper, and grab your rolling pin. Now the fun bit - smash the hell out of it. You want the thighs to be around 2cm thick throughout, and also to make sure those spices are worked in well. 

Pop the chicken on to a baking tray, covered with baking paper. I reused the paper from earlier (thrifty!). Put the tray under a grill heated to 200C for around 10 minutes, turning once. They should be started to brown around the edges, and be cooked through. 

Creamed spinach

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon mace/black pepper

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 tablespoon plain flour

2 cups milk

1/2 cup cream (optional)

1 cup grated cheese

1 big bunch of spinach (always more spinach than you think you'll need)

oil

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then plunge the spinach in for around 30 seconds. Drain, and leave the spinach to one side. It will suddenly look like there is a lot less spinach than you thought. 

In the same pan, if you like, heat the oil over a medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the butter or margarine, and once it has melted add the flour. Mixing everything together thoroughly, and let this roux cook for a minute or so, stirring so that it doesn't stick to the pan. 

Add the milk, and stir. Turn the heat down a little, and wait while, through the magic of cooking, your milk and flour turn into a sauce. You should stir every minute or so, to avoid lumps, but really the food does all the hard work for you. Once it has taken on a nice, saucey consistency, add the nutmeg, mace, cream (if using), and cheese. Keeping stirring while everything melts together, then throw in your spinach. Give it another stir until some of the green colour of the spinach starts to mingle with the white of your creamy sauce, then eat!

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