Diet coke chicken

I was skeptical when I first heard about this recipe, as far as I was concerned the only thing I ever mixed with coke was vodka. But several friends were raving about the full fat version after trying it at a friends braai (South African BBQ). So after a little research I came up with my own low fat version.

Once it was done it looked like a conventional chicken in a sticky sauce, so I manned up and tried it. I now see what all the fuss was about. The coke turns into a very pleasant sweet sticky sauce, but the Worcestershire and soy sauce take the edge off the sweetness and add depth to the flavour. The addition of the fresh chilli made it perfect.

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, 1 yellow bell peppers, chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper, chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1-2 fresh chillies, finely chopped
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 8 tbsp passata
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 330ml can diet coke
• 200ml chicken stock
•  

How to:

1. Dry fry the peppers and onion in a large non stick pan for for 2-3 minutes
2. Add the chicken to the pan and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Add the diet coke, stock, passata, tomato purée, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and dried mixed herbs and stir well
4. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the veg is tender
5. Serve with rice and steamed veggies.

This is a simple to make dish that tastes a whole lot better than it sounds. I like spicy foods, so you might want to reduce the amount of chilli you use. It also reheats well, so you could prepare it early in the day and just nuke it in the microwave when it's time to eat.