Pretty Paella

Thursday, July 03, 2008

My great Spanish friend always brings me back saffron from her trips to Tenerife, so I have a great excuse to make paella. This was delicious and so pretty!

ingredients

• few T olive oil
• 3oz chorizo cut into small chunks
• 4 chicken thighs, de-boned, cut in half
• 1-2 lbs mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 200g paella rice, rinsed and drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 2 fl oz white wine
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 1/2 pints chicken stock
• 2 oz frozen peas, thawed
• 4 large tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
• 5 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 oz unsalted butter
• 1/2 - 1lb squid, cleaned and cut into small pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cilantro, chopped to sprinkle on at the end

to do

1. Heat half the olive oil in a paella dish or large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the chorizo and fry for 2-3 minutes, then remove and set aside.
2. Add the chicken pieces to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin is browned. Remove and set aside.
3. Place the mussels into a pan of boiling water, cover and boil until they open. Discard any that do not open. Strain and reserve the mussels and the broth.
4. Add half the remaining olive oil to the paella pan and fry the onion, two of the cloves garlic, the chilli flakes and the red pepper. Cook slowly until the onion has softened but not browned, about eight minutes.
5. Add the rice to the pan, stirring well to coat it in the oil, for two minutes, then add the bay leaves, paprika, the toasted saffron, white wine, lemon juice and prepared stock. Cook gently for five minutes.
6. Add the fried chicken and chorizo, cover with a piece of dampened greaseproof paper and simmer gently for ten minutes.
7. Stir in the peas. Cover and simmer about five minutes.
8. Remove the greaseproof paper from the pan and stir in the tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest and butter.
9. Add the remaining olive oil to a separate frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining clove of garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, adding the squid for the last minute. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add to the paella.
10. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.

Chicken with Fennel, Red Pepper & Rice

Sunday, April 20, 2008

If you've ever wondered
what to do with a
fennel bulb, try this
great recipe. Use
organic ingredients
in this recipe whenever
possible.

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tsp dried thyme
  
• 4 Tbl olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb
  
• 2 red bell pepppers
  
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1¾ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ cup white wine
• Salt and pepper

1. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and pat on thyme.
2. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven, and cook breasts for about 2 minutes on each side.
3. Cover pan and set aside while preparing vegetables and rice.
4. Cut fronds from fennel and cut bulb in quarters through the core; remove core and cut fennel into ¼-inch strips.
5. Cut red pepper into ¼-inch strips.
6. Place rice, chicken broth, and olive oil in a heavy pan, and bring to boil.
7. Lower heat, cover, and simmer approx 18 minutes or so without removing cover.
8. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in Parmesan cheese.
9. Add 1 Tbl olive oil in large skillet or Dutch oven (that was used to brown the chicken breasts) and heat.
10. Add fennel and red pepper, and stir fry vegetables approximately 3 minutes. While frying, cut chicken breasts in halves or quarters. Add chicken to vegetables.
    
11. Add wine, cover, and cook 5 minutes.
12. To serve, make a layer of rice on dish, cover with chicken cutlets, and top with fennel and pepper.

Footnote: Serves 5.

Smoked Fish Pate

Saturday, April 12, 2008

this is just so simple it's crazy! and a real winner with the guests.

ingredients

• 250 g (9 oz) smoked fish (i usually use peppered mackerel but trout would be good too. something with strong flavor so maybe not smoked salmon)
• 150 mL sour cream
• 1 T horseradish
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

to do

1. chunk the fish (without skin) into a food processor
2. add sour cream and horseradish and lemon
3. blitz until all smooth
4. taste and adjust with more of anything if necessary

to serve- it's lovely on crackers or on endive leaves (especially pretty too). and champagne is perfect with this appetizer!

Creamy Potato Bisque

Sunday, February 24, 2008

• 6 Tbl butter
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup chopped celery (including some leaves)
• 4 cups peeled, diced thin-skinned potatoes
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 cups nonfat milk
• 3 Tbl cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• Finely chopped parsley

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan, melt 4 Tbl of the butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft (about 15 minutes). Add potatoes, the ¼ cup parsley, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp of the pepper, and stock.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes).
3. Stir in heavy whipping cream and milk, and heat, covered, until steaming (do not boil).
4. Stir together cornstarch and water, and add to soup. Continue cooking and stirring until soup boils and thickens. Season to taste with more salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired.
5. Just before serving, pour soup into a tureen, float remaining 2 Tbl butter on top, and sprinkle with parsley.

Footnote: Serves 6 to 8.

flapjack

Monday, January 21, 2008

get your oats! this is a great snack that gives lots of energy!



ingredients
125 g butter
125 g demerara sugar
5 T golden syrup (maple as a substitute?)
225 g porrage oats
1 tsp ground ginger
raisins, cranberries



to do

1. oven 190 C, 375 F. grease 20 cm sandwich tin.
2. melt butter in pan and stir in sugar and syrup. add oats and ginger; mix well.
3. use back of metal spoon to press mixture evenly over the base of the tin and smooth over.
4. bake for 20 min. cool for 15 min then score into 8 wedges.
5. cool completely, turn out and break into wedges.

rhubarb fool

"what you looking at foo!?" fantastic healthy dessert!! (from sainsbury's magazine)

ingredients


350 g rhubarb, trimmed and chunked
few drops water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 T golden caster sugar
2 cardamom pod
300 g fat free Greek yogurt

to do

oven 180 C. sprinkle rhubarb with water, vanilla and suar. bake 25 min, until soft. split open cardamom pods and crush with morar and pestle. let rhubarb cool and then (use slotted spoon) and but to blender until pureed. fold into yogurt. spoon into glasses and sprinkle with cardamom.

Plum Cake

Sunday, September 16, 2007

we had lots of plums from simon's nana so i made plum cake (who's heard of that before?!) today (adapted from bbc recipe)

ingredients

• 150 g butter softened
• 150 g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 75 g plain flour
• 1.5 t baking powder
• 75 g minced almonds
• 75 g chopped pecans
• 30-40 tiny plums or 15 normal sized plums; pitted and halved (or quarted if using big plums)
• powdered sugar for decorating top
• whip cream to serve

to do

1. heat oven 180 c / 355 f; line base of 20 cm deep (6 cm) cake tin (i used round) with baking paper
2. beat butter and sugar with mixer
3. break eggs and beat with fork then add slower to butter/sugar and continue using mixer
4. mix flour and baking powder and then fold into the butter/sugar/egg mix slowly
5. fold in nuts
6. spread into pan and add plums (you can be clumsy if you want) on top
7. cook for 45 min (until tooth pick comes out of center clean)
8. flip upside down onto plate, add powdered sugar
9. serve with whip cream on top or side