Really Easy Paella

I love Paella but i was always under the impression that it took ages to make.  Then I came across this recipe on BBC Good Food for paella that cooks in 20 minutes, now that's what i like to hear! I've changed it round slightly to the original recipe but you can find the original if you click on the link above.  The recipe below is for chicken paella but you can easily turn it into a vegetarian dish by substituting the chicken for whatever veg you fancy, the chorizo for 2 tsp of paprika and the chicken stock for vegetable or fish stock depending on how strict a veggie you are! You can also add some nice prawns and mussels instead of chicken to turn it into a seafood paella.

The recipe makes enough for 2 people but just double the quantity to serve 4.  To make the paella you will need:

• Half a pack of chorizo, diced
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 onion, diced
• 125g rice
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 100g frozen peas

And here's how you make it:

Fry off the chicken in a pan until its cooked through and set to one side until later.  Next add the chorizo and onion to the pan and cook over a medium heat until the onions soften and the chorizo releases its oil.

Then add the rice and the turmeric to the pan stirring it so that the rice is coated in the oil from the chorizo.  Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the whole thing simmer for 15 minutes. 

The rice should start to swell and absorb the stock and after about 15 minutes about 85-90% of the stock should have gone.  At this stage add in the peas and the chicken that you cooked earlier (or if you are making a seafood paella add the prawns and mussels at this stage) and cook for a further 5 minutes.



 Check for seasoning and then serve immediately with lemon wedges. 



One-pot Pancetta and Chorizo Stew

One-pots are fantastic in the winter when its dark and you've been at work all day - chuck all the ingredients in one pan and leave it to cook.  I came up with this recipe one night when i got home from work and couldn't be bothered to go shopping so it was made up with whatever was in the fridge and the cupboard at the time.  Its a cross between a soup and a stew - you eat it out of a bowl with a spoon (nothing better if you ask me) and the pasta makes it nice and filling. 

This recipe makes 3 bowls of stew but you can always add a bit more stock/meat to make it go a bit further. To make this delicious warming one-pot you will need the following:

• 1/2 pack of chorizo, cut into small pieces
• 1 pack of pancetta cubes
• 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• Tomato Ketchup
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1tsp sundried tomato paste
• 1 onion chopped
• Mini farfalle pasta
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 beef stock cube
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and Pepper

And here's how to make it:

1. In a large pan, gently fry the pancetta, chorizo, onion and garlic until the onions are softened and the chorizo has released its oils.  Top tip: when cooking your onions, add some salt to stop them from burning and going brown. 

2. Once cooked add the tomatoes, sundried tomato paste, a squirt of ketchup, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, turmeric, chili and a bit of salt and pepper for seasoning.  Give it all a stir and simmer on a low heat for a further 5 minutes to let the flavour develop.

3. Dissolve the beef stock in 500ml of boiling water and add to the pan.  At this stage add your pasta to the mixture (apologies for the rubbish picture my iPhone does not like hot pans with steam!)

4. Leave the mixture to cook on a low heat for about 15-20 minutes until it thickens and your pasta is cooked - it may take a little longer if you don't use quick cook pasta.  Whilst you're waiting have yourself a nice glass of wine (in nice new wine glasses). 

Its then ready to serve immediately or if you want to make it in advance and eat it later then it tastes just as good.  Mmm great winter food!

Caramelised onion, goats cheese and prosciutto bruschetta

This dish is great as a starter or if you just fancy something a little different for lunch.  This serves 4 as a starter or 2 hungry people for lunch! Here's what you need:

• Ciabatta
• 1 red onion
• Goats cheese
• 1 pack of Prosciutto
• Sundried tomato paste
• Cherry tomatoes
• Pepper
• Basil (optional)

To make the caramelised onions you will need:

• Olive oil
• Butter
• 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

Firstly slice the ciabatta and put it under the grill to toast a little.  Whilst that is toasting chop the onion into small pieces and put in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, a knob of butter, the balsamic vinegar and the sugar.  Cook the onions over a low heat for around 5-7 minutes until they become soft and caramelised.

Spread the toasted Ciabatta with some sundried tomato paste - its quite intense so you don't need a lot.  Then add the caramelised onions, spreading a layer across the bread.  Next, add some goats cheese and then top each slice of Ciabatta with some Prosciutto.  Add some more goats cheese and some sliced cherry tomatoes and finish off with a little bit of pepper.  You can also add some fresh basil at this stage if you want. 

Place under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese melts and the prosciutto becomes nice and crispy.  Best served immediately (and lets face it who could wait to eat this?)

Bacon and Mushroom Soup

As this blog develops you will begin to notice that I am a big fan of just chucking stuff in pan that I have in the fridge or the cupboard and making something tasty.  This soup is an example of just that and having just had it for my lunch i can confirm that it is very tasty indeed.  The recipe below makes enough soup for one person on account that my boyfriend doesn't like mushrooms unless they are hidden in something like a bolognase or stroganoff.  For those following following weight watchers this soup is only 4 points.

To make the soup you'll need the following:

• Half a pack of sliced mushrooms or about 7 largish mushrooms sliced.
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 rindless bacon rashers
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of half fat creme fraiche
• 1/2 beef stock cube
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Slice the mushrooms, and bacon and add to the pan with a little bit of butter.  Add the garlic and parsley and cook until the mushrooms turn brown:

Dissolve the stock cube in 250ml of water and add it to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the creme fraiche.  Cook for a further couple of minutes. 

Add the soup to a blender, blend until smooth then serve.  Its quick and easy to make, give it a try!

The best kitchen gadget ever!

Every December I visit the Christmas Markets with my mum and a couple of years ago we came across what is possibly the best gadget I have ever used in the kitchen.  We promptly snapped one up for ourselves and a couple as Christmas presents.

Can you tell what it is yet? I'll give you a clue, you can use it with garlic like this.....

 

Yep its a grater - you dampen the plate a little, rub the garlic over the little spiky bits and you are left with a lovely little pile of finely grated garlic which adds loads of flavour to your dishes. You then add any little bits left over to a bottle of oil to create a lovely garlic infused oil.

Take the brush and use it to get all the garlic into a little pile at the side of the plate making it easy to add to your food.  No more fiddling about chopping garlic into small pieces or using a crusher that wastes half of your garlic clove!

The best (and cheapest) cookbook around

When i was younger I used to spend time with my grandma and my mum in the school holidays baking cakes, scones and helping to make bread.  Neither my mum or my grandma really needed to refer to a cookbook to make a cake but if there was ever one out when we were baking it was always the Be-Ro cookbook!



The Be-Ro cookbook originated in my native North East and was given out for free at exhibitions and door-to-door.  It was designed to feed hungry families on a low budget and started off with just 19 pages.  Today it has 86 pages of recipes and costs...wait for it...£1.50! That includes p&p, what a bargain!

My favourite recipes from the Be-Ro cookbook were always the butterfly cakes and the Banana and Chocolate cake..yum! The book also had blank space for you to write your own recipes at the back.  When my grandma passed away I was given her Be-Ro cookbook (as well as a secret recipe for Banoffee pie) which takes pride of place on my shelf of cookbooks and when I have my own children I will continue to use it with them.

Be-Ro

Pear and Cranberry Chutney

This Christmas I wanted to do something a bit different and try to make a gift to give to people as a stocking filler.  I'm no good at making beautiful homemade cards or making scented bath bombs etc...but i can cook!  I wanted something that was going to be easy to make and that everyone would like as I was giving it as a gift to a few members of my family (who all know good food!).  So I trawled the BBC Good Food website (my favourite) and looked for ideas. 

Each Christmas the website features ideas for home made gifts such as biscuits, muffins, limoncello and truffles.  This year I spotted a few chutney recipes which i liked the sound of but they weren't very "Christmasy" and looked a little bit of a faff to make.  So I set about searching the Internet again and stumbled across good ol' Delia Smith and her recipe for Pear and Cranberry Chutney. 

The recipe makes four 4fl oz jars (with enough left over for a little bit of tasting!).  To make the chutney you will need the following:

• 220g ripe pears
• 220g cranberries
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (or half a stick)
• 8 allspice berries
• 100g of chopped onions
• 110g light soft brown sugar
• 65ml distilled malt vinegar
• zest and juice of 1 orange

Firstly peel, core and chop the pears into small pieces.  Place them in a large saucepan with the cranberries, onions, sugar and vinegar.  Add the cinnamon, orange zest/juice and allspice berries (remember to pick them out before you put  it into jars or put them in some muslin - i didn't have any at the time) and stir together.

Bring the mixture to the boil and then turn the heat down to simmer the chutney, making sure to stir it from time to time until it reduces to a thick pulp.  I found that this took about 40 minutes.  You can tell its ready when you pull your spoon across the surface and it doesn't immediately fill with vinegar.

Pour the mixture into warm sterilised jars and seal it while its still hot. 

Mmm....the smell of Christmas filled the house