Saucy Spanish paella

I love paella, it’s the ultimate surf and turf. This recipe isn’t totally authentic, but it has all the right flavours. I’m also giving the option of having more or less of a tomato flavour, by adding more or less tomatoes. It’s not a quick cooking meal, but only needs one pot.

This had more of a sauce than traditional paella.

4 or 5 chicken thighs
1/2 pound (approx) shrimp out of shells
1/2 cup sausage (chorizo or kielbasa) optional
1 cup brown rice
1/2 large onion
2/3 garlic gloves
1 medium red pepper large chopped
2 cups rough chopped
1 cup peas
2 Tbsp paprika
2tsp thyme
Pinch of saffron
Pinch dried chilies
1 540 mL can chopped tomatoes (or half a can for less tomatoes)
2 cups (approx) chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt/pepper

Season chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and 3/4 of paprika and set aside.
In good size pot with lid, sautéed onion and garlic with oil and dried chili until soft and slightly brown, in batches add the chicken and cook a few minutes on each side until brown and set aside.
Add the sausage and cook for a few minutes, then add the peppers, mushrooms and rest of the paprika. Cook for 3-5 minutes just to combine flavours. Add in the rice and stir for a minute.
Add in the tomatoes and stock and saffron bring to a boil. Once at a boil reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
Cook for about 40 minutes until the rice is cooks. Check at the half way point to make sure there is enough liquid, if it’s dry, add more stock.
With about 5 minutes left in the cook time, add the chicken, and shrimp to the pot, cover and cook until chicken is cooked and shrimp is almost done. Once shrimp is almost done add the peas, stir, and cover until everything is ready to go.

Note: This is a great freezer recipe too.

A few fall/winter food goals

I know I’m not the the only one who falls victim to a food rut now and then. And I really seem to fall into one in the fall and winter. There isn’t as much selection for tasty produce, it’s cold, dark and it’s hard to get inspired. So I have a tendency to cook the same few things over and over again until I force myself to mix it up a bit.

This year, I’m determined to use my imagine, cookbooks, magazines and the web a little more. And not only do I want to try new recipes, but I also want to make things I’ve never made before.

So here are some of the things I want to try. Please send any suggestions or ideas of things for me to try.

1. Bread: I’m not much of a baker, but I really love fresh bread and have never made it before (outside of a bread machine). I know it’s not that complicated and I’m determined to tackle it. I want to make a regular bread, and homemade foccacia.

2. More soup: Fall and winter are meant for soup, but I end up eating way more soup from a can than I’d like to admit. I made a few in roads last year with a great Italian Wedding Soup and a decent Butternut Squash, but I want to add a little more variety to my soup selection and my freezer.

3. Indian food: I have tackled a few “Indian-inspired” recipes over the years, but have never made “real” Indian food (not counting the time I folded samosas). It takes a long time to make, and often requires hard-to-find ingredients, but cold weather is great for slow-cooked meals. The first thing I want to try is Saag/Palak Paneer (spinach and cheese) and  maybe some Dal/Daal (lentils) or Chana Masala (chick peas).

4. More interesting lunches: I really fall into a sad desk lunch (and sometimes dinner) rut in the winter. Canned soup or leftovers, blah, blah, blah. Because produce isn’t at its best, a traditional salad isn’t a great option, so I’m going to hunt down different salad recipes, make interesting sandwiches and hopefully have some yummy new soups to bring.

5. Cast iron pan: I’ve always been a little scared of the cast iron pan, not so much cooking with it, but cleaning and seasoning one. I know how great it is for cooking so many things that I am hell bent on getting over this fear.

Post any suggestions below and I’ll keep you posted on how these goals go.

A few of my favourite things – part 2

In part two of my favourite things, I’m listing some of my the food groups my fridge and pantry aren’t complete without.

1. Eggs: My love of eggs knows no bounds. They’re a cheap, healthy source of protein and just plain delicious. I boil them for lunch, make a quickie breakfast burrito and will turn them into an easy dinner with toast and whatever else is kicking around. As Beyonce said, “If you like it then you better put an egg on it…”

2. Lentils: Another cheap, healthy protein source. Canned lentils do the trick in a pinch, but because dried lentils don’t need soaking overnight, they’re an even healthier option. I mostly use these to add to a salad for lunch, but will add to a curry or pasta or turn into hummus. Also canned black beans and chick peas.

3. Pasta: This needs to explanation. Pasta is great, if I don’t have several varieties of pasta stuffed into my cupboards it just feels wrong.

4. Brown rice: I feel less guilty about eating a lot of things if I’ve used brown rice. It does take a long time to cook (approx. 45 minutes) so I like to make a batch on the weekend and use it through the week, or throw it in the freezer.

5. Salad: OK, I don’t really love salad, but I eat a lot of it. And I discovered years ago the only way I’d actually eat it regularly was if I made a big one at the beginning of the week. I make one one Sunday and then can just pull from it all week for lunches or to have with dinner.

5b. Spinach: There’s almost always a container of baby spinach in my fridge also. I add it to sandwiches, wraps, pasta, curry and a lot of other things just to up the veggie content.

6. Tortillas: If I can’t figure out what to do with leftovers, the fallback is regularly to put it in a tortilla with cheese and call it a day. BUT, they also make a good substitute for naan or pita, and work as a great wrap for leftover Indian curry, aka fake roti.

7. Salsa: See above.

8. Soy sauce: If I can’t add salsa and/cheese to something I’ll probably add soy sauce. Throw it with leftover meat, veggies and rice for a quick stir fry or add a dash to up the flavour in marinades.

9. Chicken stock: I always have some chicken stock. When I make it from scracth, I freeze some of it into ice cubes so I can quickly add it into stir fries, or sauteed veggies. I also use it to cook the more bland starches like brown rice, quinoa and couscous for added oomph.

10. Herbs/spices: I have a fairly wide selection of dried herbs and spices, but I’m thrown for a loop without the following: thyme, dried chilis, basil, oregano, sage and cumin. I’m throwing fresh garlic, kosher/sea salt and fresh ground pepper in this category too, because they’re a must have in my kitchen.

11. Honourable mentions: A few other things that I always have on hand include: dijon mustard (dressings and marinades), red wine vinegar (salad dressing), olive oil (good bottle and an everyday one), cheese (I’m never without parmesean and cheddar), hot sauce (Frank’s and Sriracha) and honey.

A few of my favourite things – part one

There are endless lists available of “must have” kitchen tools and while many of them include great tools, I think many of them include tools that most home cooks can probably do without. With the current absence of recipes to share, I thought I’d come up with a list of my own. I’m leaving out pots, pans, and knives because if you don’t have them you don’t have a kitchen.

I’m going to post it over two days so I don’t bore you.

TOOLS

1. Heat-proof silicone spatulas: If your kitchen doesn’t have any of these, go buy some now (and if I’ve cooked in your kitchen and you don’t have them, it’s almost a guarantee I’ll buy them for you). In my opinion, they’re the best thing since non-stick pans. I have them in multiple sizes and shapes. I use them for everything. They are a great substitute for a wooden spoon, are easier to clean and don’t hold as much bacteria. One of my favourites is this cookie spatula which is the best egg flipper EVER (don’t argue).

2. Bowls: This may seem like a no brainer to have bowls, but I can never have enough bowls. Big ones, small ones, really big ones, metal ones, glass ones etc.  I have a set of bowls that also double as measuring cups (genius). I use little ones to serve sauces, hold herbs or chopped onions/garlic for prep. I could go on, just have lots of bowls.

3. Cutting boards: Again, in multiple sizes and materials. I like to have a couple plastic ones for general prep, it lets me switch one out if I’ve used the other for meat. I have a small one for random jobs and a nicer wooden one that I can also use to serve cheese on.

3. The freezer: The freezer is my best cooking friend.  I put leftovers in there and almost always have a stash of homemade tomato sauce and chicken stock.

4. Empty jars: Small empty jars are the perfect vessel for mixing salad dressing, and then can go in the fridge so the dressing is ready to go, they’re also perfect for a quick slurry if you need to thicken a sauce. I also used an empty jar to store kosher salt until I finally got a salt container.

5. Mini-chopper: If you’re looking to save space in a small kitchen this is a solid substitute for a full-size food processor. It can’t do everything, but is perfect for making salsas, dressings, and chopping various veggies for various purposes. If you have the room, get a full food processor too  (it’s high on my list)

6. Tongs: Tongs are just awesome. I prefer the locking kind so they fully close for easy storage.

7. Microplane: A super fine and very sharp grater with a handle. Perfect for zesting citrus, grating parmesean cheese, garlic and ginger too. I use mine all the time, nothing else I’ve found works as well.

8. Spoons: Slotted spoon, ladle, serving spoon, tasting spoons (aka regular spoons), measuring spoons. You need all these things.

9. Colander/strainer: I need at least two. One large plastic/metal one for potatoes, pasta etc. and a smaller, mesh strainer for smaller items. I went a long time without a mesh strainer and it was really annoying.

10. Honourable mentions: A few other items get a lot of use in my kitchen, but aren’t must-haves more like you should probably haves. A potato masher, hand held lemon/citrus juicer, a whisk, brushes for saucing.

Too busy to blog

I know I haven’t been blogging lately, but it’s been for good reason. My best friend got married this past weekend, so I’ve been busy with family and great parties.
I’ve done a lot of eating and drinking, but no cooking.
A few thoughts for you.
1) Local Kitchen and Wine Bar remains one of my favourite restaurants.
2) The Westerly was a great discovery, service wasn’t the best but the food and company eds great.
3) Indian weddings are a lot of fun. They’re filled with food, music and dancing.
4) It’s time for more salad, vegetables, whole grains, and water.
5) Tonight I’m roasting a chicken, making a pot of turkey chili and a big salad.
6) I’ll be back soon.

Messy chicken verde tacos

A dear friend of mine had been raving about this recipe for taco filling for a few months and I finally had the chance to get the recipe and make it.

This Beer-Braised Chicken Verde from Better Homes and Garden is, quite frankly, just plain delicious. It was so delicious I forgot to take any photos.

I only made a couple of tweaks, which were based on ingredient availability. I couldn’t find canned tomatillos at my usual grocery stores and substituted with a jar of tomatillo salsa and eliminated one can of green chilies. This recipe definitely has some kick to it, so you may want to adjust accordingly depending on your spice tolerance. I recommend serving with guacamole and sour cream.

I found the finished product to have a lot of sauce, which made for very messy tacos, not that there’s anything wrong with that. A great alternative, which I’m going to try next time, is to turn them into enchiladas by wrapping the filling in soft tortillas, with some cheese and beans, topping with more sauce and a cheese and baking for 10 or so minutes. 

BONUS – I made this recipe the night before and just reheated it when it was time to serve, which makes this great for any weeknight meal. The filling would also freeze really well. Two of my favourite things in one recipe!

 

 

Super summer gazpacho

This is the perfect time of year for gazpacho, actually it’s the only time. Tomatoes are in season and will be falling off the vines in your garden or available by the bushel at the farmer’s market. It’s also the only time of year you can get decent tomatoes at the grocery store. Most of the other veggies are also in season.

I sometimes forget how much I love gazpacho, I was inspired by this recipe in Food and Wine. I tweaked it a little, because that’s what I do. It fits perfectly into my quasi “detox.”

One of the great things about gazpacho is that it takes about 10 minutes. Who doesn’t need more recipes like that in their life?

 

Summer is the only time to make and eat gazpacho. Use the best tomatoes you can. I had delicious yellow ones from my pal Maggie’s garden.

About 1/4 cup each fresh fennel and onion

2 small cucumbers, partly peeled (use the mini ones if you can find them, or half a full-sized cuke)

3 medium to large tomatoes

1/4 red pepper

2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or parsley)

1 Tbsp red wine vingegar

1 tsp (approx) honey

1 Tbsp good quality olive oil

salt/pepper

Put everything in a blender or food processor. Blend to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. Chill for 30 minutes if you can (it’s better really cold, and it gives the flavours time to meld). Garnish with a few chopped cucumbers/peppers/leeks/onions/cheese etc.

TIPS

• Don’t substitute the oregano for basil or the soup will taste like cold pasta sauce. A little cilantro could work, but too much and it will taste like salsa.
• This is great as is, but adding some cooked chicken, shrimp, beans or tofu adds some protein for a fuller meal. I put chicken, feta cheese, cucumbers and a few olives.
• You can definitely make this a day or two in advance.

 

 

Herby summer dressing/sauce

An herb-based dressing that’s lighter than Green Goddess, but just as yummy.

As my last post stated, I’m on a bit of a “detox” at the moment. This required salad, but sometimes (let’s be honest) salad just sucks. There are a lot of ways to improve salad (see some tips below) but it helps to have a tasty dressing.

Salad dressing is incredibly easy to make, and once you know the basics you’re options are endless. Typically the ratio is 2 parts vinegar and 3 parts oil. I prefer a more even ratio, but you can adapt as you prefer.

This super herby dressing is my take on a Green Goddess dressing, but is way lighter because there’s no mayonnaise, cream or even yogurt.

1/4 cup fresh leek, roughly chopped

1/3 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic

1 cup fresh Italian parsley – or a combination of basil and parsley

A couple tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp honey (or sugar)

Roughly a 1/4 cup of good olive oil

salt/pepper

Put everything but the oil in a food processor/blender/chopper and whiz away until as smooth as possible (or as smooth as you want it) then add the oil and whiz up some more. Taste it once the oil is added and adjust as you see fit. This makes about 1 1/2 cups of dressing

TIPS

• When tasting a salad dressing, it’s best to use a piece of the greens your putting it on. You’ll get a better sense of how it will taste when served.
• You could easily add whatever herbs you have around. I found parsley and oregano and so that’s what I used, but basil or cilantro would also really work well with parsley or on their own. If you like spice, add a bit of jalepeno too.
• To make salad suck less, put more than raw vegetables in it. I added some lentils and quinoa (cook quinoa in stock so it tastes less like cardboard) for texture and protein and a bit of feta cheese for some added dimension.
• This would also be really good as a fresh sauce on chicken, fish or pork.

 

A mini “detox” is in order

I just got back from a long weekend bachelorette in Las Vegas. The last few days involved a lot of heavy food and more than a few cocktails.

The next few recipes will likely focus on what I consider “detox” foods: veggies, lentils, kale, chicken and brown rice. Don’t worry though, because I actually have to eat this stuff it has to taste good.

Sure, I need a break from cheesy, carby deliciousness, but that won’t happen if I don’t make sure my “detox” food doesn’t taste good.

I’m tweaking a gazpacho recipe in my head for a post soon.
Stay tuned.