Luxury Spicy Paella

Paella is a delicious marriage of seafood, meat, spices and vegetables and is arguably the best-known Spanish dish outside Spain. 

What better way to warm up than with this easy to make and fantastic family dinner that goes a long way.  What I enjoy the most is that you can make it as humble or luxurious as you like.  With the holiday season approaching, I enjoy a few special additions like Saffron and huge crab claws - not my usual throughout the year, believe me.

The three best known paella are Valencian paella, seafood paella and mixed paella, but there are several others as well.  Valencian paella is believed to be the original recipe and consists of rice, green veg, meat ... either chicken or rabbit, snails, beans and saffron, rosemary and lemon.  Seafood paella simply replaces the meat with seafood and omits the beans and green veg.  Mixed paella (my favourite)  is a free-style combination of all, which this recipe certainly is.

Luxury Spicy Paella

Serves 4

250g spicy sausage, cut into big slices
3 tbsp olive oil
4 - 5 chicken legs, large chunks off the bone

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large red onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips
250g rice/paella rice
750ml chicken stock, home-made is best
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
A good pinch of Saffron
10 ripe small Rosa tomatoes,halved
200g prawns, out of shell in big chunks
1 tin smoked mussels, with sauce
4 crab claws
100g frozen peas
100ml cream

Heat a big flat wide casserole dish.
Fry sausage until brown all over, remove and put aside.
Add oil and fry chicken until golden, remove and put aside.
Add garlic, onions, peppers, and fry until golden.
Stir in rice and cook until pale gold in colour.
Pour in half stock, cayenne pepper, salt, saffron and tomatoes and bring to the boil.
Add sausage, chicken, prawns, mussels and crab claws.
Cover and cook for 30 min carefully, stirring regularly adding more stock if necessary.
3 min before cooking time, remove lid, add peas and cream and stir well, adjust seasoning.
Allow to stand for 5min and serve

Chicken Coronation Summer Salad

This is a perfect weekend salad as a main dish on a lovely sunny day.  It is also low calorie and has good layers of flavours and very filling with the chicken and almonds.  

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Chicken Coronation Summer Salad

100g light mayonnaise
100g Greek yoghurt
50ml cup dry white wine
1 tsp Piri Piri
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
2 chicken breasts
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup celery stalks, chopped
2 tbsp spring onion, chopped
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in warm water
1/2 cup salted almonds, roasted


For the dressing mix mayonnaise, yoghurt, wine, pipi piri, salt and pepper and set aside
Season chicken breasts with lots of salt and pepper
Place side by side on some foil which has been lightly greased
Add garlic and thyme between the breasts
Close foil to make a parcel and bake for 30 min at 180'C
Cut into bite size cubes.
Add celery, spring onions and raisins to chicken
Add dressing and toss
Add salad greens to a plate, place chicken on top and sprinkle with warm almonds

Footnote: This recipe is even better if you rest the chicken in the dressing overnight.  

Clementine Tart

Here is a great summer tart, that is not too sweet but definitely hits the spot when you need to end a casual Al Fresco lunch. You can really use any fruit, apples, pears and plums work just as well.  Suitable for 4 -6 foodie lovers.  Here we go ...

Clementine Tart
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300g clementines, skinned and separated
2 Tbsp custard powder
2 Tbsp sweet sherry/dessert wine
1 1/3 cups sugar divided
125g butter, room temp
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180'c
Spray a pie dish with cooking spray
Place fruit, custard powder, sherry and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl and mix
Sit fruit mix for 15 min
Place sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a processor and whizz until small breadcrumbs have formed
Add Tbsp cold waft and whizz for another 30 seconds to form large moist crumbs
Set aside 3/4 cup of crumbs and add rest to pie dish
Lightly pat dough in the dish
Arrange fruit mix in a circular pattern
Sprinkle we remaining crumbs
Bake for 1 hour until fruit is bubbling and golden
Remove from oven and zest the rind of a clementine and sprinkle on top

Enjoy!

Spicy Sausage Mac 'n Cheese

So when you don't really feel like cooking this is a good old faithful that is easy and never lets you down.  I have included some spicy sausage today which I had in the fridge, making it a great lunch.  You can also include bacon, mushrooms or really anything to 'spice-it-up. Here we go ... (suitable for 3 - 4 foodie lovers)

#MAKING WEEKENDS COUNT: Spicy Sausage Mac 'n Cheese

300g macaroni (100g per person)
2tbsp butter
1 cup red onion, medium chop
300g spicy sausage, small dice
1tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1tsp smoked paprika (or normal paprika)
1tbsp mazina (or flour)
2 cups milk
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 cup strong cheese
1 egg yolk

Cook pasta as per cooking instructions on packet
Melt butter in a pot
Add onions, sausage, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika cook for 7 min on medium until all the oils and flavours draw from the sausage
Remove mix from pot and cool
Place pot back on the stove and add mazina and stir in the juices and scrape drizzle off the bottom of the pot
Remove pot from the heat and add the milk and parsley and stir
Add pot back on the stove and stir all the time until sauce thickens
Remove pot from the stove and stir in cheeses and yolk
Drain pasta.  Add sausage and cheese sauce to pasta and mix well
Place in an oven dish
Add freshly grated cheese and a few slices of fresh tomato for garnish
Bake for 20 min until brown

Delish ... I promise and it will never let you down.

Potato Wedges with Smoked Paprika, Rosemary & Garlic

Now here is a great snack or side dish with anything.  It is affordable for entertaining and above all is oh-so-easy.  Here we go ... (suitable for 4 foodie lovers)

Potato Wedges with Smoked Paprika, Rosemary & Garlic

500g small to medium potatoes, cut into quarters lengthwise
4 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika

Heat oven to 200'c
Place potatoes on a baking sheet
Add olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and paprika
Toss with your hands to ensure all is mixed well
Bake as a single layer for 1 hr, turning half way through
Serve with pretty much everything, but herb cream cheese works best

Enjoy!

Baked Goats Cheese with Bacon & Honey

Inspired by a wonderful chef's table I attended last week at one of my hotels @BrusselsMarriott, here is an easy home version of a divine goats cheese starter ideal for entertaining or a simple Sunday supper.  Here we go ... (Suitable for 2 foodie lovers)

Baked Goat's Cheese with Bacon & Honey

100g bacon bits
150g goats cheese
100g bread crumbs
Big hand full of rocket
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
Squirt of honey

Pre heat oven to 200'c
Pan fry bacon in a little oil until crispy
Remove and drain on absorbent paper
Cut goats cheese into 1 inch rings
Add bread crumbs to a bowl and carefully add cheese one at a time and cover all sides with crumbs
Place on a greased baking sheet
Bake for 10min until golden brown
Carefully turn over and drizzle each piece with honey
Bake for a further 5 min
Mix rocket, olive oil, vinegar and pepper in a bowl and toss lightly with your fingers
Plate greens on a serving plate
Add warm bacon bits on top of greens and place warm cheese on top
Drizzle with a little more honey and garnish with a few more pieces of bacon

Serve immediately with biscuits or some fresh bread.
Make it count .. have a great week!

Crispy Baked Bacon Pork Fillet

Pork oh-so-delicious.  You can also use Panchetta if you prefer to the bacon. This is a quick and easy 20 minute recipe ideal for weekend or mid-week.  Here we go ... (serves 2 foodie lovers)

2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1 tbsp smokey paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
350g - 400g pork fillet
12 - 14 slices bacon

1 apple sliced

2 tsp oil
2 tbsp fresh rocket
Crack black pepper

Preheat oven to 200'C
Smear mustard all over the pork
Mix tarragon, paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly on all sides of the meat
Wrap bacon around the fillet to enclose and secure with toothpicks
Placed sliced apple down the centre of a greased baking sheet and place pork on top
Drizzle with olive oil
Bake for 20 - 25min until done
Serve on a bed of peppery rocket tossed in a little olive oil dressed with the baked apples

Works really well Serve with some roast garlic mash