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Sainsbury’s Paella

So there I was at Sainsbury’s looking for something for lunch when I happened upon the Taste the Difference Paella.

Marinated succulent King prawns, chicken and chorizo made with a fresh smoked paprika-tomato ragu and saffron flavoured bomba rice topped with chargrilled red peppers.

I had seen this many times before, and though I like Paella, at £6, wasn’t really how much I wanted to spend for lunch and, I wouldn’t buy paella to eat at home as I can make a better one.

However this time it was not only on special, half price, it was also as the sell by date was today, it was also  reduced to £1.99.

Now I don’t mind spending £1.99 on lunch.

So how was it?

Well first the photograph above is the actual dish and not some marketing photograph.

The chicken was moist, the prawns were succulent and the peppers were nice. However the rice lacked flavour, I couldn’t taste the saffron, the chorizo was tasteless. Glad I only paid £1.99 for it and not £6!

So basically it was okay as ready meals go, but I couldn’t taste the difference.

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Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals

To complement his new TV series, and as might be expected, there is a new book from Jamie Oliver, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals.

In his new book, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, Jamie proves that, by mastering a few tricks and being organized and focused in the kitchen, it is absolutely possible, and easy, to get a complete meal on the table in the same amount of time you’d normally spend making one dish! The 50 brand-new meal ideas in this book are exciting, varied and seasonal. They include main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks, and are all meals you’ll be proud to serve your family and friends. Jamie has written the recipes in a way that will help you make the most of every single minute in the kitchen. This book is as practical as it is beautiful, showing that with a bit of preparation, the right equipment and some organization, hearty, delicious, quick meals are less than half an hour away. You’ll be amazed by what you’re able to achieve.

Buy Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals.

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Deep Fried

It’s not just pubs that go for using the deep fat fryer for meals.

Sometimes I wish any place that serves food have a little more imagination.

Look at this meal I had at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Most of the stuff on that platter is deep fried!

Personally I would have liked them to use fresh ingredients rather than processed stuff out of the freezer that is then thrown into the deep fat fryer. Why not take a leaf out of the Spanish tapas cookbook or a Greek meze cookbook and be more creative.

In December 2009 I went to a conference in Auckland in New Zealand. I visited the Auckland War Memorial Museum and wasn’t  going to have lunch there, but did like the sound of this dish on the menu, however it wasn’t quite what I expected or anticipated. As a result I was little disappointed.

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Coffee and Panini

Ten years ago no one in the UK knew what panini was. Today the place is awash  with them.

Yes we had toasted sandwiches, anyone for a Breville? However the popularity of the toasted Italian panino has grown considerably over the last few years.

In the main the thrust of this growth has come from the coffee chains of Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero, though now it appears that everyone is selling panini.

And there lies the problem…

It’s all you seem to be able to buy in some places, as every outlet is selling them. If you want something different, tough!

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Trifle

Nothing quite like a trifle.

That combination of sponge, fruit, jelly custard and cream that brings back the memories of childhood flooding back.

Oh and don’t forget that sprinkling of hundreds and thousands to top it off.

At Christmas you would add sherry for a little bit of a luxury and use flaked almonds for the topping.

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Lamb

I do like eating lamb. Though I do understand why some people don’t like it. Lamb can be quite gamey in flavour, as in well flavoured, and if you prefer a bland meat such as pork or chicken, a piece of well flavoured lamb may not be to your taste. Some people don’t like the fatty nature of lamb. This is quite a different taste and experience to say a fatty piece of pork.

Though I do like eating lamb, one issue I do have is when cooking it as it seems to create a lot of smoke…

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Ortolana Pizza

I do enjoy the pizza at Bottellino’s.

This is the Ortolana Pizza.

On top it has roasted courgettes, peppers, aubergine, olives and mozzarella cheese.

The pizza are quite big, so if you’re not hat hungry, I would recommend sharing one. If you do order your own, then they will provide boxes to take home what you don’t eat. Not that I am a fan of cold pizza.