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One of the things I like to have with a roast are roasted vegetables. I also add cubes of bread towards the end of cooking, these go all tasty and crunchy.
There are different vegetables you can use, this time I was using squash, pepper, mushrooms and onions.
I seem to be cooking paella more and more recently.
The key for me is the right kind of rice and saffron. I really do like the way the saffron adds not just colour, but also flavour. Some people I know have used tumeric, however that is most certainly not saffron, and though adds a similar colour, the earthiness of tumeric really can ruin an otherwise decent paella.
After that you can add many different things to make a really nice paella.
The dish above contains in addition to the rice and saffron, the following, chorizo, prawns, onions, pepper, pancetta and a small tin of tomatoes.
There is something about paella, the richness, flavours that I really enjoy.
I very rarely buy stuffing, if I do it is only fresh stuffing, I don’t think I have bought a stuffing mix in years. Normally I make my own stuffing.
These were made very simply with diced onions, sausage meat, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs and wrapped up with pancetta bacon. I would then roast them in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.
Quick and easy and certainly just as quick as using a stuffing mix.
For the grilled chicken, take a chicken breast, I used a free range corn fed chicken breast which I flattened with my hand (though you could take a rolling pin to it). I seasoned the chicken with seasoning and olive oil before placing under a hot grill for 15-20 minutes.
For the lentils eat a frying pan and add some chopped pancetta. There is no need to add any extra oil as there is usually sufficient fat in the pancetta.
Finely chop an onion. Add the onion to the frying pan with the pancetta.
I softened in a frying pan, the finely chopped onion with the pancetta. When the onion was nicely soft I then added some red wine and beef stock before simmering it down.
I use beef stock over chicken stock just because of the colour rather than flavour. I then reduced and reduced this.
Then add some sliced mushrooms.
I then added the green lentils, I used a tin, for convenience and speed. Once the lentils had heated through I then plated up.
On go the lentils and then slice the grilled chicken and place on top.
Serve with steamed vegetables.
In a large frying pan, place some olive oil and butter. Then add some finely chopped onion, red pepper, courgette and pancetta.
Soften the onions.
Bring up the heat.
Add the risotto rice and ensure that the rice is coated in the oil and butter.
Add a splash of white wine.
Now add some chicken stock.
Keep topping up with stock to ensure that the rice doesn’t dry out.
Once the rice is virtually cooked, add a large handful of grated parmesan, some chopped parsley and some freshly ground black pepper.
Serve, garnish with a few slices of lemon.
I have done this lentils recipe quite a lot now, so here is a more detailed and illustrated version.
Heat a frying pan and add some chopped pancetta. There is no need to add any extra oil as there is sufficient fat in the pancetta.
In order to make these kebabs, take some organic chicken, I used skinless and boneless thighs. I prefer the thigh meat over the breast as I find it has more flavour.
Cut into cubes about the size of cherry tomatoes.
Cut some red pepper and onions to a similar size.
Now thread, the chicken, red pepper, onions, along with some cherry tomatoes.
Pour some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the kebabs, add ground black pepper and marinade for at least an hour.
Place under a hot grill or at the top of a hot oven and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Serve with a salad.
One dish I seem to make much more on a regular basis is pan roasted chicken.
This is an easy and quicker dish than a simple roast chicken in many ways.
Start off with some chicken, either joint a whole chicken, or buy some thighs and legs (they have more flavour).
Place them in a pan with onions, pepper, pancetta, mushrooms, cubes of bread, herbs and a good dash of olive oil.
You can add other things as well such as sweet potato, parsnip, partially cooked potato, tomatoes, sausages and courgettes if you so wish.
Roast in a hot oven for about thirty to forty minutes.
The bread is a key as this will soak up the wonderful juices.
I do like a nice pasta salad, especially as it can be eaten instead of bread and adds some substance to a salad based meal.
The problem I have with some you can buy is that they are either too salty or too wet! So where possible I try and make my own.
This is a very simple recipe and you can adjust quantities to taste, how much you want, how much you have in the fridge.
Cook some pasta.
You can use any pasta, but have been using and prefer De Cecco’s Fusilli.
While the pasta is cooking, in a frying pan add some olive oil and then add onions and red pepper. After that has cooked for a while add some mushrooms.
Ensure that they are cooked through, add some freshly chopped parsley and turn off the heat.
Now you could add the pepper and mushrooms raw, but I prefer to have them cooked.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and then to stop it cooking further and to cool it down rinse well with cold water.
Put the cooked pasta in a bowl, add a splash of olive oil for flavour and to stop it sticking. Note always add oil to cooked and drained pasta to stop it sticking. Adding it the boiling water does not do this as the oil floats on the top of the water.
To the cooked pasta add some mayonnaise and some creme frache.
Then add the cooked mixture.
Stir with a spoon until the rice and cooked mixture is evenly coated. As with a lot of salads though you could serve this straight away, it will improve if you leave it in the fridge for a few hours.
Excellent.
This dish went down very well with the family and is quite quick and simple to make.
Take some pork medallions (slice some pork tenderloin in 1″ slices or ask your butcher) in a hot frying pan, panfry on both side and then let rest.
As you cook the pork, soften half a diced onion with some pancetta in another pan.
Once you have removed the pork, add some butter to the pan and cook some apple slices, until they are soft and brown.
Remove the apple.
Turn the heat up, add some sliced mushrooms, once they are cooked, add the cooked onions and pancetta.
Add some spoonfuls of creme frache and freshly chopped parsley to make a sauce.
Slice the pork, add to a plate with the apple.
Add the sauce and serve with rice.