Chili Chorizo Pilaf

I came across this dish by mistake when I was doing an internet search for a Chorizo Pilaf. Neither of the two recipes I found particularly took my fancy so I mixed them up a bit, added some of my own ingredients and voila! A great dish to make when entertaining as the last 22 minutes of cooking don’t need much attention.

 

 

Serves 4

 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion,  Sliced

250g Chorizo Sliced

4 Garlic Cloves Crushed

1 Red Chilli deseeded and finely sliced

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

400g can chopped tomatoes

250g Basmati Rice

600ml Chicken stock

2 Bay leaves

Small bunch fresh coriander

Lemon wedges to serve

 

Heat one tablespoon of oil over a medium heat in a saucepan and fry the chorizo slices on each side until slightly golden. Set aside and drain on kitchen paper. There should be enough oil left from the chorizo so in the same pan over a medium heat add the onions cooking until translucent. Next add the garlic, chilli, paprika and cumin and cook for 2 minutes stirring.  Add the tomatoes and bubble for 5 minutes before adding the chorizo, rice, stock and bay leafs.  Mix everything well together and cook over a low heat for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to steam for 15 minutes. Remove the bayleaves, stir through the coriander and serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing over.  Yum!

 

Italian Style Meatball Soup

It’s been over a week since my last post. My kitchen didn’t see much action last week due to the other half traveling with work. Usually when he does this I use the oportunity to use up frozen leftovers like lasagne and cottage pie and enjoy the fact I can watch Hollyoaks without complaints! I did make a really yummy, low fat Earl Grey tea cake. It was a trial run as I hadn’t made it before but it was delicious and will definitely be made again, and when it does, I’ll get the recipe and pics straight on here!

 

In an attempt to empty the fridge and my veg draw before my LeShop.ch order comes tomorrow night. I have made another veg stock this morning as well a warming meatball soup using the lone sausage sitting on the bottom shelf. There was a slight dusting of snow in Geneva this morning and although it’s already melted, it’s always nice to have soup when it’s snowing.

 

Serves 3

 

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

15g butter

2 carrots, sliced into rounds

1 celery stick sliced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp tomato puree

200g tinned, chopped tomatoes

2 pints veg stock

2 handfulls of dry pasta

1 large sausage (I used pork and leek because that’s what I had)

 

Fry the onion and garlic with the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until softened. slightly. Add the veg and the herbs and sweat for about 8 minutes. While this is going on, squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing and roll into small meatballs. Mine were quite small, about 5g each, as I was starving and wanted them to cook quickly! Make a small well in the middle of the veg and quickly cook the puree for about 20 seconds before adding the tinned tomatoes, veg stock, pasta and meatballs.

Simmer over a low heat until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is soft and spoon into bowls.