Sunday, April 26, 2015

Chicken & Chorizo Paella

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive oil 
2 Onions, roughly chopped
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 T tomato puree
1 tsp Smoked paprika 
250g Arborio rice
3 Cups (750ml) Chicken stock
½ Cup (125ml) Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce
2 Large Chicken breast
2 Spanish chorizo sausages 
(you can find in the deli section of your super) 
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Red capsicum 
100g Frozen peas
1 Lemon
20g parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:
Sauté onions and garlic in 
olive oil until golden. 
Add chicken and chorizo stir through 
smoked paprika, salt and pepper. 
When meat is browned 
add chopped tomatoes and puree.
allow to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.   


Pour the Arborio rice into the pan with the meat and toast slightly. 
Add the chicken stock mixed with the Nando’s peri-peri sauce and leave to simmer, 
until most of the liquid has been absorbed, but the rice is not dry (about 20 mins) 
Now add the peas, capsicum and parsley, stir gently. 
Place lemon wedges on top and cook on low for a further 5 minutes. 
Add salt and pepper (to taste). 

This recipe is our combination of the Jamie Oliver and Nandos Paella
Separate recipes can be found:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/rice-recipes/chicken-chorizo-paella/#WvFBmp1Qlu7I9ROi.97
http://www.nandos.co.nz/recipes/recipe/detail?id=1126

Carrot cake

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup self-raising flour
1 t mixed spice
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground ginger
1 t baking soda
1 cup brown sugar 
3 large eggs
1 cup sunflower or canola oil
1 t vanilla essence
¾ cup chopped walnuts 
2 cups grated carrot
½ cup sultanas or raisins
2 T desiccated coconut

Cream Cheese Icing
125g cream cheese, softened
50g butter, softened
2½ cups Icing Sugar 
2T hot water 

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C 
conventional or 160ºC fan bake.
Sift flours, spices and soda 
into a large mixing bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir until just combined, don’t beat. 
Grease and line with baking paper a medium sized springform cake tin. 
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. 
(jiggling it back and forth evens it out)
Bake for 1 hour or until cooked (when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean). Remove from oven, cool, then remove from the cake tin and peel away the paper. Swirl icing over the cake.

Cream Cheese Icing
Mix the icing sugar and hot water together, 
add remaining ingredients then beat until a smooth consistency.

Note: We sprinkled the icing with desiccated apricots (blitzed in the blender) 
and shaved almonds. 

Herb & Feta Bread

Ingredients:
375ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
2 teaspoons (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
2 teaspoons caster sugar
525g (3 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Olive oil, to grease
2 tablespoons finely
chopped fresh continental parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
80g feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
Step 1
Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until frothy.

Step 2
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir until combined, then use your hands to bring the dough together.

Step 3
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Brush a bowl with oil to grease. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Step 4
Preheat oven to 210°C. Brush an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with oil to grease. Combine the parsley, thyme, basil and feta in a bowl. Punch down the centre of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes or until dough is elastic and has returned to original size.

Step 5
Divide into 3 equal portions. Roll into long skinny lengths. place on oven tray, cover and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. When ready brush oil and feta mixture over the dough, then carefully plait pieces together.

Step 6
Brush pull-apart with milk. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe wasn’t one of our own.
Sourced from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1791/garlic+herb+and+feta+pull+apart

Roasted Pumpkin & Capsicum Soup

Ingredients: 
2 teaspoons olive oil (swig)
1 medium brown onion (cut into thin wedges)
1/2 garlic
Medium sized pumpkin
2 red capsicum, cut into 1.5cm pieces
1 220g can diced tomatoes, undrained, crushed
250mls (1 cup) Campbell's Real Stock Chicken
small nub of ginger
Pinch ground cumin
Pinch ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh coriander or basil leaves, to garnish
Small bottle of cream

Directions:
In a roasting dish place pumpkin,
(smallish pieces cook faster)
capsicum, garlic cloves and onion,
cover with a swig of oil, thyme and rock salt,
roast at 180’c for about 20 mins, or until soft.

When vegetables are soft blend with
tinned tomatoes into a smooth consistency.

Pour into a large pot, add 1/2 cup of hot water,
1 cup of chicken stock, grated ginger,
cumin and coriander
place on the stove and bring to a simmer.

Add salt and pepper to taste and if you like a
bit of heat a teaspoon of paprika.
simmer for 20mins.

Stir through cream and serve with a side of bread.