This is Devon -- The continual rain and very strong winds all over the region have made many people's lives extremely difficult, and combined with all the flooding and the possibility that we could be in for snow, it is not very cheering, to say the very least. However, the sun did shine in Cornwall today, and the dog and I went for a long walk, well wrapped up of course. My dog is a shih tzu – a big one too – and he, like me, is feeling his age in this winter weather. At his annual check-up the vet told me that if my dear dog were human (and believe you me he thinks he is!) he would be wearing specs! Because he obviously cannot see very well our walks do take a long time because he relies heavily on his sense of smell and has to sniff everything with great concentration. I, therefore, find that plodding along with him my thoughts go drifting here there and everywhere. My thoughts today, perhaps because of the rare rays of sunshine, turned to summertime and holidays and al fresco meals in the balmy warm summer evenings. After all, a little spirit of optimism has to be a good thing and what I think we all need at this time of the year is some sunshine comfort foods to lift us up out of those winter time blues. Creole Jambalaya Serves 4-6 1 tbsp vegetable oil 3 rashers back bacon 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 2 sticks celery 600ml chicken stock salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 2 or 3 bay leaves 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 400g passata 125g cooked ham 450g cooked and shelled king prawns 225g cooked chicken 1 tbsp chopped parsley Chop the bacon. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Trim and chop the celery. Deseed the green and red pepper and dice the flesh. Roughly chop the ham and the chicken. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan or a saucepan and fry off the bacon until it is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. Add the onion to the pan and sauté over medium heat until soft and transparent. Stir in the garlic, celery and rice and cook for just three minutes stirring all the time until the rice is turning opaque. Pour in the stock, season with a light sprinkling of salt, generously with freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cayenne pepper and crumple the bay leaves into the mixture. Lower the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the diced peppers and passata, cover and cook for a further five minutes. Stir in the ham, prawns, chicken and reserved bacon and recover the pan. Simmer for a further five minutes or until the prawns, ham and chicken are heated through and the rice is cooked. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle over the parsley and serve immediately. Pollo Al Chilindron (Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes) Originally a Spanish classical dish which has also become popular in Mexico - Perhaps one of the kinder legacies of the conquest. Serves 4-6 8-10 chicken thighs 2 tbsp flour salt and freshly ground black pepper 50ml olive oil 1 large onion 3 cloves garlic 2 large red peppers 100g Serrano ham 400g can chopped tomatoes ½ tsp saffron threads soaked in 1 tbsp water ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Peel and chop the onions. Peel and crush the garlic. Deseed the peppers and chop the flesh. Chop the ham. Put the flour into a polythene bag and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken thighs, a few at a time, and shake the bag until they are well coated. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom saucepan and add the chicken pieces and cook, turning from time to time, until they are evenly brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion, garlic and peppers to the pan and cook, stirring from time to time until the onion is soft and transparent. Stir in the ham, tomatoes, including the juice, the saffron mixture, cayenne pepper and a good seasoning of freshly ground black pepper and mix well and bring to the boil. Return the chicken thighs to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for one hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Reported by This is 14 hours ago.
This is Devon -- The continual rain and very strong winds all over the region have made many people's lives extremely difficult, and combined with all the flooding and the possibility that we could be in for snow, it is not very cheering, to say the very least. However, the sun did shine in Cornwall today, and the dog and I went for a long walk, well wrapped up of course. My dog is a shih tzu – a big one too – and he, like me, is feeling his age in this winter weather. At his annual check-up the vet told me that if my dear dog were human (and believe you me he thinks he is!) he would be wearing specs! Because he obviously cannot see very well our walks do take a long time because he relies heavily on his sense of smell and has to sniff everything with great concentration. I, therefore, find that plodding along with him my thoughts go drifting here there and everywhere. My thoughts today, perhaps because of the rare rays of sunshine, turned to summertime and holidays and al fresco meals in the balmy warm summer evenings. After all, a little spirit of optimism has to be a good thing and what I think we all need at this time of the year is some sunshine comfort foods to lift us up out of those winter time blues. Creole Jambalaya Serves 4-6 1 tbsp vegetable oil 3 rashers back bacon 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 2 sticks celery 600ml chicken stock salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 2 or 3 bay leaves 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 400g passata 125g cooked ham 450g cooked and shelled king prawns 225g cooked chicken 1 tbsp chopped parsley Chop the bacon. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Trim and chop the celery. Deseed the green and red pepper and dice the flesh. Roughly chop the ham and the chicken. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan or a saucepan and fry off the bacon until it is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. Add the onion to the pan and sauté over medium heat until soft and transparent. Stir in the garlic, celery and rice and cook for just three minutes stirring all the time until the rice is turning opaque. Pour in the stock, season with a light sprinkling of salt, generously with freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cayenne pepper and crumple the bay leaves into the mixture. Lower the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the diced peppers and passata, cover and cook for a further five minutes. Stir in the ham, prawns, chicken and reserved bacon and recover the pan. Simmer for a further five minutes or until the prawns, ham and chicken are heated through and the rice is cooked. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle over the parsley and serve immediately. Pollo Al Chilindron (Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes) Originally a Spanish classical dish which has also become popular in Mexico - Perhaps one of the kinder legacies of the conquest. Serves 4-6 8-10 chicken thighs 2 tbsp flour salt and freshly ground black pepper 50ml olive oil 1 large onion 3 cloves garlic 2 large red peppers 100g Serrano ham 400g can chopped tomatoes ½ tsp saffron threads soaked in 1 tbsp water ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Peel and chop the onions. Peel and crush the garlic. Deseed the peppers and chop the flesh. Chop the ham. Put the flour into a polythene bag and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken thighs, a few at a time, and shake the bag until they are well coated. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom saucepan and add the chicken pieces and cook, turning from time to time, until they are evenly brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion, garlic and peppers to the pan and cook, stirring from time to time until the onion is soft and transparent. Stir in the ham, tomatoes, including the juice, the saffron mixture, cayenne pepper and a good seasoning of freshly ground black pepper and mix well and bring to the boil. Return the chicken thighs to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for one hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Reported by This is 14 hours ago.