Chicken and chorizo paella

Tired and emotional today. Without any liquid assistance I stress, just life, stresses and pressures. So, when I got home at 7 ish -I wanted something which wouldn't take too long, BUT was comforting, nutritious and had enough flavour to beat .. Steam it and eat it... So, remembering I had chorizo, and a chicken breast... Da dah! Chicken and. Chorizo paella. I have had a substantial bowlful, and I fully expect to pack at least 3 portions into pots for lunches...

Olive oil
I onion, chopped
2 inches chorizo, skinned & chopped
Celery .. 1 inch of bunch chopped, or 2 stalks, chopped
Red pepper chopped
2cloves garlic, crushed
1 chicken breast, in bite sized pieces
Rice -I used arborio.. But, whatever suits you
Stock, chicken in my case
Green beans
Mushrooms
Tin chopped tomatoes
Black olives
More water
Seasoning & chili flakes, to suit


Chuck onion and chorizo into big frying pan/Arellano pan/ shallow sauce pan.. And sautéed, add celery, stir. When chorizo starts releasing oil, keep heat up and start adding other ingredients. Stir so nothing burns. When nice and hot, chuck in chicken bits, and stir so they start coking on the outside, a tiny bit of colour is what you are looking for. Then chuck in rice, and stir until every grain has a tiny covering of yummy coloured oil. Chuck in stock, and other veg. Chuck in a little bit more than you think, stir.. Make sure nothing s sticking and keep the heat up. After a few mins stir again, add tin of chopped tomatoes, good sprinkle of chili flakes, and sliced black olives (if you like them). Stir, simmer. Don't fuss with it... Let it simmer over a low ish heat.. OK, stir gently, using spatula or similar to ease bits off the bottom of the pan which are in danger of sticking, otherwise try to leave it alone. When rice is done.. About 20 mins.. Taste it... And it's still a bit saucy turn heat off, and let it suck up juices for 5 minutes. Scoff. Obviously fresh parsley and zest of lemon would be a wonderful livened at the end.. But, come on.. It's a school night!

Chicken hotpot

What do you call it when you chop stuff up and cook it in a pan, and it includes potatoes... HOTPOT... well that;s my excuse for pretending this is a recipe!

olive oil
1 leek
Celery
Carrots
garlic
green beans
chicken breast
water
stock cube
mushrooms
potatoes
brocolli
Chili flakes, pinch of herbs
salt and pepper

Veg box due tomorrow - chicken breast in the fridge.  Chop, saute briefly "hard" veg - ie. leek, celery and carrot in olive oil, add bite sized chunks of chicken, saute again briefly until edges of chicken catch, chuck in cruched garlic and stir together.  Add chopped green beans, potato and mushrooms.  Add stock, stir and simmer, the add brocolli.  Simmer again, adding herbs and pinch of chili flakes.  When cooked, scoff.

what's in the fridge? pasta

Literally... home latish, hungry, and not wanting rubbish - what was in the fridge?  Well, leek, mushrooms, broccoli, blue cheese and natural yogurt... and a bit of ham.  So, cooked some pasta, started sauce predictable with leek in olive oil, then added mushrooms until leek a bit soft... then garlic, then broccoli florets... a cup of water to help it steam down.  After about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally added chopped ham and crumbled blue cheese.  Stirred in until "saucy".  Turned down.  When penne was cooked, drained and mixed in with sauce and 2 big spoons of natural yogurt.  Black pepper - scoff.  I had seconds - and there's lunch in a box in the fridge.  :)

Kitchen Fairies - upped sticks and moved