Seafood paella

The joy of a freezer!  Didn't know what to do for dinner, and lots of people here, so had a ferret about in the freezer - frozen squid, seafood salad, king prawns, red peppers and peas ... well, that was pretty much decided then - seafood paella.

Olive oil
spring onions
celery
garlic
mixed herbs
turmeric
paprika
short grained rice (1 small handful per person)
white wine
roasted red peppers
water/stock
tinned chopped tomatoes
squid
seafood salad
king prawns
ginger
chili

Allow all frozen things, except peas, to thaw.

You need two frying pans - one enormous for the paella, and one smaller for the prawns.

1.  Put olive oil in both pans, but only put the heat under the big one.
2.  Saute the spring onions and celery in the big pan, for a few minutes.  Then add crushed garlic - add a clove of crushed garlic to the cold oil in the other pan now too, it saves faff later.
3.  Add turmeric and mixed herbs to the softenned veg, turn over a time or two.
4.  Add the rice, and turn over in the oil to make sure that every grain in slightly coated.
5.  Splash in white wine and simmer until it is absorbed.
6.  Add chopped peppers, paprika and some stock or water.  Simmer until absorbed.  Repeat for about 12 minutes.
7.  Add squid rings.
8.  Turn heat under the other pan and grate in small piece of fresh ginger and chuck in a good pinch of chili flakes.
9.  Add the seafood salad to the paella, and the prawns to the garlic mixture.
10.  Add the peas to the paella, and take off the heat.  Allow the rice to suck up the rest of the juice for a few minutes.

Serve, scoff ... gathered people will be impressed.

I'm sorry, I don't add amounts, as I measure by eye - just use common sense, and what is available!

Todmorden tapas

Some nibbly bits left over from a friend who brought them when they came for dinner last week ... and some random things which I wanted using from the freezer, along with veg box and store cupboard ... dah dah!  random stuff, some of which did not necessarily go together, but they ho ...

So ...

Patatas - boiled and then roasted to have with either bravas sauce, or aoili, depending on preference.  Calamari in cajun polenta crumb, (cremated) - griddled aubergine, tomato and fennel salad, manchego, vegetable spring rolls with sweet chili dip, olives and cheese stuffed pimentos ... don't mind if we do!  and we did ... and it was tasty

Chili and garlic squid, black bean vegetable, noodle, stir fry

Chinese New Year - and into the year of the sheep we go.

So, tonight we had garlic chili squid and a black bean, vegetable and noodle stir fry.

Noodles are traditional for a long life, I believe.  Rice noodles, in our case, to keep it all gluten free.




Chili and garlic squid

Peanut oil
Squid tubes - cut into rings
chili flakes
Crushed garlic
spring onion
salt
cornflour
water

1.  Cut squid tubes into rings, mix with chili, garlic and chopped spring onion.
2.  Make a batter (quite liquid) from cornflour and water.
3.  Dip squid into batter and fry in hot oil.

Scoff!

Black bean and vegetable noodle stir fry

Peanut oil
Black bean paste
Garlic paste
Fennel
Spring onions
Pak choi
Radish
Japanese mushrooms
bean sprouts
soy sauce
Chinese rice wine
Tomato ketchup
Water
Rice noodles

1.  Prepare all the vegetables, chopping into bite sized pieces.
2.  Heat oil in the wok, add spring onion and black bean paste.
3.  Stir fry, add veg ... from harder to softer, so they cook in time.
4.  Meanwhile cook noodles according to packet instructions.
5.  Taste veg and add soy sauce, rice wine and ketchup to taste.
6.  Add a little water if it's looking dry.
7.  When noodles are ready, drain and add to veg.
8.  Sprinkle chopped spring onions over the top.

Dipping sauce

Soy sauce
peanut oil
sweet chili sauce

Mixed to taste

Oh ... I am so full ... roll on the year of the sheep.

Squid paella

Oh, what a week it's been!

recipe... ish

olive oil
chopped onion
chopped celery
chopped red pepper
garlic - crushed
paella mix - or paprika and saffron and a few herbs
risotto/paella rice
tinned tomatoes
white wine
squid - sliced into rings
snow peas, chopped into pieces
black olives
salt and black pepper
lemon to serve

OK - sautee chopped onion in oilve oil, and when a bit soft chuck in veg and garlic, stir around a bit - them chuck in rice and spices (or spice mix)- stir around.  When all rice grains are coated chuck in tomatoes, wine and squid, and some water.  Keep simmering for about 15 mins as it all cooks together.  Add in chopped snow peas (or, frankly, frozen peas) and black olives - add more water if it's looking dry.  Keep simmering for another 10ish  minutes - tuen off the heat and let it gently suck up the juices... serve, scoff!