Seafood Paella on the Fly

I tend to cook with whatever ingredients I have in the house, rather than plan things in advance. This was certainly the case the other day when I came home from work and was rather stumped for what to cook.

I still had a bunch of chorizo in the fridge leftover from some previous meal, so the obvious choice was some sort of Spanish dish. My freezer is always chock full of salmon and shrimps, so I decided to go for a seafood paella. Nothing fancy, but it turns out super tasty. Here's the recipe, and feel free to substitute ingredients if you're missing anything. Also, don't feel shy about adding more and different varieties of seafood - they all work.

Smoked Salmon and Shrimp Paella

Smoked salmon fillet (freezer)

Shrimps (freezer)

Leeks (freezer)

Chorizo

Onion

Chillies

Garlic

Carrots

Plum tomatoes

Asparagus

Bell peppers

Rice

Chicken stock

Olive oil

White wine glug

First, chop everything up as required. I like to have everything laid out on the chopping board so that there's no stress later on in the cooking process

All chopped and set to cook

Heat some oil in a non-stick saucepan. Add chopped onions and leeks and stir until softened.

Onions and leeks softening

Add the garlic and chorizo. After the chorizo begins to let out its oils, add the rice and stir to coat in all the oils. Add that glug of white wine and let that absorb into the rice, then add some boiling water/stock slowly, as if you're making a risotto.

Look at all that red oil from the chorizo

Keep stirring and keep adding your water/stock, slowly. The rice will soak up the liquid and cook. Add in your carrots as they need a bit more cooking time than the other veggies.

Once the rice is almost fully cooked, add the asparagus and peppers. They don't need long to cook. Then add the tomatoes, which will give a lovely tang to the mixture.

Rice and carrots - keep stirring!

Finally, throw in the shrimp and fish and keep stirring until they're just cooked. Then plate up, and drizzle some olive oil over the top. The sheer smell will make you drool!

Adding stock makes it look a bit soupy, but the rice will soak it up

Dinner is served!

Halloumi for lunch, with a Spanish twist

I tend to be a bit hungover on Saturdays, typically a result of heading to the pub after work on Friday and forgetting to have dinner. Which sometimes leads to overindulgence at the takeaway on the way home and hence my wanting something a bit healthier for lunch on Saturday.

Last Saturday was no different. So come lunchtime I raided the fridge to see what vegetables and yummy treats I could pull together for something tasty for myself and the boyfriend. And this is what I came up with: a halloumi, chorizo and potato salad. Delightful. Here's the recipe:

Halloumi, Chorizo and Potato Salad

Lamb's lettuce, rocket and fresh baby spinach

Fresh cherry tomatoes

Potatoes (preferable new but whatever is hidden in the cupboard will do)

Green beans

Chorizo sausage

Halloumi cheese

Olive oil

Walnut oil

Wash and chop the potatoes, skin still on. Place in a steamer for ten minutes, until cooked through but still fairly solid. Don't overcook!

Add the washed and chopped green beans to the steamer, shortly before the potatoes are done. They don't need long.

Chop the chorizo and toss into a frying pan. No oil - they're oily enough. After those essential oils have entered the pan, add in the halloumi wedges.

In the meantime, construct the salad. Place the salad leaves in a bowl, add chopped tomatoes, then add the steamed potatoes and beans. Next add the chorizo and the halloumi, some fresh pepper, then a drizzle of oil. Top off with a drizzle of walnut oil (or even chopped walnuts if you've got the real deal).

Done! A quick and healthy(-ish - the chorizo ain't great) lunch!!