PAELLA A LA VELENCIANA (Spain): Chicken and Seafood Rice

Tonight a friend of mine from Jersey was asking me about Paella.  Last spring, I cooked some paella dishes and here are the recipe in this blog post.

PAELLA A LA VELENCIANA (Spain)

Chicken and Seafood Rice

Yield:  4 Portions

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz.	Pork, lean, diced
4 ea.	Chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks
3 oz.	Olive oil
2 ea.	Garlic cloves, chopped
6 oz.	Onion, small dice
6 oz.	Red pepper, small dice
6 oz.	Green pepper, small dice
3/4 lb.	Rice, short grain
1/2 tsp.	Saffron, crushed
1/4 tsp.	Salt
1/2  cup	Chicken stock, hot
2 lb.	Clams, fresh littleneck, cleaned
2 lb.	Mussels, fresh, cleaned
2 lb.	Shrimp, 16/20, P&D
1 lb.	Chorizo link, cooked, sliced
8 oz.	Tomato concasse, small dice
4 oz.	Carrots, small dice
4 oz.	Peas (garden)
4 oz.	Scallions, sliced
2 ea.	Lemons

Method:

1.                  Brown the chicken and pork in the olive oil. Remove and reserve.

2.                  Sauté the garlic, onion, and peppers in the reserved oil.

3.                  Add the rice, saffron and salt. Stir until the rice is coated with oil.

4.                  Add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and place it in a 400- degree F.          oven. Cook the rice mixture for 8 minutes.

5.                  Place the clams and mussels on top the rice. Check the rice periodically and add more stock or water if necessary. Replace the cover and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes.

6.                  Add the shrimp, chorizo, tomato concasse, carrots and peas. Return the pan to the oven and cook paella until the shrimp is cooked through and all the ingredients are very hot.

7.  Garnish the paella with the scallions and strips of roasted red pepper. Drizzle with juice of 1 lemon. Cover the paella pan and allow the paella to rest for 10 minutes. Wedge the remaining lemons and serve with the paella.

Carrot Cake: Family Recipes

My mother made this a lot around holidays or when out of town relatives were visiting.  It was oh so good!  Particularly with whipped topping...  (she used the baby food and was very very moist!)

CARROT CAKE

1 1/4 cup salad oil         

4 eggs                   

2 cups sugar                  

2 tsp. baking powder         

1/2 tsp. baking soda      

1 tsp. salt   

2 cups flour          

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots (can use 4 small jars baby carrots or 2 junior jars)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine oil and sugar, mix well.  Stir in rest of ingredients alternating dry and wet with 4 eggs.  Bake in 10 inch tube pan.  Bake in a floured and grease bunt pan in a slow oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes.  Cool upright in pan.  When cool cut out of pan to release cake.  You may put icing on cake.  Cream cheese icing is pretty good.  See cookbook section for icings.  Very rich!  Cake is good plain.  It is very moist.

Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy

Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy 


Servings: 10 
Categories: Main Dish 
Source: Culinary Fundamentals Copyright: Prentice Hall


5 each Chickens
Salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed, freshly ground
5 each Thyme sprigs
5 each Rosemary sprigs
Vegetable oil or butter, as needed

Mirepoix
4 ounces Onion, diced
2 ounces Carrot, diced
8 ounces Celery, diced

Pan gravy
2 ounces Flour
1/2 ounce Tomato paste (optional)
1 pint Chicken Stock, hot

1. Remove the wing tips from the chickens and reserves. Season the exterior and the cavity of the chickens with salt and pepper and place one sprig of thyme and rosemary in each cavity. Rub the skin with oil and truss each chicken with twine.

2. Place the chickens, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Scatter the wing tips in the pan.

3. Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes, basting from time to time. Scatter the mirepoix around the chicken and continue to roast another 30 to 40 minutes or until the thigh meat registers 180°F. Transfer the chickens to a holding pan, cover loosely, and allow them to rest while preparing the pan gravy.

4. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop and cook until the mirepoix on the stovetop and cook until the mirepoix is browned and the fat is clear. Pour off all but 1 once of the fat. Add the flour and cook out the roux for 4 to 5 minutes. (Optional: Add the tomato paste to the roux and cook out 2 minutes more,) Whisk in the stock until completely smooth. Simmer the gravy for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it reaches the proper consistency and flavor. Degrease and adjust seasoning. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and keep warm for service. Cut the chickens into portions and serve with pan gravy. 

South of the Border Shepherd's Pie (Mexican Shepherd's Pie)

Gather your ingredients

Rough dice on a mix of peppers

Rough dice jarred Jalapenos

Store brand medium salsa worked

Rough dice Red Onion

Shredded Carrots and Black Beans

I used this but you can make your own

Shredded three Roasted Chickens

Shred Cheddar for the top

Jalapeno rings for garnish

Sprinkle Bacon Crumbles on the top

Ready to bake

Baked and ready to eat!!!

Enjoy!

So where I work we usually have left over rotisserie chickens and are looking for ways to use them.  That and this week we had some extra mashed potatoes.  I was thinking of what we could do with them and thought why not make a "Mexican Shepherd's Pie" or South of the Border Shepherd's Pie.  Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with Mutton (lamb), beef, or sometimes pork... it usually topped with mashed potatoes and sometimes has vegetables mixed into the meat mixture.  It is made from Ireland to Australia and worldwide and is thought to be the origination of a way to use left overs???

So this really works well into what we needed where I work.  We have leftovers and serve mainly comfort foods.  I for one do not like leftovers but have a love for comfort foods that are loaded with tons of flavor.  This dish that I am sharing with you, I think you shall find loaded with flavor and you can add as much or as little heat as you wish!  I also prepared this the day before I cooked it and it can be prepared ahead and frozen if so desired.  It will take additional baking time when frozen, times given in this recipe reflect a refrigerated pie... enjoy...

South of the Border Shepherd's Pie 

(Mexican Shepherd's Pie)

Filling

2-3 Roasted Chickens (cooled and de-boned, shredded)
2 cups Red Onion (diced)
1 cup Bell Pepper (Small dice, medley - red. yellow, green)
1 cup Carrot (shredded or small dice)
1/2 cup Black Beans (prepared)
1/2 cup Jarred Jalapenos (diced) 1-2 packets of Taco Seasoning (as hot as you want it)
+/- 1/2 cup Salsa (as hot as you want it!)
10 cups of Mashed Potatoes (prepared)  You can use your favorite mashed potato recipe!

Topping

2 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1 cup Bacon Crumbles
1/4 cup Jarred Jalapeno Rings for garnish (whole)

Preparation:

1. Shred your chicken and remove all bones, would hate to be choked on a small bone!
2. Dice and prepare your vegetables.
3. Mix Chicken and Vegetables, mixing in seasonings and salsa.  You want it to be just wet but not to dry.  If it is too wet, it will not set up after baking.
4. Cover with a smooth layer of Mashed Potatoes about and 1" thick.
5. Apply toppings in this order - Cheese, Bacon, Jalapeno Rings
6. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 12-15 Minutes, loosely covered.
7. Take out of oven and remove cover, return to oven for another 10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes to ensure the cheese has not burned.
8. Remove from oven when cheese is melted to desired done-ness.
9. Tent to hold heat and let it rest for 20-30 minutes to set up.
10. Serve in squares and enjoy!!!