VEGETARIAN PAELLA. By Arthur Mitchell

Ingredients:

1: 1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL + 1 STICK BUTTER
2: 1 TABLESPOON PAPRIKA POWDER
3: 3 CUPS ARBORIO WHITE RICE
4: 1 TEASPOON lightly packed SAFFRON THREADS
5: 2 CUPS BEER 4 CUPS VEGETABLE STOCK
6: 16 OZ. CAN CRUSHED TOMATO
7: JUICE OF 1 LEMON
8: 1 CUP SWEET PEPPERS - CHOPPED ½” SQUARE PIECES
9: 1 CUP ONION - CHOPPED INTO ½” SQUARE PIECES
10: 2 + CLOVES GARLIC - SLICED, OR ROUGHLY CHOPPED
11: SALT TO TASTE
12: 2 CUPS FRESH ASPARAGUS - CHOPPED 1” LONG PIECES.
13: ZEST OF 1 LEMON
14: 8 OZ SMALL FRESH SPINACH LEAVES
15: 2 CUPS VEGETABLE STOCK IF NEEDED

METHOD:
In a six-quart heavy bottom pan add items 1,2 & 3 and lightly toast the grains.
Add 4 and toast for another minute.
Add 5,6,7,8,9 10 & 11. Bring to a rolling boil and stir to prevent sticking and boil-overs. Reduce flame to simmer, partially cover pan. Stir gently every few minutes to prevent any rice sticking to the pan. When most of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice and you are satisfied with the firmness of the grain, it is cooked. If more stock is needed add item 15 in ¼ cup batches till you are satisfied.
Add 13, 14 & 15 and incorporate evenly throughout the rice cover for 1 minute then serve.

Decorate with boiled fingerling potatoes. These potatoes were cooked ahead of time in a Saffron infused stock. Remove the potatoes from the stock when they are cooked and let them cool down. Place them back into the cold stock and let them marinate for two or three hours. You can also use most of this stock to cook the paella. Just save a little stock for reheating the potatoes when you are ready to decorate & serve.

PAELLA. Spanish style rice with seafood. Serves 4 to 5. By: Arthur Mitchell

After spending a week in West Australia and while visiting good friends in Mandurah, one of my favorite haunts from younger days, I was amazed at the abundance of everything now available here. After walking past a number of fish shops offering edible treasures from the sea, I needed a seafood fix. On convincing my friends to allow me to take over their kitchen, I volunteered to cook this Paella. My dear friends have discerning tastes and have travelled extensively through Spain, which made my task somewhat more challenging.

After we finished our meal, all that remained were a a few shells. My friends comments were "This is the best Paella we've ever eaten" Thank you Keith & Linda for the fun times and for the opportunity to share some good tucker.

INGREDIENTS:

1: 4 chicken drumsticks.
2: 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
3: 2 Tbsp white wine.
4: 6 threads saffron.
5: 1/4 tsp black pepper.
6: 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
7: 1/4 tsp salt.
8: 2 sausage links. Smoked chorizo sliced 1/4" (6mm) thick.
9: 2 Tbsp olive oil.
10: 1 red onion chopped into 1/2" (12mm) squares.
11: 5 cloves garlic chopped.
12: 2 cup arborio rice
13: Saffron threads packed into 1/4 tspn.
14: 1 1/2 cup chopped can tomato.
15: 3 cup chicken stock.
16: 2 cups chopped green & red capsicum(sweet peppers)1/2" squares.
17: 1 cup frozen peas.
18: 1/2 lemon sliced into eight wedges.
19: 8 mussles.
20: 8 shrimp. Head-on prawns if you like that (+ 1 cup squid rings, optional)
21: 1/4 cup melted butter. Optional.

METHOD:

This recipe uses my cook by number process. Line all ingredients on your counter in numerical order.
Place items 1 to 7 in a ziplock bag or suitable container and marinate for an hour.
Place item 8 in an 18" (450mm) Paella or suitable pan and brown on both sides then remove and place aside. Add chicken to the pan and sear in the remaining chorizo fat for eight minutes turning every minute or so, to evenly brown the pieces, remove and place aside. Deglaze the pan with the remaining chicken marinade and some of the measured chicken stock #15 and save. Add 9, 10 & 11 and saute till golden brown. Add 12 & 13 and saute for two minutes. Add 14 & 15 + deglazed stock and bring to a boil then add chicken and chorizo. Lower heat to a simmmer. Add 16 and stir in. When the moisture has been absorbed into the rice add item 17 and stir well to evenly distribute. Cover pan with a lid or foil and continue to cook on low, or in a preheated oven at 275 to 300F for about fifteen minutes or till the rice is to your aldente preference.
Add 18 and stir in. Insert 19, the mussles hinge side down all the way into the rice, cover and place back into the oven for six minutes. Then fully embed 20, the shrimp into the rice and distribute the squid rings on top. Cover and cook for additional two minutes. Remove from oven and pour on melted butter #21 and serve.

You can substitute with other meats like rabbit. And a variety of other sea food choices are equally great. Like; crab, lobster and scollops. Small stuffed squid are also fantastic with this dish.

JAMBALAYA. Rice Cajun style. Serves 10 to 12. By: Arthur Mitchell

JAMBALAYA.
I'm sure there are about 1000 ways to cook this rice dish.
I have cooked this at least a dozen different ways. The recipe varies depending on what I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I use shrimp (Prawns)too, but in this recipe I have left it out.

INGREDIENTS:

1: 1/4 cup oil or butter.
2: 1 cup chopped cooked sausage disks 1/2" (12mm) thick. Spicy or mild.
3: 1 cup diced ham steak 1/2" (12mm) squares.
4: 1 cup chopped onion 1/2" (12mm) squares.
5: 1 cup chopped green or red pepper. (Capsicum).
6: 1 cup chopped celery 1/2" (12mm)across the grain.
7: 3 cups converted rice Uncle Ben's
8: 1 cup dry white wine.
9: 1 cup chicken stock.
10: 4 cups spicy V-8 juice.
11: 1 Tbsp crushed garlic.
12: 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
13: 1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce.
14: 1 tsp dried thyme leaves.
15: 1 tsp black pepper powder.
16: Salt to taste
17: 1/4 stick butter chopped into 1/4" (6mm) slices.

METHOD:

I'm going to write this recipe using my cook by number routine. Sorry it's the engineering side of me breaking loose. Readers please let me have your comments about this method. It's best to line up all the ingredients on your counter in order of 1 to 17 before you start. From here it gets real easy.

In a 12" diameter x 4" high pan heat item 1 and saute items 2 & 3 on high heat till some of the pieces have nice brown bits. Remove both meats from the pan and then saute 4, 5, & 6. Again, a few caramelized bits would be good here. This operation should take you about five minutes. Add items 7 to 15 and bring to a boil. Taste for salt. Lower heat to a rolling simmer and cover. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When most of the visible water has been absorbed into the rice add back items 2 & 3. Finish the cooking with the lid on the pan on low heat, or in a preheated 275F to 300F oven. Fluff it up once or twice during this finishing process. Five minutes before serving add item 17 and gently fork through to spread and incorporate throughout the dish. Sometimes at this stage I add a cup of diced uncooked shrimp.

If you like more Scoville units to kick up the piquant nature you can spike it with more black pepper, Cayenne pepper, or Tabasco. Also try 1/2tsp of ground Allspice Enjoy!

JEERA RICE. Rice with cumin seeds. Feeds 4 to 6. By: Arthur Mitchell

Cumin seeds. In the raw and even in cooked (boiled) state have a lingering bitter and sometimes slightly pungent after-taste. It is a taste that I don't care much for. However, if the seeds are dry roasted, or sauteed in a little oil till chocolate brown in color, they become little micro bombs of flavor. And that I like. When dry roasted they keep for months in an airtight container like Lock & Lock storage containers, my favorite and only choice for storing just about everything.

When I first tasted Jeera or Cumin rice, I was amazed as to how much flavor impact this little seed had on plain white cooked rice. I'm sure that there are many variations on this twist, but here's mine.

INGREDIENTS:

1: 3 to 4 Tbs Ghee or oil.
2: 1 to 2 tsp Cumin seeds.
3: 2 Cups white rice.
4: 3 Cups water.
5: salt to taste

METHOD:

In a 10" diameter x 3" high pan heat the Ghee or oil. Toss in one seed at a time to test the temperature. As soon as the seed stares to sizzle and give off very fine bubbles/froth the temp is perfect. Add the Cumin seeds and swirl the oil and seeds around. Do this for about one minute. The seeds will be attain a dark chocolate brown color. Immediately strain and spread seeds on a baking sheet to cool. Taste a seed and it should explode with flavor. If it's limp in flavor and tastes like coal, you've gone too far and will need to start over.

Place rice and water in the same pan and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, lower heat to a rolling simmer. When most of the water has been absorbed by the rice. Cover and finish cooking on low, or in a preheated 275F to 300F oven for ten to fifteen minutes.

When you are ready to serve the rice, pour the Ghee or oil and cumin seeds over the rice and toss together to distribute the seeds throughout the rice. Try this recipe with Dal, boiled lentils flavored with popped mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, garlic & ginger & red chilies. Great with boiled egg curry, See photo.

BACON TOMATO RICE. Serves 6 to 8. By: Arthur Mitchell

For the urban Bacon lover. This is Rice that will awaken ancient synapses and put you in touch with your primordial hunting evolution. It is rice cooked with bacon fat, does it get better than that?

Earlier in this blog, I issued a warning to see your cardiologist before attempting this little exercise.

INGREDIENTS:

1: 1 lb. Bacon chopped into 1/2" x 1" (12cm x 25cm) strips.
2: 1 cup onion chopped into 1/2" (12cm) squares.
3: 2 cup white or converted rice.
4: 3 1/2 cup tomato juice. 4 1/4 cups if you use converted rice.
5: 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper corns.
6: Chicken bullion cubes or paste in place of salt to taste.

METHOD:

In a 10" diameter x 3" high pan place bacon and fry till crispy & crunchy. Remove bacon bits from the fat. Add the onion to the fat and saute till some of the squares are golden brown, strain to remove most of the bacon fat but for one or two tablespoons. But if you feel your heart rate going up you should remove all the fat.
Add to the pan the rice, tomato juice, crushed pepper and bullion to taste and bring to a boil. Then lower to rolling simmer till liquid is absorbed by the rice. Add the bacon bits, mix well with a large fork to distribute evenly through the rice. Cover and finish on the stove top on low for about ten to fifteen minutes, or in a preheated 275F to 300F oven till rice is fully cooked.

This is a perfect accompaniment for pan-fried, grilled, baked or broiled fish or shrimp.

SAFFRON RICE with peas, onion & cashew nuts. Serves 4 to 6. By: Arthur Mitchell

This dish is visually appealing, aromatic and flavorful.






My friends react with compliments that far exceed the sweat-equity that went into creating it. It's a perfect accompaniment to any curry, from simple in nature to complex and fiery. It also works well with Tex-Mex/American Chili, or even Italian red meat sauce.
It's simple, give it a try. It should take you less than an hour. If you don't have Basmati rice, use any rice that you've cooked with before and adjust the liquid to rice ratio based on your experience to yield non-sticky results. Or, make it sticky and wet if that is what you like.

INGREDIENTS:

1: 1/4 cup butter or oil.
2: 1 cup chopped onion.
3: 1 cup cashew nuts.
4: 2 cups Basmati rice.
5: 1 pinch saffron. About enough to compress into 1/2 teaspoon.
6: 3 cup liquid (1 1/2 cup coconut milk + 1 1/2 cups stock of choice)
7: Pinch of salt to taste. (Dependent on the stock you use)
8: 1 cup frozen peas thawed.


Heat ingredient 1: butter or oil in a 10" x 3" high pan on high heat. As soon as and butter stops sizzling, or before oil starts to smoke, add item 2: onion and sizzle fry it to a rusty brown. Remove onions from oil. Add item 3: Nuts and toast till you like it. Remove nuts from oil. Add 4: & 5: rice & saffron and fry till rice is lightly toasted. Add 6: & 7: and bring to a boil lower heat to maintain a rolling simmer. Taste for salt and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When the water has dropped below the surface of the rice by absorption, add the fried ingredients 2: & 3: and 8: and stir lightly to incorporate evenly. Place a cover on the pan and lower stove to low. Or place into a preheated oven at 275F to 300F. In about ten to fifteen minutes it should be ready.

If you find that is is too moist or sticky, leave the cover off for a few minutes and lightly fork it to let steam escape. If you think it is a bit dry add some hot stock or water and lightly fork in, cover for a few more minutes then remove from the oven. Lightly fork the rice before serving. That's it.

KHICHDI. Rice cooked with lentils. Serves 4 to 6. By: Arthur Mitchell

Many cultures that consume rice and lentils discovered, perhaps by accident, or intentionally, that the combination of the two ingredients cooked as a one pot meal produced pleasing results. There could be virtually no end to the recipe tree that could be forged by using various types of rice and lentil ratios. And with the myriad of spice choices available you could satisfy all palates with global flavors.

You also end up with various textures depending on how long it takes to cook the lentils to your liking.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Basmati rice. (Or whatever rice you have)
1 cup Yellow split peas. (Or lentil of your choice)
2 tspn's Turmeric
1/2 tspn Clove powder
4 cup chicken stock. (water or stock of your choice)
1 cup chopped onion.
1/4 lb butter (one stick)
Salt to taste.

Melt half the butter in a pan and saute the onion till golden brown. Add turmeric and clove and cook for about a minute, till a pleasing cooking aroma reaches your nose. Add the rice and lentils and toast it a little, or a lot, your choice. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a soft rolling boil. When most of the liquid is absorbed place the cover on the pan and reduce the heat to low on gas and off on electric if your burner holds heat for a long time. The whole process should take about 45 minutes. Just before serving melt the remaining butter and pour over the rice and gently toss to disperse the butter. That's it!

Enjoy by itself, or with your favorite meat or vegetable side dish/curry. It's even great with slices of corn beef, roast beef and a dash of sweet relish or Indian pickle. Try it with Major Grays mango pickle.

This is considered a comfort food by many. I must concur. As a young child growing up in India, my first exposure to solid food would have been variations of Khichdi. Depending on the mood I'm in, I sometimes like my Khichdi extra moist, so I add an extra cup of water or stock.