Recipe: Cajun Barramuni Pasta

For anyone observing Lent and especially for a yummy fish feast on Good Friday, this is my alternative to the usual fish and chips. It's my own concoction, so feel free to experiment, I'm probably missing some vital ingredient, but I like it anyway. And if you come up with any improvements let me know!

Takes about 20 mins to prepare and cook and serves 4

Ingredients:
500g orchetta pasta (or your fav. pasta)
600ml thickened full cream
60g butter (optional as it makes it richer)
1 large or 2x small barramundi fillets
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch salt
Juice of two lemons
Dash dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

method:
Juice the two lemons and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles.
In a large saute pan, heat the butter till melted. Add cream and heat through, do not boil.
Add lemon juice and dash of wine, stir through continuing to heat until cream thickens slightly. Continually stirring, add pinch salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.
Taste intermittently so you get it lemony and peppery enough for your tastes. It should be quite strong in flavour.
Lay the barraumndi in the pan and splash cream mixture over. On a medium to low heat allow the fish to cook through, turning once to cook through evenly. You'll know it's done when the fish easily flakes apart.
Continue to stir cream so it doesn't get gluggy. You'll know it just right when the cream will coat the spoon. Break up the fish into largish flakes to serve.
Serve with a fancy carrot and parsley garnish for colour, and a small garden side salad and garlic bread.

Yum yum yum!

Recipe: Chicken and Chorizo Paella

I've been cooking up some yummy dishes at home lately, even if I do say so myself. This is an oldie, but a goodie and I pass on the recipe all the time. At least now i can say, just visit my blog and you'll find it there, HA! If you make it, try not to eat all the chorizo while your preparing the rest of the dish, I dare you!

Chicken and Chorizo Paella - Feeds 6

Ingredients...

1L stock
2 chicken breast fillets, diced
2 Spanish chorizo sausages, halved and sliced thickly
1 onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red capsicum, deseeded and diced
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
1 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup frozen baby peas

Method...

1. In a non stick pan, cook chorizo pieces in a hot pan until browned on both sides, remove from pan leaving oil from the sausage in the pan.
2. Brown chicken in chorizo oil, remove from pan and set aside. Leave remaining oil from sausage in the pan.
   
3. Reduce heat and add garlic, onion and capsicum to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes
4. Add paprika and stir well, cook for a few minutes until you can really smell the paprika
5. Add tomatoes and stir through, cook for another 3-4 minutes
6. Add rice and stir to combine, cook for a few minutes until rice turns clear
7. Add half of the chicken stock and stir well. Cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes without stirring
8. Add remaining stock, do not stir
9. Scatter chicken and chorizo pieces evenly over the rice and press down unto the rice. Don't stir through.
10. Scatter peas over rice
11. Cover pan and continue to cook on medium for 7-10 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid is nearly all absorbed
    
12. Remove from heat, cover and stand for 5 minutes before serving.