Spanish Paella: One pot meal

Paella is another thing I adore, being from Miami, where it’s always been very popular among the Cuban population. It’s so simple and versatile, in that you can use any seafood, any pork or poultry, any sausages. All you need is a paella pan - which I bought years ago and use a lot for many dishes requiring a large pan with a tight fitting lid -  or a large wok.

It’s also a great way to feed a lot of people at a party. Hmmmm. I’m entertaining tomorrow night, and this could really be the answer.

Everybody can have a bit of the what they like.

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Although Paella is traditionally Spanish, you’ll find delicious variations throughout the Basque country, southern France, as well as Central and South America.

This is a very forgiving dish when made like this at home. Even the rank beginner can look like an accomplished chef.

Serve a nice red wine ( Spanish if you can ) or even a Sangria, crusty bread and a crisp, fresh green salad with it. Dessert should be simple, such as fresh fruit.

Fast, easy and fresh: Try some Portugese clams and sausage

I make this - and variations of it - quite often around here. We love the combination of seafood and other meats like pork or chicken. If you can’t get the Portugese sausages, don’t worry. Use what you like. If you don’t have a Cataplana ( and I don’t ) use a wok with a tight fitting lid or a paella pan (which I do have).

If the fresh clams at the market don’t look great, use mussels or shrimp. Same idea. I also toss in some thinly sliced baby red/yellow sweet peppers or some zucchini.

You can vary these dishes any number of ways to take advantage of what is fresh and available.

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I serve it with either some whole grains pasta, or brown rice cooked with some saffron.

Cod with sausage and shellfish. Quick. Easy. Dinner

I’m doing something very similar to this tomorrow night for some friends. Where I’m going to vary it, is to give it a Moroccan twist with the addition of some fresh Merquez lamb sausage and some preserved lemon slices.

I’ll prep the cod steaks and have the bread crumbs at the ready with the oven preheated.

Just before the cod goes into the oven, I’ll start to pan saute the lamb sausage with some sliced sweet onions in some extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic. When that’s beginning to get happy, with a splash of white wine, I’ll put the cod into the oven.

Then I’m going to add the shellfish, the sliced preserved Moroccan lemons and a rich tomato broth made with seafood stock. The chef uses chicken stock which is also good, but I want a really deep oceanside taste going on. Knowing me as I do - and why shouldn’t I? - I’ll probably be tempted to toss in some sort of vegetable like chunks of zucchini and some dark olives to the mix. Probably a anchovy fillet or two as well to deepen the flavor components.

The plating and presentation will be the same.

We’ll have a green salad with fresh oranges and almonds - in my light, homemade viniagarette dressing to start, along with some freshly baked multigrain popovers. Accompanying the main dish will be some escalloped potatoes. The fish dish will be pretty rich, so pairing it with something very simple like the potatoes is key.

To finish, a twelve whole grain Meyer lemon cake with a lemon glaze and Peet’s coffee (of course!).

Tilapia and sausage in tomato sauce

This is super fast and easy, and the fact that it’s also inexpensive and healthy is, well … icing on the cake seems like too easy a cliche for a food blog post.

Natacha, home after a 12 hour shift at the hospital, said: “Ummmm. That’s good!”

Mr. Maven asked for seconds.

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