CHORIZO, TOMATO & BEAN STEW

It’s not truly winter without a hearty and filling chorizo dish. My finance goes nuts for chorizo; I put it in any meal and he thinks it’s unbelievably tasty. I don’t like to eat this type of sausage too much, as it is a bit fatty but when I do I enjoy the hell out of it. This chorizo, bean and tomato stew is very simple but tastes like it has been slow cooked for a few hours. If you don’t have 5 bean mix on hand you could use red kidney beans or butter/cannellini beans. Bay leaves are imperative to this recipe and can be purchased for under $2 at any major supermarket.  I used fresh rosemary, being in possession of a very fragrant bunch due to a wedding I attended on the weekend, but dried rosemary would work just fine as well.  If you like spice, add smoked paprika or chilli powder when adding in all the remaining ingredients. I enjoyed eating this on its own, but you can add it to a bed of rice, toasted bread or mashed potato. 

INGREDIENTS

• 250g chorizo, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin 5 bean mix, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary 
• 1 cup beef stock 

COOKING 

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add chorizo slices (do not add any oil as the chorizo will release oil) until slightly darker in colour. Add red onion to the pan and cook, stirring often for 2 minutes or until onion has softened. 

2. Add the garlic, beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and beef stock to the pan, cover and bring to the boil. When boiled reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in a pinch of sea salt & pepper and serve warm, sprinkled with fresh parsley or chives if you have them on hand. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 8-10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

POROTOS CON RIENDAS (BEANS with PASTA)

The third and final (for now) installment in the great Chorizo trilogy. Its been a lot of fun guys and three lovely, hearty, slightly fatty meals were made and enjoyed by all. But its now time to cease buying those Spanish sausage links (once again, for now) and eat some healthy meats / meals. But first, a story.

My dad, Santiago, was born in Chile many moons ago. So many moons ago in fact that he does not know his actual birthday. He claims that he has never had a birth certificate and was told by this mother that his birthday is most likely July 16 1954. Since this confirmation we have celebrated July 16^th as the birth of my family, Jim, James or traditionally named Santiago, after the city he was born in. My dad has retained some of his Chilean roots, these being a love for spicy foods, fluent in the language of Spanish and dark olive skin. What he hasn’t held onto is the Chilean cuisine. I doubt he could name one authentic Chilean dish if I asked him. As I reading the Feast July edition, the very last page featured a Chilean born man who revealed his mother’s recipe for Porotos Con Riendas or Beans with Pasta. Apparently this dish is a very famous Chilean bean soup. I have altered it somewhat, such as using sweet potato instead of pumpkin and turning it into a pasta dish not a soup, however it turned out beautifully  and my father and brother inhaled it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 2 chorizo sausages (around 340g), finely sliced
• 500g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 3cm pieces 
• 800g canned red kidney beans, drained
• 500g gluten-free pasta 
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add coconut oil, swirling to coat pan. Add onion, garlic and chorizo to the pan and stir frequently, for around 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the sweet potato pieces and vegetable stock to just cover the potato. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, covered. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the sweet potato is just tender. 

2. Meanwhile, bring another large saucepan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt in it. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is tender or just al dente (so the pasta is firm but not hard). Drain well with cold water. 

3. When sweet potato is tender, add the red kidney beans to the saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are cooked through and stock is absorbed. 

4. Place cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and add sweet potato, chorizo & bean mixture. Mix well to combine all ingredients. 

Serve warm. 

Serves / 6 - 8

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x E

TURMERIC RISOTTO WITH CHICKEN & CHORIZO

Part 2 of the chorizo trilogy! Like I said a few days ago folks, not the healthiest meat to cook with and definitely best saved for a special occasion. Unfortunately for me, I have had a few special occasions recently and have been incited to cook with this spicy, smoky meat. This dish I made last Sunday, feeling a little sorry for myself after one too many champagnes at a ball on Saturday night. I love doing the old trick of adding ground turmeric to a risotto or curry to make the ingredients yellow in colour. Cookbooks will tell you to add saffron threads, but unless you have high figures in the bank, saffron is too expensive for the average Joe (aka me!). Also, ground turmeric works just as well. Thanks Mumma for that tip! To make this dish healthier, lose the chorizo and replace it with an extra 100-200g of chicken breast fillets.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 chorizo, around 120g, finely sliced
• 250g chicken breast fillet, cut into even 4cm pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, diced 
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary / 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 eschallot, finely chopped
• a pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 cups doongara rice 
• coconut oil
• a handful of baby spinach leaves, washed

COOKING 

1. Heat a large, deep saucepan over medium heat, adding 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Add eschallot, garlic and turmeric, stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces to the pan and cook, stirring constantly or until chicken is white in colour and cooked through. Add chorizo and rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, diced tomatoes and dried herbs. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. 

2. After 15 minutes the rice should be tender and the liquid should be absorbed. If not, simmer for a few extra minutes. Then add spinach leaves and mix through the rice. Cover again for 5 minutes or until leaves are wilted. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 -6 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 - 35 minutes 

x E

POTATO, KALE & CHORIZO SOUP (CALDO VERDE)

Chorizo. Not the healthiest meat at the butcher, that is for sure. However, in moderation, I see no problem with eating it. For some unknown reason, I have been strangely attracted to chorizo ever since I read the romantic Spanish novel ‘Like Water for Chocolate’. I don’t know how the author does it, but she makes chorizo sausage sound incredibly amorous and romantic. I do eat chorizo occasionally, but I go to lengths to remove as much oil and fat from it as possible. Firstly, always dry-fry chorizo (do not use oil). There is NO need to cook it with artificial oil, due to the plentiful amount of oil in it. Secondly, try to blot the chorizo well with paper towel after cooking to remove the excess oil. Thirdly, don’t eat it too often...let it be a treat for you. This recipe is part one in a three-part Chorizo recipe special! Stay tuned. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 piece of chorizo (around 120g), finely sliced 
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 - 1.2 kg regular potatoes (such as sebago), washed, peeled & roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of kale (cavolo nero), washed and roughly shredded 
• 1 litre vegetable stock 
• 1 litre water 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large, deep saucepan over medium heat and dry-fry chorizo (using no oil) for 2 minutes or until colour has changed to golden red. Remove from heat and place on paper towels to remove excess oil. Blot the chorizo well to remove as much oil as possible. 

2. Heat coconut oil in the same pan over medium heat and all garlic and onion, stirring for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Increase the heat to high and add the potatoes, coating and stirring the potatoes well for 2 minutes. Add 1 litre of vegetable stock and 1 litre of water to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender to touch. 

3. Using a food processor or a blender, process / blend the soup until it purees. Return the pureed soup to the original saucepan and stir in the cooked chorizo, as well as a pinch of cracked black pepper & sea salt. Cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in shredded kale and cover with a lid for until 5 minutes or until kale has wilted. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / approx 40 minutes 

x E