Category Archives: Meats
Paella with Chorizo and Chicken
This was a great hit at a get together I had recently at our home. I love making paellas, especially because they fit the ‘one pot meal’ category really well. This particular one is very flavorful with lots of chorizo and smoked paprika. The great thing is I was able to make it in advance and it actually tastes better as it sits.
- 4 to 5 chicken thighs, with bone, skinless
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Sprinkle the salt and smoked paprika all over the chicken thighs and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup dried chorizo, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Spanish saffron
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 2 cups short grain rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 small tomato, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes each. Take out and add the chorizo. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, pepper and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minute. Add the bay, saffron and tomato puree. Saute for a minute. Add the chicken thighs and cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take out and let cool. Add the rice and mix well. Add the chicken broth and check seasonings. Add salt. Bring to a boil and in the meantime, take the chicken meat off the bones and shred. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and mix well. Cook the rice on a simmer for 5 minutes, lower the heat and cover till rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the peas and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes till the peas are warm. Stir in cilantro and parsley and serve warm.
Steak Tacos with Fresh Guacamole
This is a delicious recipe. I cooked the steak in a cast iron pan but I think it will be great on the grill. I marinated the steak in a spice mix. I used ground coriander, salt, and my favorite spice- smoked paprika. I bought a nice piece of steak from Trader Joes- I think it is called tip steak. It is a great piece to cut into small pieces and marinate. I let the steak pieces sit for a few hours in the fridge before cooking. The tacos were delicious with the spiced meat.
I already had salsa in the fridge so all I made was guacamole. Everyone loves guacamole, well.. my daughter doesn’t care for it too much. I always have lots of limes on hand- especially in the warmer months. They are great to make a quick guacamole or a mojito. The whole meal didn’t take very long. I served a green salad with the tacos and some delicious refried beans.. recipe to follow..
- 1 to 1½ pounds tip steak, sliced thin diagonally
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix together and add the spice mix and steak pieces into a ziplock bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 to 6 corn tortillas
Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan with the olive oil. Cook the steak pieces making sure they are not over done.
Heat the corn tortillas and serve with steak, guacamole and salsa.
Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of 2 limes
Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta and Feta
This recipe is a play on the popular warm spinach salad. It is typically made with bacon. You start off by cooking some bacon down; taking the bits out and using the warm fat for salad dressing.
I used pancetta instead of bacon; rendered it and kept it aside. A mixture of dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and apple cider make a delicious dressing. To make it interesting, I added crumbles of salty feta cheese. I am a big fan of this cheese- I love salty cheese, and this one is as salty as they come. It provides an amazing punch of flavor. The good thing is you don’t need a whole lot of it and it is naturally lower in fat than other cheeses.
The salad turned out delicious- it was a great start to the meal, especially since it continued with the yummy meatballs…
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Lamb Chops with Roasted Grapes
This is a great meal to make through the week or on the weekend for company. The good thing about this recipe is that one can do most of the work before hand and finish off in one pan before serving. I browned the chops and made the sauce early in the evening. I finished cooking the chops in the sauce right before we ate. I garnished with cilantro and served the delicious chops with a sweet potato quinoa dish.
- 12 to 14 lamb chops
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Add the cilantro, garlic, smoked paprika and salt to a mortar and pestle and pound till a pulp is formed. Add the olive oil and mix well. Spread the mixture all over the lamb chops and marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- 1 cup red grapes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the grapes onto a lined cookie sheet. Add the oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for 30 to 40 minutes till the grapes are bursting and soft. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the lamb chops on high heat on both sides. Keep aside. Add the orange juice and chicken broth and stir carefully to pick up all the bits off the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce till a thick sauce if formed. Add the mustard and whisk till smooth. Add the lamb chops and cook till desired. Add the roasted grapes and cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve hot.
Chipotle Steak & Mushroom Tacos
The big game is coming up this weekend and I know it is all about wings or chili.. but maybe you should think a bit outside the box?? There is nothing wrong with deliciously made wings but they are a big unhealthy and it is still January (although super bowl is in Feb) and aren’t we all still trying to be good and keep up with our resolutions??
So, I propose these delicious tacos. They are super flavorful and easy to make. If you are entertaining- these are ideal. The filling can be made in advance and the condiments can be set out for people to assemble their own tacos.
- 1 pound skirt steak
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix the salt, smoked paprika and garlic powder together. Sprinkle all over the steak and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more
- 2 cup shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce
- Salt
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the steak on both sides on high heat. Keep aside. Cut into bit sized pieces. Add the mushrooms and add more oil if needed. Saute on medium high heat for a minute. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat, stirring constantly. Deglaze with orange juice and scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the adobo sauce. Mix well. Add the steak pieces and heat through. Serve on top of corn tortillas.