Heirloom Tomato and Chorizo Paella

It’s officially fall but we still have local tomatoes in the grocery store and they are gorgeous. They definitely won’t be around much longer and since everyone else in the world has moved on to pumpkin spice lattes and has slammed the door on summer, they are on sale! Get ‘em while the gettins’ good.

Tomatoes are often chopped and incorporated with the rice in a paella recipe but these are so pretty arranged on top, and their juices drip down to permeate the rice while the dish finishes. Just don’t let your spouse pick all of the yummy tomatoes off of the top before everyone gets some! It’s a real show stopper but is easy enough to make for a weeknight family meal. The warm spices from the chorizo make this a nice meal for the transition into chillier nights. It’s great. I think I’ll make it again asap.

What you need:

1 lb of fresh Spanish chorizo (about 4 links…remove the casing if they are linked)

3 tbsp of olive oil

1 small yellow onion

1 red bell pepper

4 garlic cloves

About 2 tsp salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dried parsley

Small pinch of saffron (6-8 threads)

2 cups of bomba rice or paella rice

4 cups of chicken broth

2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

First preheat the oven to 425°. Prepare your ingredients by chopping the pepper and onion and slicing the garlic into thin slices. If you bought sausage links vs bulk sausage, the easiest way to remove the casing is by slicing the casing vertically and popping the meat out.

Now place a large oven safe skillet over medium heat on the stove top and add about 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion, pepper, chorizo, and about a tsp of salt. Cook for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat. Add the smoked paprika and garlic and stir to combine. Add another pinch of salt. When the chorizo is fully cooked and the garlic smells fragrant add the rice (should just take a few minutes). Stir to get the rice coated with the oil and spices. After about 2 minutes add the parsley and chicken broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat slightly to bring it back down to a simmer. Add the saffron and stir once to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Simmer for around 10 minutes. Slice the tomatoes while the dish is simmering. At this point at least half of the broth should be absorbed. Turn off the heat and arrange the tomatoes on the top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle some salt on top of all the tomatoes and place it in the oven for about 15 more minutes. This will allow the tomatoes to bake nicely on top while also finishing the rice and hopefully getting a nice crust on the bottom of the dish. When all of the broth has been absorbed and the tomatoes are gently browned you can remove the dish. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before enjoying.

Mashed Parsnips with Leeks

It’s been raining for weeks and I’m beginning to think someone cast a spell on us and we now live in Northern Scotland. Sooo ready for the sun to come out. In the meantime, we are all about comfort food. Always searching for variety, I was really intrigued by a recipe in the Lost Kitchen cookbook for puréed parsnips. What a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes (not dissing potatoes, but parsnips are loaded with folate, potassium, and vitamin C). The recipe is simple and calls only for parsnips, salt, butter, and cream.

I am a firm believer in adding onions for flavor but chose leeks here because they are milder and I didn’t want to overpower the sweet, nutty parsnip flavor. This is still a very simple recipe, but I used chicken broth that reduces while boiling the parsnips and adds a lot of savory flavor. We served these with a fennel and apple slaw and roasted pork, it was a perfectly balanced comforting dinner. I really hope the sun comes out soon!

What you need:

2-3 lbs of parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 leek, washed well and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 quart of chicken broth

4 tbsp salted butter

Begin by washing and chopping the leek (all of the white and tender green parts) and add to a large pot with olive oil. Bring to medium heat and soften the leeks. Stir occasionally for a few minutes. When some of the leek is lightly browned add the parsnips and cover with chicken broth. If the parsnips aren’t completely covered by the broth, add a little extra until they are. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes until most of the broth has been absorbed and reduced and the parsnips are easily mashed with a fork.

When the parsnips are mushy and there is very little broth left in the pot, turn off the heat and add butter. Use a potato masher to smooth out the parsnips. You could also add to a blender or a food processor and puree them if you want them smooth. There is less starch in parsnips than potatoes so you don’t have to worry about them turning gummy. I am a fan of using as few dishes as possible so I go with the rustic look and just use the masher. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

This is a classic chicken salad. A purist, traditional version. It’s really simple because it uses a store bought rotisserie chicken and has no extra frills, but its loaded with flavor. Whole Foods has really delicious rotisserie chickens that they sell cold. I Love Them. They are really good and useful for many things, but particularly chicken salad. Most of the time, they are less expensive than buying uncooked chicken parts. I don’t get it, but all the more reason to buy precooked chicken.

The secret to all of the flavor is using the chicken gelatin that forms in the bottom of the package. If you roast a chicken at home and then immediately refrigerate it, you get the same congealed juices. It’s basically really concentrated chicken stock and incorporates beautifully into a dressing. Using the “chicken jelly” as I like to call it would be the equivalent to adding a bouillon cube to a recipe for flavor. It’s already there, why not use it?

(yes, I’m talking about this stuff) ⤴️

What you need:

1 whole rotisserie chicken, cooled

1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

2 stalks celery with leaves

Handful of dry toasted slivered almonds

Handful of fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Begin by separating the chicken jelly from the chicken. You don’t want any white fat, just the golden brown stock. Take 2-3 spoonfuls of the jelly and put it in a large mixing bowl. Quickly return the jelly to liquid form by either microwaving it for a few seconds or placing the bowl over the burner for a few seconds, it doesn’t take much to liquify it. Stir in mayonnaise and mustard until you have a smooth dressing.

Remove the skin from the chicken and discard it. Carefully pick all of the meat from the bones and roughly chop it up. I like my chicken salad to be finely chopped, it holds together better in sandwiches. Next chop up the celery. Slice it in half lengthwise and then chop it into finer pieces. If the almonds are in big pieces, give them a rough chop too. Finely chop the parsley and any celery leaves you have. Add the chicken and all other ingredients to the mixing bowl with the dressing. Stir well to combine. If its a little dry you can add more mayo (it should be enough unless its a huge chicken). Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! It should keep in the refrigerator for a few days, but I promise it won’t last long.