BLACK PAELLA

Today, I had the luxury to stay home and cook for Sabrina. In between work and doing other stuff, I managed to squeeze this in. She loves Black Paella. I normally serve this with fried calamari rings with aioli.

You can also cook this at home. It basically takes less than 30 minutes to cook this. Follow the instructions and I think you'll be able to get it right even on the first try...

Here we go....

Place 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a small paellera.  Saute chopped onion on medium heat until fragrant and translucent. 

Add about 1 Tbsp chopped garlic.  Saute until fragrant. Make sure not to brown the garlic. This will make your paella taste bitter.

Add 1 cup of rice. I used Japanese rice. Saute for about 3-5 minutes.

Add this... black ink paste. You can purchase this in gourmet delis. I used 1 1/2 Tbsp because I like my paella really deep black in colour.

Stir black ink with the rice. Stir well so that the rice will be evenly coated with the black colour.

Here's what it should look like after stirring for a minute or so.

Use chicken or seafood stock for the liquid. The  proportion is 2 1/2 cups of liquid for 1 cup of rice.

Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.  

Cover with a foil. Bring the heat to low and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.

Here's the finished product! After 20 minutes, this is how it will look like. If you want the color to be darker, you may add another 1/2 tbsp of black ink.

You'll know when the paella is ready when the rice is cooked through so don't be afraid to taste it.  Cook it a little longer if you want the bottom part to be a bit toasted. When it's ready, remove the pan from heat and keep it covered until you're ready to serve this.

That's it! It's really easy. Well, I'm about to eat lunch with Sabrina already. We're ready to fry the calamari.  Happy lunch to everyone!!!

ROMANTIC FOOD IDEAS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

It's the time of the year again when everyone is feeling romantic.  I know, I should've posted this last week to give you guys time to prepare for the ingredients but I guess, last minute grocery shopping today is not too late. If there is any time of the year to get corny, mushy, or brave, it's now so go ahead and take this opportunity! :-)

Here' are some food ideas to make your loved ones feel special on the day of hearts.

Treat a loved one to breakfast in bed... Serve this heart shaped french toast with crisp bacon and maple syrup. This is fairly easy to make. You just need a heart shaped cutter to cut the bread.  You may serve this with a side of eggs... I like mine over easy. Then, make some good coffee or tea, or hot chocolate then top with a heart shaped marshmallow or spray whipped cream -heart shape of course. 


Here's the recipe below:

FRENCH TOAST WITH BACON AND MAPLE SYRUP

Recipe By: AAA

Ingredients:

1 piece egg

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1-2 tablespoons

3 pieces slice bread cut into heart shape

1 tablespoon butter

3 strips bacon, cooked 'til crisp

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

1.  Combine eggs, milk and sugar in a dish.  Mix well until combined.

2.  On medium heat, melt about 1-2 tsps. of butter on a non-stick griddle or saute pan.

3.  Dip bread on the egg mixture making sure that all sides are coated but don't soak too long as they will become soggy.

4.  Heat the griddle to medium high heat.  Melt some butter, then add the bread. Cook for about 1 minute per side or until golden in color.

5.  Place bacon strips diagonally on a plate, then top with the french toast. Drizzle with maple syrup. Serve warm.   

 Here are some scones, use the heart shaped cookie cutter as well for this.  You may also serve this for breakfast or for tea time with friends in the afternoon.  Serve with clotted cream and an assortment of jams.  This is best eaten as soon as they're baked, though, you may always reheat them in the toaster oven.

 Ok, for this one, these are almond cookie crisps or wafer thins... I turned them into ice cream sandwiches for some lasting dessert impressions.

 For your main entree, you may make this... Easy Pork Chops with Cranberry Sauce.  This is fairly easy to make.  It cooks in less than 30 minutes. With something as easy as this, there's time to think of other more important things on this special day.  


PORK CHOPS WITH ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE
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Recipe By: AAA

Ingredients:

2 pieces pork chops
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
SAUCE
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon orange marmalade
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce 
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Season pork chops with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat olive oil in a saute pan on high heat.  Sear pork chops 3-5 minutes per side.

3.  Remove from heat and transfer in a plate.

4.  Meanwhile, lower the heat to medium.  On the same saute pan, gradually add the orange juice and marmalade.  Add the  cranberry sauce.  Bring to a slow simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.

5.  Remove sauce from heat and pour over the pork chops before serving.  Serve with mashed potatoes or herbed rice.

To start off the dinner, you may serve this...Cream of Asparagus soup with heart shaped croutons. It's actually the garnish that makes this very presentable and appropriate for this occasion but here's a bit of information...Asparagus as a vegetable is in the aphrodisiac list :-)

 Other ideas that have a hint of red that you can make to eat with the family or give to a loved one is this... Raspberry Almond Meringue Bars and this next one...

Red velvet cupcakes...instead of putting the silver dragees, you may sprinkle these with heart shape candy sprinkles or pipe an XOXO on top of the cupcakes.  Both recipes may be found in the Home Cafe cookbook.


Ok, hope these ideas have been helpful.  Do let me know if you have questions.  Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

PAN SEARED SALMON WITH CAPERS AND LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Here's a recipe I did recently for Women's Health Magazine...something healthy, using five ingredients or less... excluding salt and pepper.

Below were the questions they asked me about this dish...

What makes this dish healthy? Well, first, it's fish...healthier than red meat. Also, salmon is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids which helps fight against heart disease, it also promotes healthy skin and joints. It is also high in protein.

The sauce is a lemon vinaigrette and it is made with extra virgin oil which is rich with monounsaturated fat...it helps lower the rate of heart disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and asthma.

How did I come up with this dish?... I wanted a dish that was easy to make (cooks in less than 10 mins), need only 5 ingredients and it is packed with nutrients.

flavor profile - fresh tasting, light and refreshing

Now, here's the recipe:

PAN SEARED SALMON WITH CAPERS AND LEMON VINAIGRETTE
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Recipe By: AAA

Ingredients:

150 grams salmon fillet
salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon capers, drained, chopped
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 piece lemon, get zest and juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat.

2. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper.

3. Sear fish 3 minutes per side.

4. Once fish is cooked, remove from pan and place on a serving plate. Add a little more oil in the pan if needed then saute the chopped capers for 1 min. or until slightly crisp.

5. Spoon the capers over the fish.

6. To make the lemon vinaigrette: Combine mustard, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl. Gradually pour the olive oil, and mix using a wire whisk. Set aside until ready to use.

7. Serve salmon with some mixed greens on the side and with some lemon vinaigrette.

MARCH MMS CONTENT

Here's what's up for March...starting tomorrow!

Arancini...Risotto balls with mozzarella cheese...really yummy best with a creamy pesto dip or with a simple tomato sauce. Then, beef bolognese on spaghetti noodles. There's also Asparagus and Prosciutto Rolls...perfect for cocktails

Scroll below and see the other photos that will be featured this March...

Crispy Ham and Chesse Balls

Spaghettini with Crab Meat in Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce

Panna Cotta

I'm so excited. March will be filled with a lot of good food! Enjoy!!!

RUM RAISIN LOAF

This is what I'm baking today. I'm actually waiting for it to come out of the oven and I'll be ready for merienda.

I had a batch of raisins that I soaked in rum last month. I did this recipe for my MMS Service a couple of months ago and I'm missing it. I'm pairing it with my English Breakfast tea by Dilmah with some milk and sugar.

Since I've been snacking every single day, I try to eat smaller meals for lunch and dinner. Then I run and go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week just to make sure I get to burn all the sweet stuff I'm taking in.

Anyway, here's the recipe....Enjoy!

RUM RAISIN LOAF

Ingredients:

2 cups raisins
2/3 cup rum
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 pieces eggs
1 tablespoon rum flavored extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Soak raisins in rum for about an hour or overnight is better.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 7x4 inch loaf pans 1 10 inch bundt pan

3. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time, then add the rum extract.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

6. Reduce speed of mixer to low. Gradually add 1/3 of flour mixture to the batter. Alternately add the half of the sour cream. Repeat process ending with flour mixture. Mix batter well.

7. Add the rum soaked raisins ( do not drain). Fold into the batter.

8. Transfer to baking pans. Bake for 30-35 mins for loaves and 55-60 minutes for bundt.

MENU FOR SEPTEMBER ON MMS

Tomorrow, is already September! Whew time really flies too fast. I'm excited for the new menu for September. Here's what we will feature this month...

Hummus, Greek Salad, Moussaka Lemon Oregano Chicken, French Onion Soup, Spinach and Ricotta Canneloni, Fresh Fruit Pavlova and many more.

Scroll down and see how you can download them using your cel phones... Enjoy!