Chili con Carne a la Nigella

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I noticed this photo in my iPhoto album the other day and realized I had never posted the recipe. I do that sometimes when I have a lot of recipes at once -- someone always gets left behind (luckily it wasn't one of my kids!).  This was a really yummy recipe, however, and  I'm glad I found it because I need to put it on the menu again. It is modified just a smidge from Nigella Express -- she used coriander in hers, as well as cardamom and I don't like either spice really (I can't stand coriander). The recipe called for 1/2 t. coriander, and three cardamom pods, if you want to add it. The quantities should be an approximation for you, because you want it to taste the way you like it -- if you like more or less spice, more or less beans, whatever, make it your way. We ate it dumped over baked potatoes with some lovely white cheddar shredded on top. Use the cheese you like, or sour cream -- whatever tastes good. It was a very quick dish to make, starting an hour or more ahead for the potatoes, but only spending 30 minutes or so on the chili -- mostly just simmer time.

Note: I sliced open the sausages and dumped the chorizo into the pot with the beef, but if you would rather have pieces, slice it up instead -- it should be the raw chorizo, not smoked). I also doubled the amount for my family.

Quick Chili

 serves 2 to 4

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1/3 lb (just over 5 ounces) chorizio sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 t. ground cumin (more or less to taste -- I used more)
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
16 oz. jar good quality tomato & chunky veg sauce for pasta
14 oz. can mixed spicy beans (I used pink chili beans)
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (found this in the Asian food aisle)
1/4 t. red pepper flakes

Cut the chorizo links open and place in a hot, heavy pan and cook over a medium heat until the sausage crisps a little and gives up its orange-red oil. Add ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up to help it brown.

When beef is browned, stir in the spices and then add the pasta sauce, spicy beans and chilli sauce. Also add chilli flakes if desired.

Bring to the boil and then turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheese or sour cream over baked potatoes.

Source: modified from Nigella Express

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Spanish Pan Roast

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This dish was a delightful meal we enjoyed Sunday evening and I can't wait for the next Spanish feast day when I can enjoy it again (not that we have to wait for a feast day). I saw this recipe at Barb's place and when I saw it I realized immediately it would be a dish I would love. It's just the kind of thing I would order at a restaurant, and it was a good as any professional chef could create, if I do say so myself (of course, I only followed directions, so my part was easy). The original recipe came from Cooking Light and I modified it just a bit.

First, I could not find Spanish paprika any where. Our small town is such a culinary dead end, sometimes it drives me nuts. But as it turned out, the dish was plenty smoky from the chorizo, and plenty spicy as well. I substituted a half teaspoon of regular paprika and a pinch of cayenne for the Spanish paprika called for.

And then there was the chorizo -- I could not find smoked chorizo, but I did find fresh and it was delicious. I added the fresh chorizo to the pan at the beginning of the cook time with the potatoes so it would have plenty of time to get done. And as I stretched out some of the other cooking times, it was perfect in the end -- and I really liked the softer texture of the fresh chorizo as opposed to the denser smoked chorizo, so I would seek out the fresh again.

Now, lets talk beers. This recipe calls for a pilsner, which I believe is a bottom-fermented beer first brewed in the Bohemian city of Pilsen. If you know a good Pilsner, go ahead and use it. I had to take a shot in the dark and chose Beck's which is fairly available and a very tasty German beer (somebody has to finish off the bottle you know). I think St. Pauli Girl Lager can be classified as a pilsner and is actually brewed in the same brewery as Beck's, but I think St. Pauli Girl is a lesser quality beer (meaning: I think I recall that fact; not: I have that opinion), so if you can get Beck's, or something else you like, get it.Unless you really hate beer or can not drink it, I would not omit it -- it really lends itself not only to the flavor but to the texture of the veggies -- it's a wet roast instead of dry. If you really can't have beer, go ahead and cook the dish without. It will be a different dish, but I think it would still be excellent.

The recipe below is with all my changes -- you can find the original recipe here for comparison.

Spanish Pan Roast
serves 6

printer version

1 pound red potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound large peeled and cleaned shrimp
5 links fresh Spanish chorizo
1 pound green beans, trimmed
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup pilsner beer
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (see note above for substitution)
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine potatoes, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and sausage links (do not cut them if they are fresh) in a large roasting pan, tossing well to coat potatoes with oil. Arrange
in a single layer in pan. Bake at 400° for 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Stir green beans, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Add beer, paprika, and bell pepper, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 10 minutes. Nestle shrimp into vegetable mixture. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until potatoes and green beans are tender and shrimp are done.


Slice sausages into serving-size pieces. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasoning if necessary, and serve.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Source: modified from Cooking Light via Mom's Fridge

Light and Spicy Fish

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For our Spanish dinner last week -- the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola -- I prepared a fish recipe that my family really enjoys. While not exactly Spanish, it was close enough to carry the theme. This is a recipe for tilapia and it's so easy, you can make it any week night. It's low in fat and loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and is a great fish choice for kids, too, because it's mild and not bony. You can often find it on sale, so fit it in to your menu when you get it for a good price.

In this recipe, you cook the fish in foil packets, which keeps it nice and moist. You could also use parchment with the same results. I have put the packets on the grill on hot summer days, but, of course, you wouldn't want to do that with parchment.

Light and Spicy Fish

8 fillets tilapia or other mild white fish
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 t. garlic
2 cans tomatoes with chilies (hot or mild to taste)
2 limes, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place two large sheets of aluminum foil onto a baking sheet,
and grease about a 12 inch square in the center lightly with baking spray.
Place 4 fillets on each piece of foil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Squeeze lime juice over the top.




Drain about half of tomato juice.
Mix garlic with tomatoes and chilies in a bowl.
Spoon tomatoes and chilies over fillets, dividing among all pieces evenly.


Bring the sides of the foil together, and fold the seam to seal in the fish.


Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes,
or until fish flakes easily with a fork.


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Pan de Horno -- Otherwise known as Spanish Bread

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For St. Ignatius' Feast Day on Thursday, I invited my brother's family and my mom for dinner. I told you I was going to keep it simple this week, and really, I did. This delicious, gorgeous bread was no exception. I don't usually try knew recipes with company over, but family isn't really company, so I went ahead. Besides, I didn't have a bread recipe that qualified as anything close to Spanish, for our Spanish meal.

By appearance and by taste, there is really nothing particularly Spanish about this bread. But the website where I found it made the claim that the recipe came from a real Spanish panadería. All I can say it is was wonderful. It had a crusty exterior, a great soft texture on the inside, and great flavor. It was also super easy. Even if you've never made bread before -- I know you can handle it. I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook to prepare the dough, so that's an option for you. The recipe leaves the shape of the bread open -- bar, loaves or rounds. I like rounds for a change, so that's what I did.

Pan de Horno

1 1/2 T. yeast
3 c. warm water
7 c. all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
2 t. salt
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Mix the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
After the yeast sits, add several cups of flour and the salt.
Stir in the oil.
Add flour until you can no longer stir with a spoon.
Place the dough on a flat surface with some flour sprinkled on it.
Knead the dough until it becomes firm and elastic.
Grease the bowl and place the dough in it.
Turn the dough so it is greased all over.
Cover the bowl and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume.

Remove the dough and knead it again over a floured tabletop,
to remove air pockets and until the dough feels smooth.
Return the dough to a covered bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Cut the dough as desired to form bars, loafs or balls and place on greased pans.
Cut slits in top of bread as desired.
Let bread rise on pans 30 more minutes.

Place in a very hot oven (450 degrees F) for 30 to 50 minutes
(30 minutes was plenty for three balls),
or until the tops of the bars become toasted
and they sound hollow when knocked on the bottom.
Remove the bread from the pans and let cool.

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