Back to the food. Chorizo rice.

I'm trying to stop obsessing about my son's feeding so back to the recipes.

I've been obsessed with producing meals quickly or putting together meals which can be put into the oven while I bath and (hopefully) feed my son, either for the right kind of time (an hour or so) or which can be put in with the timer to come on as I sort him out.  Sorry, this recipe isn't it!



I had the idea in my head for ages about a chorizo rice and chicken dish cooked in the oven made with chicken thighs.  I've not managed this yet, the problem I have is that there's no way it would take an hour to cook and sitting in the liquid waiting for the oven to come on is unlikely to do the rice any good.  Also the chicken would probably benefit from browning first meaning the ingredients will have been warmed slightly to then be left at room temperature for a while before cooking...  Nope.  Doesn't seem like a good idea does it?


Anyway, I cobbled together something similar which is kind of like a cheat paella but significantly cheaper to cook (no saffron or seafood) and pretty fast to put together when you've done the bedtime routine but want something a bit flavoursome.  Also by the time you've called out for a takeaway you've probably finished eating this let alone cooking it.

Chorizo Rice (serves 2) cooking time around 30 minutes.  Sorry, this one is just for Mummy and Daddy at least for now due to the salt content of the chorizo.

150g paella rice (most major supermarkets sell this)
100g chopped chorizo (sorry, purists will probably hate me for saying this but to keep costs down you can buy a block of chorizo from the deli counter which is commonly around 80p for 100g and is fine for cooking if you buy it in a block rather than sliced.  Also you can easily dice it up and freeze it.)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 onion, chopped finely
Olive oil (or spray oil if you want to cut back on fat)
1 sprig thyme
A touch (a couple of slices or so) of sliced chilli, optional or alternatively substitute 1/4 of the paprika for hot smoked paprika (I have grown my own chillis in the past; they are easy to grow even outdoors and freeze or dry well)
1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes or fresh if in season
2 tsp smoked paprika (a pricey ingredient but it really makes an impact on the flavour)
1 red, orange or yellow pepper, sliced (you can use previously frozen peppers straight from frozen for this)

Method

Fry the onion until soft but not browned.  Add the chorizo and fry until the smoky paprika oils start to run out.  Add pepper, chilli and garlic and stir, then add the rice, thyme and paprika, stir for a couple of minutes.

Then add the tomatoes and boiling water to cover to around 1cm above the level of the rice.  Simmer for around 20 mins until the rice is cooked.  Add more water if you think it needs it, although Valencians think the bits stuck to the bottom in their rice dishes are the best bit.  Season and serve.  Okay, I added some parsley for the photo.  It just looked a bit too red otherwise...

Anyway, it's tasty and good reward after a full day with a baby.  I still think there is mileage in my baked chicken, rice and chorizo dish but more tinkering is needed.


The best thing about this recipe though is I ate it this evening (admittedly I overdid the chilli slightly) after giving my son a full feed with no fussing.  Shh, say it quietly...  I think things are on the mend....