June 2009

More Meals

Easy Entertaining Meal

Lazy Summer Paella

From Jane Rodmell’s Lazy Summer Paella in “Best Summer Weekends Cookbook”
Serves 6

You'll Need

1 ½ lb (750g) large raw shrimp
2–3 chorizos or other spicy sausage
12–24 mussels and/or clams, washed and prepared (optional)
Saffron Rice Pilaf (see below)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon slices
Fresh parsley

Lemon Garlic Baste

2 Tbsp olive oil
Squeeze fresh lemon juice
2–4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp lemon zest

Prep and Cook

Combine ingredients for baste, toss with the shrimp, and set aside in the refrigerator for an hour to marinate.
Put bamboo skewers in cold water to soak.
Prepare the saffron rice pilaf.
Tuck the mussels and clams (if including) into the rice during the last 5 minutes of cooking time, and continue to cook until they open.
Preheat the barbecue and lightly oil the grill rack.
Brush sausage lightly with oil and set on preheated grill.
Turn to brown evenly and cook thoroughly, about 20 minutes.
Thread the shrimp on skewers, and grill over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes a side, being careful not to overcook.
(Shrimp should be pink on the outside, tender and opaque within.)
Season with salt and pepper.
Fluff the rice with a fork, season, and turn out onto a warm platter.
Discard any unopened shellfish.
Add the sausages, cut in pieces, and top with skewers of shrimp.
Serve at once, garnished with parsley and lemon slices.

Saffron Rice Pilaf

Serves 6

You'll Need

3 cups fish or chicken stock
½ tsp saffron threads
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup Spanish onion, finely chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
½ red pepper, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
2 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 ½ cups Spanish or Arborio rice

Prep and Cook

Heat stock in a small saucepan.
Cook saffron in a small dry frying pan over moderate heat for about 30 seconds to bring out the flavour.
Pour ½ cup of the stock from the saucepan into a small bowl, crumble the toasted saffron into the hot liquid, and set aside to steep.
Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan with a well-fitting lid.
Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft, then add garlic, peppers, and tomatoes, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
Add rice and stir over the heat for a few minutes until all the grains are coated with the flavoured oil.
Pour in the hot stock and the saffron-flavoured liquid and stir gently while mixture comes to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and leave to cook for about 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Fluff the rice with a fork, season, and turn out onto a warm platter.

Good to know: This dish is great for entertaining because you can prepare the rice ahead of time. We also sauted the onions and peppers before the guests came so only the assembly was required.

Mixed Greens and Fresh Herb Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 6

You'll Need

2 Tbsp virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon
1 tsp liquid honey
6 cups mixed greens
½ cup seasonal herbs (cilantro, basil, lemon thyme, dill, chives), roughly chopped

Prep and Cook

Make dressing in a small bowl, whisking together the first 5 ingredients in the order in which they appear.
Just before serving, toss mixed greens and herbs with dressing until evenly coated.

Good to know: make extra dressing and refrigerate to have on-hand for the rest of the week. Keep pots of herbs on your deck, window ledge or porch, so you can enjoy fresh herbs with every meal all season long.

Grown-up Lemonade with Fresh Thyme

Serves 12

You'll Need

1 (355ml) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 ½ cups (355ml) vodka
1 ½ cups (355ml) sparkling water
10 sprigs fresh thyme/mint leaves
Lemon, thinly sliced
Ice, for serving

Prep and Cook

In a pitcher, prepare the lemonade concentrate according to package instructions, replacing one can of water with vodka and one can with sparkling water.
Mix well.
Add sprigs of thyme/mint to the pitcher.
Pour grown-up lemonade over ice and serve with slices of lemon.