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Crusty Mediterranean Parcels

February 22, 2011 By Delia

Light, fresh, and full of flavour – this vegetarian dish is great. It’s easy enough to add some meat too – simply brown some Meat off (say cubed Pork), then add it in before placing in the oven for twenty five minutes.

Crusty Mediterranean Parcels

To Serve 8
700g Mixed Vegetables, like Carrots, Leeks, Courgettes, Red Peppers, Aubergines and Sweet Potatoes, cut into 2.5cm Chunks
2tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
225g Onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
1tbsp Tomato Paste
125g Gruyere Cheese, grated
200g Mascarpone Cheese
50ml Single Cream
2tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Chives
50g Toasted Pine Nuts, toasted
450g Puff Pastry
1 Egg

1. Roast the Vegetables by placing them in a small Roasting Tin, then place a tablespoon of Olive Oil and Season well. Cook at 200C for forty or forty five minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
2. Heat the rest of the Olive Oil in a frying pan, add the Onions and Garlic, then fry for five minutes, or until lightly coloured. Add the Tomatoes and Tomato Paste, then simmer for around fifteen to twenty minutes uncovered, until thick and pulpy. Set aside.
3. Mix half of the Gruyere with the Mascarpone, single Cream and Chives. Mix the Vegetables with the Tomato Sauce, half the Pine Nuts and Season to taste.
4. Roll out the Pastry to a two thin rectangles, measuring about thirty centimetres by thirty five centimetres. Beat the Egg with a pinch of Salt. Place half of the Vegetables down the centre of each rectangle, covering an area about ten centimetres wide. Brush the sides with the Egg mixture.
5. Fold the Pastry in to make a seam, and seal well. Top with the remaining Egg glaze, and top with Salt, Pepper and the remaining Gruyere Cheese and Pine Nuts.
6. Place on a baking tray, cook at 220C for twenty five minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove from the pan, and serve in slices.

Photo Courtesy of: goyumcha

Filed Under: Baking, Vegetable Recipes Tagged With: aubergines, carrots, courgettes, leeks, Mediterranean, mixed, parcels, pepper, red, vegetables

Mediterranean Fish Crumble

December 23, 2010 By Delia

A crunchy Crumble topping makes a big difference to a fish pie. The fish can be replaced with others that are more to your liking, but a nice, popular fish is the White Fish that is used here – I’ve had this in the past with Haddock, Salmon or Prawns, and it’s quite nice with a variety of different fish in the same meal.

Mediterranean Fish Crumble

To serve 4
1tbsp Rapeseed Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1 Medium Courgette, Diced
1tbsp Tomato Puree
400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
75g Pitted Black Olives, Roughly Chopped (optional)
1tbsp Capers
200ml Fish Stock
75g Fresh Brown Breadcrumbs
50g Mature Cheddar Cheese, Grated
15g Pine Nuts
25g Butter, Melted
400g White Fish Fillets
Small Handful Fresh Basil, Roughly Chopped

1.       Heat the Oil in a large Saucepan, and add the Onion and Garlic and cook over a medium-low heat for ten minutes. Stir in the Courgette, Tomato Puree, Tomatoes, Olives, Capers and Fish Stock, and bring to the boil, before lowering the heat and simmering for ten minutes until the liquid reduces and the sauce thickens a bit.

2.       Heat the oven to 200C, and make a crumble topping by mixing the Breadcrumbs, Cheese, Pine Nuts and Butter together, before seasoning and setting aside.

3.       Add the Fish and Basil to the sauce and cook for a few minutes until the Fish begins to flake.

4.       Stir gently using a spoon to break the Fish up a bit more, and then pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish, before evenly covering with the crunch topping, and then bake for twenty to twenty five minutes, until piping hot through, and the crumble is golden brown

Photo Courtesy of: Anonymous to You

Filed Under: Baking, Seafood Recipe Tagged With: crumble, crunchy, different, fish, med, Mediterranean, Pie, vegetables

Paella Valenciana

December 12, 2010 By Delia

Paella

Before I began writing this recipe, I decided to look for other Paella recipes to check on different variations. The first link I opened was what they call the “authentic” way of cooking paella. I was surprised that rabbit’s meat was one of the ingredients.  Another thing I learned was the secret to good paella is the type of rice used. Chefs prefer Bomba rice, although the Arborio variety is a good alternative as well. This is because this type of rice absorbs a lot of liquid without getting soggy.

I personally prefer seafood or squid ink paella. Here’s a recipe I hope you will enjoy preparing.

Vamos a comer!

Ingredients for the rice:

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 big head garlic, crushed

4 cups bomba rice

1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Ingredients for the broth:

6 cups water

1 onion, quartered

1 tablespoon rock salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 kilo medium sized crabs

1/4 kilo prawns or shrimps, unpeeled

1/4 kilo squids, remove ink sacs

1/2 kilo mussels or clams

Ingredients for the garnish:

2 green and red bell peppers, pitted and sliced lengthwise

4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 cup white onion, chopped

1/4 cup crushed garlic

250 grams chorizo de bilbao, sliced

1 kilo chicken parts

2/3 cup tomato  paste

1/2 cup crab fat

Prepare the rice by heating the oil. Add garlic and cook until light brown. Mix in the rice and make sure that it is coated in oil. Set aside.

Next, boil water and season with salt and pepper.  Add crabs until cooked or when the shells have changed colour. Remove the crab and set aside the broth.  Once the crab is cool, remove the upper shell, crack the claws and cut the bodies into four parts.

In the same broth, half cook the shrimp and set aside. Do the same for the squid and mussels/clams. Cook until shells open. Drain and set the broth aside.

Heat paella pan; pour olive oil and sauté the garlic. When the garlic starts dancing, add the onions and bell peppers. Cook until soft. Add the chorizo and stir for three minutes. Mix the chicken parts, and cook until light brown. Add tomato paste and crab fat. Stir in rice and then pour the broth. Mix in turmeric and saffron. Wait for it to boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked (soft and the water has been absorbed), top with prawns, crabs, mussels and bell peppers

Bake at 450°F or 225°C for 10 minutes.

Before serving, top with lemon wedges and hard-boiled egg. Serves 12-15.

*If an oven is unavailable, put fire to high after 20 minutes with the crabs, etc. on top. Cover and cook for five minutes more.

Photo Courtesy of: Kate. Check out more pictures of lovely Paella dishes.

Filed Under: Party Food, Recipe, Seafood Recipe Tagged With: chicken, chorizo, Mediterranean, paella, Rice, seafood, spanish food

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