Moorish Paella

Back when I made my Moroccan Pickled Vegetables, I made a batch of harissa to use in them. I made way more than I needed, especially considering that harissa is spicy stuff. I use only 1 T or so at a time. I've since made a second batch of the pickled vegetables, but the harissa jar still is about half full. While I suspect I'll make a third batch of the vegetables (my neighbors love the pickled vegetables, so I make a batch and pawn at least one jar off on them every time), the harissa still isn't being used fast. So, I looked for some new recipes using harissa.

Really, I love food52.com. I put harissa in their search engine and had several possibilities. I found one that I thought my kids would eat, contained a little vegetables, and had been tested extensively (I find on websites where individual can upload their own recipes, it's best to use recipes that have been tested). I was interested in this Moorish Paella.

It ended up a little spicy. I was nervous. However, the kids ate the chicken without a problem and Isaac ate some of the rice too, which was spicier than the chicken. I will definitely make this dish again. I also was a little apprehensive how much time the recipe would make. Paella conjures up the image of hours spent watching the stove. Not the case. While this isn't a dinner in a hurry recipe, from starting to table it was just over an hour (and it could have been quicker if my chicken had been fully thawed when I started). The last 20 minutes or so are totally unattended, so I got a head start on dishes, making clean up after supper a lot shorter.

I am including a couple of changes I want to make to the recipe next time--like more cauliflower and a little less rice. I also went easy on the spice which is reflected here as well. One important note: start brining the chicken at least an hour (as long as 8 hours) before you plan to start cooking.

This serves 4 - 6 people.

Moorish Paella

adapted from NWB on food52.com

4 -6 chicken pieces---a combination of bone-in thighs and breasts, depending on your family's preference (it should all fit in one pan without touching though)

4 small or 2 large links of cured, (shelf-stable) Spanish chorizo (not Mexican for you Texans with accessibility to such things), sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T olive oil

1 small- medium head of cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized pieces

1 t ground caraway

2 t smoked paprika

1/2 t cumin

1/2 - 1 T harissa (this is what gives the dish most of its heat)

1 1/2 c Arborio rice**

8 oz tomato sauce

2 3/4 c chicken stock (or 2 1/4 c stock plus 1/2 c dry wine)**

Sprinkle chicken generously with coarse kosher/sea salt and place in plastic bag or bowl. Put it in the refrigerator to brine at least 1 hour, or as long as a day.

Brown sausages in a large, deep skillet. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Brown brined chicken over medium high heat in the same skillet, adding a little olive oil to sausage fat if needed, until richly browned. Turn over and brown other side. Remove and set aside. Add onions to pan (and a little olive oil if pan looks dry) and cook for 3 minutes. While onions cook, mix together caraway, paprika, and cumin in a small bowl. Add a dash of salt a spoonful of the paprika mixture to the onion. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes. Add more paprika mixture.

Add 1/2 c chicken stock or wine. Scrape bottom of the pan to get browned bits off and cook a couple of minutes. Add the sausage and harissa and stir well. Add tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes. If you want, add a little more spice mixture (I think I may have added a little here--not much). Add the rice and stir in. Spread rice and onion mixture evenly over bottom of the pan. Lay the chicken on top of the rice. Carefully pour in the remaining 2 1/4 c of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 -30 minutes, until rice is cooked and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat, let set 2 - 4 minutes (about the time it takes to get everyone to the table), and serve.

**Original recipe called for 3 c chicken stock added to 2 c Arborio Rice.

Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins

Mmmm....roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower is another one of those things I discovered I like if it is made just right. Roasting is just right. M disagrees--she likes the cauliflower steamed or lightly boiled. The browned sections of roasted cauliflower equals burnt, so she won't touch it.

We (Curtis and I) enjoyed this. This is a nice switch from the roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower I usually make.

This serves 2 - 4 adults depending on the size of your head of cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins
from Food and Wine magazine

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar (white is preferable, but I used regular and it was just fine)
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T golden raisins
1/4 c Pecorino Romano, Manchego, or Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 T parsley, chopped

Spread the cauliflower on a jelly roll (half sheet pan with sides) pan. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Toss well. Roast in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 40 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to serving bowl. Meanwhile (during the last five minutes or so of the cauliflower's roasting time), heat remaining 1/2 T olive oil in a small skillet. Add the raisins and cook over medium heat about 1 minute, or until hot. Add the raisins to the cauliflower. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Serve hot.

In the CSA box today

Purple cauliflower! It's lovely. It seems a little strange to eat cauliflower so purple, but I am excited about it nonetheless. Equally exciting are the nice, young scallions. Also in our box:

5 tomatoes (I think greenhouse tomatoes. I know they are from a different farm)
1 stalk brussel sprouts
3 grapefruit
3 oranges
1 purple cauliflower
2 bunches scallions
1 cabbage
1 small bunch of kale
3 small turnips
1 large bunch of collards
3 kohlrabi
1 bunch baby bok choy

The menu for the coming week could be a little interesting. We are moving to a new house next Wednesday and at the very least, the cabinets won't quite be finished. That translates to living out of boxes in the kitchen for a few days. I don't have grand aspirations for the coming week. I hope to cook as much as possible between now and Monday, when I intend on packing up our kitchen. The plan is to use the leafy greens first and save the foods that I know will last longer, like root vegetables and cabbage. We also aren't getting a CSA box next week, because I figured this one would last us two weeks. I apologize in advance for spotty blogging. Don't look for much in the line of new blogs though at all next week (unless you want a run down of microwavable grocery store food and take out in the area I moved to). Hopefully by the first of February things will be regular again.

Here's a feeble attempt at a menu:
Thursday: Fettuccine with Greens (and Sausage) with sliced tomatoes and olive oil
Friday: Leftover Chicken Mole with a side of roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts
Saturday:
Sunday: Eggs Foo Yung (with some Baby Bok Choy and scallions thrown in) with sliced tomatoes


Plus:
Cabbage for Reuben sandwiches (easy lunches)
Tuscan roasted kale (for snacks. There isn't really enough kale to cook with so the recipe in this month's Bon Appetit magazine looked perfect for what I had).
Grapefruit for breakfasts
Oranges for snacks (and one reserved possibly for another batch of cinnamon rolls, we'll see how tomorrow goes)
Waffles with frozen strawberries (picked at Sweet Berry Farms last spring) Sunday morning for breakfast
A batch of granola for quick, easy breakfasts or lunches with yogurt

Pasta Cavalfiore

This is another one of my favorite ways to eat cauliflower. The saffron and sun-dried tomatoes provide great flavor. The recipe says it will feed 4 -6. I definitely think it will feed more like 6 - 8 (or a small army). Next time I will only make half the recipe. M ate too much snack this afternoon and wasn't terribly hungry. J ate the cauliflower and later M ate the pasta. Curtis and I both love this dish. It's flavorful and light.

Pasta Cavalfiore
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 t saffron, crumbled
3/4 c boiling water
3 T olive oil
2 c onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t red pepper flakes (optional)
8 c cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 t salt
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 T parsley, chopped
12 oz chunky pasta like penne or orecchiette (I used fusilli because that's what I had)
grated Parmesan to top

Place sun-dried tomatoes and saffron in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large pot or pan. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper. Saute on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the onions are softened and lightly browned. Add the cauliflower and salt and saute for a couple of minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, saffron, and their soaking liquid. Cover and continue to cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is just tender. Remove from heat. Add pine nuts, lemon juice, and parsley. Keep warm until pasta is ready. To serve, mix pasta with cauliflower to distribute ingredients evenly. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts

Even though I've said this a lot, I never really liked brussel sprouts or cauliflower before joining a CSA and being forced to find ways to eat them. This is hands down my favorite recipe for both. The flavor is wonderful. Nothing is soggy, mushy, or overcooked. Curtis enjoys this recipe quite a bit as well. J didn't eat any and M stated she doesn't like cauliflower cooked in the oven. We finally got her to eat a little by rinsing it off in the sink (Curtis told her it was rinsed and he steamed it). Then she liked it just fine. 3 year olds.... We served this as a side for Delilah's Macaroni and Cheese (a half recipe was tons!!) that my brother made for supper.

The recipe recommends marinating this overnight. I wasn't so organized so it didn't marinate at all and was still really tasty. I am sure marinating would only make it better but it's ok if it doesn't happen.

Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts
1 medium cauliflower, cut into 1" florets
2 c brussel sprouts, havled lengthwise
2 T olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 t fresh rosemary
1/2 t pepper

Combine cauliflower and brussel sprouts in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over top. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450. Spread vegetables in a single layer on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with 3/4 t coarse salt. Roast at 450 until vegetables are crisp-tender and beginning to brown at the edges, 15 - 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve hot or at room temperature.