Spanish Paella

For a special Sunday dinner, Michael makes a simple Spanish paella, grilled asparagus with parsley pesto, watermelon & basil salad, and raspberry lemon parfaits.

• Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto
• Raspberry Lemon Parfaits
• Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage
• Watermelon and Basil Salad

Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto

• 1 x large bunch of flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1 x bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends removed
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto

1. Puree the parsley, cheese, almonds and oil in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt.
2. Add a splash or two more of oil if needed to help the mixture puree.
3. Store pesto in a small jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
4. Preheat a grill to high. Toss the asparagus spears with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper.
5. Place on the hot grill, turning them as they begin to cook. They're done when they're slightly charred and tender.
6. Place on a serving platter and drizzle with parsley pesto.

Raspberry Lemon Parfaits

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Raspberry Lemon Parfaits

• 2 pints fresh raspberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup 35% whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Zest and juice of 4 lemons

Directions:

Raspberry Lemon Parfaits

1. Divide the raspberries into the bottom of 4 parfait or martini glasses, or small bowls.
2. Pour orange juice, cream, sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest and juice into a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat whisking well. Continue to whisk as it begins to thicken.
4. Pour over the raspberries and cool until firm.

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage

• 2 x chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into large chunks
• 2 x Italian sausages, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 x onions, peeled and chopped
• 10 x whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup of your favourite red or white wine
• 3 x bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 x red pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 x lb. of shrimp, shelled and deveined

Directions:

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage

1. Heat a large flat sauté pan or traditional paella pan. Add a splash of oil and begin to brown the chicken and sausages. Once they have browned set them aside on a plate.
2. Add the onions to the hot pan and a small splash of oil, sauté until golden.
3. Add the garlic and stir for a few moments.
4. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.
5. Add rice, stock, wine, bay leaves, rosemary, red pepper, the reserved meat and the shrimp.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat until the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender, about thirty minutes.

Watermelon and Basil Salad

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Watermelon and Basil Salad

• Half a watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 x large bunch fresh basil, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Watermelon and Basil Salad

1. Toss everything together in a large salad bowl.

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Chinese Night

• Asian Dipping Sauce
• Chicken Dumplings
• Chinese Broccoli
• Fortune Cookies
• Shrimp Toast

Asian Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

Asian Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup of orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp of soya sauce
• Splash of sesame oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Asian Dipping Sauce

1. Whisk everything together. Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

Chicken Dumplings 2

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

Chicken Dumplings

• 1 x boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3 x green onions, chopped
• 1 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, grated
• 1 tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 12 x wonton wrappers

Directions:

Chicken Dumplings

1. Put chicken into the bowl of a food processor. Add green onions, gingerroot, cornstarch, oyster sauce and puree until smooth and well blended. Scrape sides of food processor bowl and puree for a few more seconds.
2. Lay wonton wrappers out on a cutting board. Place 1 tsp of the chicken filling in the centre of each wrapper. Rub a little water around the edges and then fold in half forming a triangle. Press to seal. The dumpling should now be in the shape of a triangle. Bring the two bottom points of the triangle around to meet and seal them using a little more water and a pinch.
3. Heat some water in a stovetop steamer and when it’s boiling, place the dumplings into the basket. Steam for about 5 minutes, until the wonton wrapper becomes slightly translucent and the filling is cooked through. Serve immediately with soy sauce or chicken broth.

Chinese Broccoli

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

Chinese Broccoli

• 3 tbsp of canola oil
• 1 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, sliced thinly
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 heads of broccoli, cut into florets and stems chopped
• 1 tbsp of soya sauce
• dash of sesame oil
• 1/4 cup of homemade dipping sauce
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds

Directions:

Chinese Broccoli

1. Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before starting the cooking process.
2. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add oil, and when it gets hot, add ginger. Stir-fry for 1 minute and then add garlic and continue to stir-fry until it just starts to turn golden, a few seconds longer. Add broccoli and continue to stir for a few minutes.
3. Add soya sauce, sesame oil and a splash of water, cover with a lid and let steam for about 3 minutes, until broccoli is bright green.
4. Stir in dipping sauce, and then add almonds and toss.

Fortune Cookies 2

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

Fortune Cookies

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 3 x egg whites
• 1 cup icing sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• A variety of hand written or typed fortunes that are about one quarter inch by 2 inch.
• 1 x empty egg carton

Directions:

Fortune Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in flour.
3. Let the batter rest for about half hour.
4. Drop a teaspoon of batter onto a lined baking sheet and using the back of a spoon, spread very thinly into a 4-inch circle. Repeat so there are 2 circles on the baking sheet. Bake until it just begins to get golden in colour, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven, and while still hot, place a paper fortune across the centre of the cookie. Fold up the edges so that it forms a semi circle, and almost simultaneously, fold down the sides of the semi-circle to create an upside down u. Place in an empty egg carton and let harden. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Shrimp Toast

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

Shrimp Toast

• 1 cup of shrimp, de-veined and shells removed
• 1 x egg white
• 1 tbsp of grated ginger
• 2 x green onions, chopped
• dash of soya sauce
• 1 tbsp of Chinese black bean and garlic sauce
• 12 pieces of square melba toast (or white bread toasted and crusts removed or any cracker)
• 6 x shrimp, sliced in half

Directions:

Shrimp Toast

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Puree 1 cup of shrimp, egg white, ginger, green onions, soya sauce and black bean sauce in a food processor until smooth.
3. Spread shrimp mixture onto toasts and top with a halved shrimp.
4. Bake for 5 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.

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