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Converting a Stovetop Recipe to a Crockpot Recipe
Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100 degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees. Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes for use in your slow cooker. Some adjusments to cooking times will be a...
Oil or Butter? They Are Both Fat!
Newsflash: there is a world beyond olive oil.
Look, I like olive oil as much as the next person and I use it extensively in my cooking. However there are alternatives and there are very good reasons for using some of them. But let’s just stay...
Safe Food Handling for the Holidays
Did you know that the turkey you thawed on the kitchen counter,
instead of in the fridge, could now contain bacteria levels high
enough to harm human life, even though you can't see, smell, or
taste it?
There's nothing better than a home...
Salmon Steak with Apple and Horseradish Garnish
Salmon is a fresh water fish that is loaded with omega-3 fatty
acids it is even one of the fish that is recommended on the
popular Makers Diet.
It is a healthy light fish with a pink meat that lends itself
well to smoked flavorings and...
Strawberry Jamming Again!
More practical musings - hints and tips on making strawberry jam
Sunshine for the rest of the year
So I'm preparing strawberries for jam, the third evening this week.It is the most productive week of the year as far as our strawberries are...
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Making Spanish Paella The Easy Way
Paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations
of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. Spain and the
Catalan languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The
traditional paella pan is flat and of large diameter, it can
also have handles on each side.
In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make.
Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the
fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination
will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Spanish
Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people.
Moreover, Spanish Paella is quite flavorful the next day as the
tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.
Here are three basic steps to follow to make wonderful Spanish
Paellas while leaving you the latitude to be creative and to
make the dish their own by customizing it to their taste.
1. Preparing the rice.
Select a type of rice that you are comfortable using. Feel free
to experiment but know that Spanish Paella contains a lot of
ingredients and if you are unhappy with the end result with a
particular type of rice, you might end up with a lot of waste.
Basmati, brown or a mix with wild rice can add great taste and
texture. Follow the instructions on the package with regards to
washing and cooking the rice. Finely chop some onion, garlic and
tomato. Heat a saucepan and add olive oil once the saucepan is
hot (make sure that the oil does not start smoking. Burnt olive
oil is carcinogenic and quite unhealthy). Once the oil is hot,
throw in the uncooked rice. Frying uncooked rice gives it a
nutty taste. Let the rice fry in the saucepan for a minute or
so. Add the chopped onion, garlic and tomato until they soften,
mixing constantly. Spice with saffron, salt and pepper.
Feel
free to experiment. Cumin, Cayenne various fine herbs or even a
bit cinnamon or cloves can easily be added for a flavoring of
your own. This mixture should not be on the stove for more that
three to five minutes. At high heat with constant mixing, none
of the ingredients should stick but they should mix well
together and soften. Once all the ingredients are combined,
remove the saucepan from the burner and mix in some frozen peas.
Add enough peas to make a well balanced mixture.
2. Choosing and making the meat.
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken.
Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts...it's all good. Do not cook
the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the
meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your Spanish
Paella.
3. Combination of it all
Cover the bottom of the Spanish Paella pan with the uncooked
rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add
uncooked shell fish and small fish filets rolled up and fastened
with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure
that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth
on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note
that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the Spanish
Paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit or
until the rice is fully cooked. At this point you can add raw
shrimp or mussles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
In short, the secret to preparing the perfect Spanish Paella is
to make it your own!
About the author:
Learn how to make Spanish Tapas and Paellas the easy way by
visiting my website http://www.spaintapas.com. Each month there
is a new free spanish
tapa and more to review received by newsletter!
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