Tag: pasta

Chicken & Chorizo Orzo

Chicken & Chorizo Orzo

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Chorizo often creeps its way into my comfort food and go to recipe for a couple of reason one is its long shelf life I always have a couple stashed in the fridge and the other is because I simply adore its flavour and the flavour it imparts on any dish it is cooked with. For example, the flavour it can bring to a simple pan-fried chicken breast is phenomenal. Simply chop the chorizo warm it through in a dry pan until it releases those flavoursome orange tinted oils, remove from the pan then fry a butterflied chicken breast seasoned simply with salt & pepper in the oil until cooked through. Top with cheddar cheese and pop under a hot grill to melt the cheese. Yum!  

This brings me to my chicken & chorizo orzo which is the type of bolstering comfort food I love. The orzo gets all sticky and gives the whole dish a velvety texture, the chorizo gives bright bold flavour and the chicken cooks in the steam released from the whole dish and the skin in the final 15 minutes in the oven with the lid off makes the skin really crisp up and bronze. Truely comfort food at its best. It also helps that it is very easy on the washing up. Check out the recipe below. 

Bolognaise meat sauce

pasta bolognese

Bolognaise meat sauce

Pasta Bolognese  

I can be a bit apprehensive about posting recipes for some of the classic recipes, as purist can often be negative of any alteration to the classics. It is something which I don’t understand. There may be many reasons for altering classic recipes ingredient availability, cost, time, or above all and most importantly taste and flavour. I never feel that I have done something wrong when I play with classic recipes, I think that is the essence of cooking itself. Having said that I sometimes may take this concept a little too far and some of the classic dish may not be recognised as a classic dish anymore by the time I’m done. 

I think often that we now a days forget that the core essence of food obviously it is fuel for our bodies, but it brings so much more to our lives than just being a fuel source. Good food enriches our lives with pleasure and joy. Family style meals are the most comforting and enjoyable. I like to strew the table with bowls, plate, canisters of cutlery, lots of bowls and pans of food on the table so that everyone can take what they like and as much as they like. The hustle and bustle around a table as everyone grabs their bowls and pass the food about bring me immense joy. I do find that this always helps conversation if guests aren’t familiar with each other as well. This leads me to my Bolognese ever since I was a child this was a favourite meal in the Diver household. There is no dish that screams family dinner more so to me than a large vat of meat sauce, pasta and fresh parmesan to grate over at the table is a must.  

fusilli lunghi bolognese

My version may not be 100% authentic, but I can reassure you that it tastes delicious. I have added it into my everyday easy category on my website it does take a little longer than most dishes in there, although it doesn’t need much attention whilst it cooks away and besides I think I would be sacked as the cook in our house if it was on the menu at least one night a week.  It is also worth noting that this sauce is great reheated and gains flavour if made a day in advance, plus it also freezes well. I always due to the reasons make a much larger portion that I want usually doubling the recipe below and freezing the leftovers.

I hope you enjoy the recipe.  

healthy chicken, broccoli and spinach pasta

Chicken, Broccoli & Spinach Pasta

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This is the sort of meal I want after a good gym session. Easy & Quick. It is loosely based on a pesto but contains no fat, instead using the starchy water the pasta has cooked in to combine and blitz into a sauce. I do often sprinkle some toasted pine nuts or flaked almonds on top but have found that the combination of whole-wheat fusilli and the caramelization from the stir-fried broccoli add a nutty flavour to the dish.

By the time the pasta has cooked the chicken and broccoli should have cooked through so its only a matter of making the sauce which takes no time at all.