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Rice and Pastas
This section is dedicated to presenting easy versions of rice and pasta dishes that at first glance look far more complicated than they really are, or simply far more complicated than they need to be.
Many of the dishes are really, really easy, you just have to know what you can use in order to substitute the "unobtainable" ingredients that many recipes include, and get past the foreign name they are given.
e.g Fideua -which is nothing more than a seafood pasta (see my post of 27/3/2017), or Arroz al horno -which is no more than baked rice.
Paella-The daddy of rice dishes.
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Along-side Tapas, Paella is probably the most emblematic dish in Spain, despite the Spanish refusing to consider it their national dish.
It's a bit like flamenco dancers, the Spanish complain that they are unfairly represented as a nation of flamenco dancers, who conclude all sentences with "OLE!". Yet, when they establish a bar or restaurant outside of Spain, the first thing they do is introduce flamenco as part of their Spanish theme, and tapas and paella as principle elements of their menus.
Unfortunately (like the Chinese before them) they tailor their paellas to what they consider to be the local tastes, hence onions and peas make an appearance, chicken stock gets used, and even wine finds it's way into the process.
Click on the side-bar (14/8/17) to see the full recipe for a traditional Valencian Paella.
Sorry about the rant!
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Risotto
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Italy's version of paella. Less tasty, more complicated, and soggy!
That said, there is no denying that it is delicious, its just not as good as paella, the same way that Chianti is not as good as Rioja.
What did you expect? I live in Spain!
For the full recipe, click on the side-bar 25/8/17.
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Kritharaki
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Given that I am not a fan of Risotto's soggy texture, you can imagine how much I enjoy the Greek, even-soggier version, which uses pasta instead of rice.
Nonetheless, for those of you that enjoy slops, or that like to be reminded of what school dinners were like, all you need to do is click on the side-bar image 6/9/17.
Tagliatelle with bacon and mushrooms.
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Really, really easy, and delicious pasta dish, in less than twenty minutes.
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For the full recipe, click on the side-bar image 19/7/17
Courgette Tagliatelle
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I'm not sure this should really be here. After-all, it's not really pasta, and it certainly isn't rice.
Anyway, here it is, pasta without pasta!
A great way to use an excess of courgettes.
Easy to make, cheap as hell, and fast.
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For the full recipe, click on the sidebar for 7/8/17.
Spaghetti with bacon and mushrooms.
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Delicious spaghetti in less than twenty minutes. Ideal for those in a rush, but even more so for those that love easy to make, tasty economical food.
For full recipe, see my post of 5/4/17
Arroz al horno-
Oven baked mixed-meat paella.
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Traditional Spanish rice dish that is as easy to make, as it is versatile.
Ive used the traditional ingredients, but the best thing about this dish is that you can substitute almost all the ingredients for locally available products, and still achieve a fabulously tasty meal.
It doesn't even need to be a meat dish! You can substitute the meat for fish or seafood. So go ahead, have a go, experiment! There really isn't much you can do wrong!
For full recipe, see my post 3/4/17
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Fried Rice
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This is one of the simplest things that you can cook, yet it serves not only to accompany other things, it can be a meal in itself.
The best thing, is that you can add or take away almost any of the ingredients in order to adapt to your personal tastes.
Just following the basic instructions, (which are boil some long-grain rice until soft yet not fully cooked, rinse and drain well in cold water to stop it from continuing to cook, allow it to chill, and fry it over a medium-high flame), you can experiment to your hearts content.
Have a go! Have fun!
Spaghetti with meatballs
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The secrets of a great spaghetti with meatballs are a great sauce, and tasty meatballs.
A great sauce requires just a few ingredients, and a little time.
The ingredients can change, but there is no substitute for time, so be patient, it's worth the trouble!
This easy, economical, and really tasty version, requires no particular skills, just a desire to eat great food, and a willingness to spend an hour making something that you can make a passable version of in half the time.
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For the full recipe, see my post of 16/5/17 by clicking on the side-bar image.
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Pasta Salad
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Perfect salad to accompany an enormous number of dishes.
This salad will never fail to add texture, flavour, and colour to your plate, be your meals hot or cold.
Give this a go, it really is very easy, tasty and economical.
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For the full recipe, see my post of 26/5/17, by clicking on the side-bar image.
Fideua
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This is probably the best seafood-pasta dish you are ever going to eat.
Really easy to make, in fact, really hard to get wrong, this is a fabulously flavorful dish, typical of the Valencia area.
This should always be served with aioli, which is another thing that is ridiculously easy to make.
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For the full recipe click on the side-bar 27/5/17, where you will also find full instructions for making aioli.
Macaroni in tomato sauce
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Macaroni cheese and Lasagna are two dishes that were immensely popular in the 70's and 80's. So much so, that most people alive during that period, now find them repugnant.
I decided to give Macaroni another try, although not with cheese, and I think it was worth the trouble.
Lasagna on the other hand can wait a while yet, I've still not got rid of the memory of those awful tinned and frozen versions that flooded the market.
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For the full recipe, click on the side-bar 4/11/17
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