Chickpea and Chorizo Slow Cooker Stew

This is a favourite winter warmer dish of ours that's hearty, wholesome and delicious and very welcome on a cold night. 

You can have as a standalone dish, served over rice or a jacket potato or just with crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices. 

I've used cavelo nero to stir through in the last 10 minutes or cooking but you can use kale, cabbage or spinach if you prefer. 

The below serves x2 adults.

Chickpea and Chorizo Slow Cooker Stew

Here's how:

• 120g chorizo
• 1 white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red chilli
• Some cubed squash or sweet potato (I used frozen squash here)
• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 chicken stock cube made up with 250ml water
• 100g cavelo nero (or your choice of green)
• Black pepper
• Parsley

Finely slice the onion, garlic, pepper and chilli and add to the slow cooker. 

Add the drained chickpeas, squash and chopped tomatoes to the slow cooker. 

Cut the chorizo sausage in half and then cut into semi circle discs and add to the slow cooker. 

Make up the chicken stock and add to the dish with the pinch of saffron threads, cinnamon stick, the cayenne pepper, paprika and some black pepper. 

Give it a stir to combine then place onto the lowest heat setting and cook for up to 4 hours, stirring every hour.

Roughly chop the cavelo nero and set aside until the last 10 minutes of cooking, then add to the slow cooker and mix through and return the lid on for ten minutes until dishing up.

Roughly chop some fresh parsley and scatter over the final dish. Enjoy!

Chorizo and Potato Hash

This is a great, hearty weekend breakfast or brunch idea which is especially good if you're feeling the effects of the night before. You can top with a fried egg (or two if you're greedy) if you're that way inclined but it's great on it's own too.

If you're following Slimming World, this works out to 6 syns per portion which is entirely for the cooking chorizo - but it's totally worth it; everything else is free or speed!

Chorizo and Potato Hash

The below serves 2.

Here's how:

• 100g cooking chorizo
• 2 white potatoes
• 1 white onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 roasted red pepper (you can use an ordinary red pepper)
• 2 tomatoes
• Lots of black pepper
• Eggs (optional)

Begin by boiling the kettle, placing the oven onto 180 degrees and peeling and rinsing the two potatoes. 

Chop the potatoes into small 1cm cubes and place into a saucepan, cover with the just boiled water and a pinch of salt and place on a high heat for ten minutes, then drain. 

In the meantime, place a pan, preferably one which is oven-proof onto the hob on a medium heat. 

Chop the chorizo into small discs then halve them and add to the pan.

Slice the onions, dice the peppers and tomatoes and set aside until the chorizo juices are all around the pan. Now add just the onions and make sure they all get a coating of the juices. 

Add the potatoes to the pan and use a wooden spoon or tongs to move around and again, make sure they get a good coating of the flavoured oil. Cook for five minutes. 

Now add the tomatoes and peppers and again, cook and move around for five minutes or until the vegetables are starting to soften then place into the hot oven. If you're using a different dish, obviously transfer to this and spread out the hash dish so it's pretty even. 

Bake for twenty minutes or until the potatoes are just beginning to char a little. 

If you're having fried eggs, you can cook these while you're removing the dish from the oven and dishing up - they will cook through in just a couple of minutes in a hot pan. Enjoy!

If you're looking for further brunch inspo here are a few of our family favourites:

• Shakshuka - Spicy Tomato and Pepper Baked Eggs
• Salmon & Dill Potato Pancakes
• Smoky Sausage & Bean One Pot
• Tomato & Feta Baked Eggs
• Smoky Chorizo Beans on Toast
• Berry Yoghrut Pancakes
• Creamy Mushrooms on Toast

Slimming World Friendly Chicken & Chorizo Penne

Anything with a chicken and chorizo combo is a winner in my eyes, and this tasty pasta dish is a family favourite. 

It's quick and easy to prepare and what's more, for those on Slimming World like myself, it's only 3 syns for the meal which is due to the chorizo. 

I served this with a big mozzarella salad (Healthy Extra A choice) on Sunday so lots of salad goodness for speed, and it went down well with the whole family. 

I've made this before for the family before joining Slimming World and used cream, which is also lovely but using a tomato base makes this super low on syns for a really delicious and moreish meal.

The below serves 4 with enough leftover for 1-2 lunchbox portions for the next day.

Slimming World Friendly Chicken & Chorizo Penne

Slimming World Friendly Chicken and Chorizo Penne

Here's how:

• 130g cooking chorizo
• 3 chicken thighs
• 1 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 6-7 large, ripe tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt & black pepper
• 500g pack penne
• Handful fresh parsley 

Place a large, non-stick pan on a medium heat and fill and boil the kettle.

Slice the chorizo into thin coin-shaped pieces and add to the pan; no need for any oil. 

While that cooks, finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes and set aside in a bowl for now. 

Roughly chop the parsley and also set aside for the end.

Now chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and then season well with salt and black pepper. Add to the pan to cook. 

At this point place the penne on to cook with the water boiled from the kettle and a pinch of salt. Cook according to pack instructions - approximately 10 minutes for dried. 

Once the chicken is seared all over, add the tomatoes and turn up the heat a little. Add the tomato puree, the oregano and again add a touch of salt and pepper. Now allow to cook down a little.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove from the heat and spoon in a spoonful of the pasta cooking water. 

If the chicken is cooked through (it should only take minutes if it has been cut into bite sized pieces but check by cutting into one of the biggest pieces and ensuring it isn't pink inside) then now add the pasta; I use a slotted spoon to pop the penne in as a little more pasta water will help to loosen the sauce, which will just coat everything and won't be swimming in a thick sauce. Once all of the pasta is in the pan, use a wooden spoon or spatula to move everything around and ensure it gets a good coating of the flavours and sauce.

Now spoon into a big serving bowl or onto individual plates if you prefer and add the chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Paella Mixta

Like most during these strange, lockdown times, we make a bigger thing of mealtimes, and especially at the weekends, which for me begin on a Thursday. 

Usually I'd love a wider variety of seafood in a Spanish paella, and some pork belly strips (the fatty meat really helps the flavour) but this is my lockdown version, which includes just 2 chicken thighs, some cooking chorizo and a pack of frozen prawns. I like thighs as they are super juicy and flavourful, but of course use chicken breast if that's what you have or prefer. 

If you don't have a paella pan, use a non-stick frying pan. 

I served with a quickly thrown together aioli - mayonnaise a crushed garlic clove, and a sprinkling of paprika.

The below serves four. 

Paella

Here's how:

• 350g paela rice (or use Arborio/Risotto rice)
• 1 large white onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 130g cooking chorizo
• 2 skinless chicken thighs
• 220g (ish) frozen prawns
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 2g saffron
• Chicken stock (I make up about 2 pints) 
• 3 tbsp frozen peas
• 1 lemon
• Handful fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly pour the olive oil into the paella or frying pan and place on a low heat to warm.

Now peel and finely dice the onion and add to the pan. Mince the garlic clove and add this to the pan. 

Finely chop the red and yellow pepper and add to the pan. 

Make up the chicken stock while the vegetables are softening. Also roughly chop the parsley, and quarter the lemon and set aside until serving. 

Now if you can cut the cooking chorizo into small discs, about the size of a £1 coin and add to the pan to fry with the vegetables. They will exude their own oils and so much flavour into the pan.

Next cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan to fry off too.

Now add the rice to the pan, and mix well, so it gets a little fry and is well coated in the now flavour-packed juices and oil from the pan. Season with salt and pepper at this point. Use a wooden spoon to move around and once all of the rice looks wet with the oils, pour over some of the chicken stock, so it completely covers the dish and turn the heat up to medium.

Use a little boiled water or stock in a small cup, and put the 2g of saffron in to stew, (this is about half of one of the pots you can buy in the supermarket). Once the water has turned a golden yellow, add it to the paella. 

In a traditional paella, I understand that you are not supposed to stir the dish, but unless you have a really good paella dish, I'm afraid this will leave you with a huge cleaning job post-cooking as it will likely stick to the pan. Mine was bought for less than £20 on a Spanish holiday a few years back, so I always stir. 

Once the rice has almost absorbed all the stock, add some more; about the same amount again to completely cover and continue to stir every few minutes until the stock is almost absorbed. It's impossible to give an exact measurement of stock, as it does vary with each time I cook a paella or indeed a risotto. So  once the second covering of stock has been almost completely absorbed by the rice, taste the rice to gauge how much cooking in the stock it might need. If it still tastes raw and crunchy, then cover again with the same amount of stock again. If it just has a little bite to it, and feels 'almost' cooked, then pour over less stock. 

When you're happy that it is almost cooked, add the frozen prawns, and the frozen peas and stir through. The prawns will turn pink once cooked, and you don't want to over-do these as they will become rubbery. 

Once the stock is almost completely absorbed, and the prawns are cooked, scatter over the chopped parsley, and add the lemon quarters around the dish, add the aoili if you wish, and then bring to the table to serve. Enjoy!

If you like dishes inspired by Spanish cooking then you may like the below too:

• Spanish Prawns with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Peppers
• Patatas Bravas
• Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato and Garlic Sauce
• Chicken, Chorizo, Peppers and Lentil One Pot
• Pork Cheeks with Mushrooms in Rioja
• Chicken and Chorizo One Pot
• Mediterranean Pork Belly Strips
• Vicky's Special Seafood Stew
• Haddock Baked on a Tomato, Chorizo and Bean Stew

Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya

This one-pot rice dish is a family crowd-pleaser and super easy, making it a perfect mid-week meal.

Glen and I love a little more heat than the below produces, but that is the family and child-friendly version. I tend to dish up the children’s portions and then stir through a heaped teaspoon full of chipotle paste into the remaining jambalaya for us adults.

Prawns and chorizo are perfect partners but this also works well with chicken and chorizo too so use whichever you prefer.

The below serves 4-5.

Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya

Here’s how:

• 260g cooking chorizo sausages
• 160g raw peeled prawns
• 1 large white onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (I use X)
• 300g long grain rice (rinsed with cold water)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 375ml chicken stock
• 150g peas (fresh or frozen)
• Handful fresh parsley leaves

Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and chop the red pepper into small pieces and set aside for the moment.

Use a heavy-bottomed pot and place on a low heat. (I use a cast iron skillet with a lid)

Slice the chorizo into thin ‘coins’ and pop into the pan to gently cook. Turn them over to cook on both sides. The chorizo will release it’s contained oils which you’ll cook everything else in.

Next add the onion, garlic and red pepper to the pan and allow to soften just a little.

Now add the Cajun seasoning and stir through.

Next add the rinsed long grain rice and stir through. Cook for a few minutes like this, stirring to ensure a good coating of the now-flavoured chorizo oil. If you find there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a tbsp of olive or vegetable oil at this point to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan during cooking.

Now pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir through with the tomato paste. Cover with the chicken stock, season with salt and black pepper and give it a good stir.

Now pop the lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through (if you haven’t got a lid for the dish, place a baking tray on top to help the cooking process along quickly).

Take the lid off every five minutes or so to stir and ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once satisfied the rice is almost cooked to taste, and most of the stock has been absorbed, add the peas and allow to cook for a further two minutes.

During those final cooking moments, roughly chop the parsley and simply scatter over the finished dish before bringing to the table to serve. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Beans with Chorizo

These beans are an absolutely delicious dish as a stand alone on top of a jacket potato or even toast, but they are a great side dish too and one that I often make if we're having any kind of fried or baked chicken. 

The fact that they are made in the slow cooker with no need for any faff too, makes them an absolute winner in my eyes; ideal for midweek when time is often short and any shortcuts are golden.  The smoky BBQ aroma will fill your home while they're cooking too, it's an inviting smell to welcome you home after work or school believe me.

They are made mostly from store cupboard essentials too and if you want them as a vegetarian option instead, simply omit from including the chorizo.

The below is a generous portion for a side - enough to serve x6 people. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Beans with Chorizo

Here's how:

• x1 tin of red kidney beans
• x1 tin butterbeans
• x1 tin chopped tomatoes
• x1 red onion
• x1 clove of garlic
• x1 tbsp chipotle paste
• x1 tbsp tomato puree
• 70g cooking chorizo
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Water

The only slightly laborious task in preparing these BBQ beans is to finely dice the red onion, mince the garlic and chop up the chorizo into small pieces and add to the slow cooker.

Now add the rest of the above ingredients, and using one of the empty tins, fill that one third of the way with cold water and add to the mix.Give a good stir.

Pop the lid on and then place on the appropriate setting for your slow cooker, I use a Crockpot and use setting 2 for four hours and there is no need to stir during cooking.Enjoy!

Red Lentil and Chorizo Soup

I love a hearty soup and am a huge fan of lentil soups as they are super filling and nutritious too - my Chunky Lentil, Bacon and Kale Soup is one of our family favourites and especially with thick, crusty bread. 

This soup is an ideal January recipe - it's cheap to make using mostly store cupboard items that are undoubtedly already sitting in your cupboards; plus if you're on any kind of new year diet or detox, soups are always on side and this one is around 300 calories, even with tasty fried chorizo in tow. 

Red Lentil and Chorizo Soup

The below serves a family of four as a main course.

Here's how:

• 140g cooking chorizo
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 carrot
• 320g red split lentils
• 2 roasted red peppers (I use the jarred variety from Lidl)
• 1x tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1.5 pints chicken stock (I used homemade but Knorr Chicken Stock Pots are great)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

Firstly place a heavy bottomed pan  on a low heat on the hob.

Chop the cooking chorizo into small pieces and add to the pan. Gently toss every minute or so until some become nicely charred and use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked chorizo and set aside for now.

Now peel and dice the onion, mince the garlic and add to the pan in the chorizo juices.

Peel and dice the carrot and add to the pan.  Allow to gently saute and add the cayenne pepper at this point. 

Now place the red split lentils (I usually give a very quick rinse first) into the pan and allow to be coated in the oils. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with a pinch of salt and the white pepper.

Roughly chop the roasted red pepper and add to the pan and finally cover with the chicken stock.

Allow to cook through for 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through, then remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. 

Blitz in a blender, Nutribullet or use a hand blender and return to the heat to warm through. 

When hot enough dish up and divide the cooked chorizo between portions and scatter on top as a delicious, meaty garnish. 

If you're looking for more soup inspiration this month here are a few of our other favourite family soups,

Asparagus Soup with Crispy Bacon
Restorative Green Soup
Mexican Mushroom Soup
Alphabet and Hidden Vegetable Soup
Mediterranean Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Smoky Chorizo Beans on Toast

Weekend breakfasts are often heavy on bacon and sausages around here, and as we are embarking on the pre-holiday trim of our bodies, I thought I’d concoct my alternative beans on toast for this morning.

Beans on toast is always a winner in this house anyway – and these ones pack a punch and have some extra hidden veggies meaning you’re nearing that five-a-day goal before 10am. Win, win.

I use a little chorizo in these, as they add an extra smokiness and a little meat kick for Glen, who feels he is hard done by if he misses out on a bacon or sausage sandwich at the weekend, but you could equally use a little pancetta or smoked bacon or if you’re looking for a vegetarian or vegan option, you can omit altogether.

Making your own beans is a sure-fire to avoid any nasty additives, I don’t bother with salt here, as tinned kidney beans etc. tend to have salt, but I do add a smidge of honey, as we know that the big brands rely on a big hit of sugar in their products – you can adjust accordingly depending on your preference. The chipotle adds a beautiful smoky barbecue flavour – but again you can experiment with your own flavourings.

I top with a little grated parmesan for me and a couple of poached eggs for Glen – one slice of toast generously topped is a really filling and delicious breakfast. These beans work really well as a jacket potato filling or a side to any American barbecue dish.

The below ‘tops’ 5 slices of toast comfortably – feeding the four of us.

Smoky Chorizo Beans on Toast

Here’s how:

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 75g diced chorizo
• 3 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 green chilli
• 1 red pepper
• 1 carrot
• Jar of passata
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp honey
• 1 tsp chipotle paste (I use Discovery)
• Black pepper

Firstly dice the chorizo, slice the spring onion and garlic and add to a dry pan on a medium heat – the chorizo will exude a little oil – enough to cook everything in.

Now slice the green chill and chop the red pepper into small cubes and add to the pan, allow to cook for five minutes or so.

In the meantime, peel and grate the carrot and open and drain the cans of beans.

Now add the cannellini and kidney beans to the pan, and give a good mix in the chorizo mixture.

Now add the passata, Worcestershire sauce, honey, chipotle paste and carrot and season generously with black pepper and give a thorough stir.

Cook for twenty-thirty minutes or until the sauce is bubbling away nicely.

Serve on top of buttered toast with the optional addition of a poached egg or a little grated cheese. Enjoy!

Smoky Chorizo Beans on Toast

Here are some alternative family breakfast recipe ideas:
Creamy Chocolate and Nut Porridge
Mushrooms on Toast
Berry Yoghurt Pancakes
Banana and Oat Breakfast Muffins
Banana and Berry Muffins
Eggy Bread
Yoghurt & Fruit

Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara

This is so simple it barely counts as a recipe, but it's a satisfyingly delicious meal for mid-week, when time is precious and few. It can be on the table in under 12 minutes which is impressive.

With a smoky, warming flavour from the chorizo plus the comforting pasta stodge, it really does tick all the boxes.

As I'm on what feels like a never-ending 'diet' to shift the remaining baby weight, and Glen is  attempting to shift a few pounds  before holiday season, portion sizes reflect this. You may want to increase for larger appetites.

I've omitted from using any additional olive oil, relying on the oil released from the chorizo instead, to shave off a few extra calories, but you may want to add this if you're not watching your weight.

The below makes enough for two:

Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara

Here's how:

• x2 chorizo cooking sausages
• 150g raw prawns
• 1 red chilli
• 1 clove garlic
• 40g Grana Padana cheese
• 1 egg
• 100g dried pasta (I used penne)
• Salt and pepper to season

Firstly fill and boil the kettle and then fill a large pot with the water and place on a low heat with the pasta. Place a frying pan on a low heat too.

Finely slice the garlic and chilli, and cut the chorizo sausages into rounds of about the thickness of a £1 coin, and then half them. Add to the frying pan.

Now into a bowl crack the egg and grate in the cheese and season generously with salt and black pepper. Give a good mix.

Two minutes before the pasta timer goes off, add the prawns to the pan, they will cook in no time at all, and you'll know they're cooked through as they will become pink all over.

Before draining the pasta, scoop out a mugful of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the pasta and add to the chorizo and prawn mix on the heat, mix and then remove from the heat completely.

Now pour over the egg mixture and stir well, the heat from the pasta will cook the egg, as with carbonara, so don't feel tempted to place back on the heat or you'll end up with scrambled egg in your pasta.

Make sure you stir well to ensure all of the pasta gets a good coating and add 1-2 tbsp of the pasta water to loosen up the consistency.

Serve with just a smattering of grated cheese and a final seasoning. Enjoy!

Chicken, Chorizo, Peppers and Lentil One Pot

This is a lovely, warming winter dish that will please all of the family, is economical and aside from a quick fifteen minutes of preparation, will cook nicely in the oven for an hour while you get on with other tasks.

This freezes really well too, so is great for batch cooking, which I'll be turning to a lot more in January in preparation for the arrival of our second little one.

I served with sweet mashed potato here, but it works well with rice, orzo or pasta too.

The below serves 3-4 people.

Chicken, Chorizo, Peppers and Lentil One Pot

Here's how:

• 6-8 chicken thighs or pieces (skin on)
• 1 pack cooking chorizo
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 3 tbsp red split lentils
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 jar passata
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 200ml chicken stock (I use a Knorr Chicken Stock Pot) 
• Black pepper to taste

Firstly place the oven on to pre-heat at around 170-180 degrees. And place a non-stick pan on the hob on a low heat.

Slice the peppers and place into a casserole dish.

Peel and slice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the dish.

Rinse the lentils well in a sieve and place into the casserole dish.

Now slice the chorizo sausages and add to the non-stick pan to sear on both sides. The chorizo will exude a lovely red tinged oil, once seared on both sides remove and add to the casserole dish.

Now cook the chicken thighs, skin-side-down first and completely brown off the skin until it's quite crisp, then turn over to brown the other side for 3-4 minutes.

Add to the casserole dish and add the stock, passata, tomato puree, paprika, cayenne and a good pinch of black pepper. You shouldn't need salt as the stock will have a salty tang, and the chorizo too.

Stir to ensure the chicken is covered and add a little more water if not. Place the lid on and place into the oven for an hour.

Allow to stand for a few minutes when you remove from the oven and serve with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

TIP: If serving to small children or toddlers like Bridget, then shred one piece of chicken on a separate plate as soon as you take out of the oven and allow to stand for five minutes to cool down sufficiently as it will be piping hot.

Iberica, Victoria

Spanish food is one of my absolute favourite ways of eating; lots of small plates.

A couple of weeks back, I spent a few hours in the Victoria area with Bridget waiting for my passport, and in the evening Glen joined us for a lovely meal at Iberica in the Zig Zag Building.

Firstly the staff were incredibly welcoming and accommodating of us with the buggy and our rather mischievous 17-month old toddler which is always a good start. We love to eat out but some of our pre-child favourites restaurants aren't very child-friendly. 

The waiter took us through the menu knowledgably, and when we ordered he told us we were ordering a dish or two more than we needed; not that this deterred us.

We ordered the half and half cured meats and cheese selection. The cheeses included mild and creamy manchego (Bridget's favourite) and Urgell; and a softer, smokier one, of which the name escapes me - all equally delicious. The cured meats included spicy chorizo, a really tasty fuet de vic (slithers of a sausage made from the belly and loin of the pig) and the classic lomo or cured pork loin - all delicious and each bringing something different to this delicious board. Accompaniments included quince and Membrillo jelly and complemented the cheeses perfectly. A great start. 

Half and Half Cured Meats and Cheese and Pan Con Tomate

Another board included the pan con tomate or lightly toasted crusty bread topped with flavourful tomatoes. This was good too, but I make this quite often at home and prefer the tomatoes to have a little more bite rather than this paste-like consistency, discussions with a Spanish colleague informed me that each town in Spain has their own way of doing this so I'm in good company apparently.

The stand out dish for me at Iberica was a plate of grilled prawns with mushrooms, cooked in really fragrant garlic oil and not much else. Stunningly simple. A true example of letting a few great ingredients sing together. I'll be attempting to make this at home. 

Also delicious, was the Chicken Chillindron with rosemary roasted potatoes. The chicken was so soft, tender and juicy it was perfection; and surrounded by a warm and sweet tomato sauce, just stunning. The roasted potatoes were tiny, but delicious morsels too. This was a favourite for the three of us. 

Chicken Chillindron

Another great dish was the Iberico Pork Sliders - mini burgers, so moist and tasty and served in brioche buns with a mustard dressing and a pepper - they were only a couple of mouthfuls each, but very, very good ones. 

Iberico Pork Sliders

Glen's favourite dish was the Venison Meatballs which were in a rich a gravy. I'm not fond of venison but did have a nibble and they had plenty of flavour and weren't dry at all, as is often the case.

Venison Meatballs

We also had patatas bravas - roasted potatoes topped with an unctuous, almost sliky and creamy tomato sauce, some plump Manzanilla olives, and Serrano ham croquettes or croquettas served with a strong and superb aioli, again a great dish. 

Serrano Ham Croquettas

This was a fantastic meal and with a Mahou, several soft drinks and a glass of Olorosso sherry came in with service at under £80 which I thought was reasonable given the various dishes.

We love taking Bridget out to eat with us and think it's really important that we do so she learns great table manners and social skills and I never worry about what she might eat as there is always something. I also think it's super important to encourage children to eat lots of different types of foods. Here at Iberica she absolutely loved the ham croquettas, the manchego, the pan con tomate and the meatballs. I had to cut them in half to remove the stone but she also had a few Manzanilla olives with me. She is a true baby or toddler foodie and long may it continue.

There are tons of Spanish style restaurants around London and here are a few tips for some of my favourite dishes or drinks at some of them.

1. The crab croquettas at Barrafina, Adelaide Street are sensational
2. Jose's original Bermondsey tapas bar has the best pan con tomate I've ever had
3. Pix in Soho offers the most wonderful Sangria
4. The Opera Tavern serves simply stunning Iberico Burgers

Mexican Pepper and Chorizo Stew

This is a delicious, hearty and warming dish for colder nights that takes very little time to prepare and is light on the purse strings too – win, win.

You can make it slightly bulkier with the addition of chickpeas, butter beans or cannellini beans but I love it without.

I serve with some crusty bread, a dollop of homemade guacamole and a side salad but it would work well with rice or a jacket potato too.

It has a lovely smoky, chilli heat from the chipotle and the chorizo and you can dial this up with the addition of a red chilli as I have, or if you prefer something milder just omit this. I cook for about thirty minutes – however the longer you cook the more the flavours will intensify – so adjust according to how much time you have or how hungry you are.

Serves 3-4

Here’s how:

• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red chilli
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• Handful cherry tomatoes
• 75g mushrooms
• 1 pack of cooking chorizo sausages
• 1 tin passata
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp chipotle paste
• Pinch salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Few fresh coriander leaves

Firstly pop the oil into a strong bottomed, non-stick saucepan and place on a low heat.

Next peel and slice the onion, mince the garlic and slice the chilli and add to the pan to flavour the oil.

Slice the peppers and add to the pan once the onion has started to soften. Slice the mushrooms and place to one side.

Chop the chorizo sausages into small chunks and add to the pan to slowly cook. They will exude a gorgeous red oil that’s full of flavour and will continue to coat all of the ingredients in deliciousness.

Once the chorizo has taken on the colour of the oil all over, add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.

Finally place the passata, salt, pepper, chipotle and paprika into the dish and stir through.

Cook for approximately 30 minutes and this will be ready to serve. Once dished up, add the coriander leaves as a final flourish and additional flavour.

Spanish Prawns with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Peppers

This is a really lovely Spanish inspired meal that can be on the table in 20 minutes.

I served it last night with a part-baked ciabatta that I baked and allowed to cool for five minutes before serving, some leftover salad from Sunday with Manchego and a quick garlic mayonaise (just crush a clove of garlic into a couple of tablespoons of mayonaise and a pinch of paprika). This served two of us with some left over, but if served with a couple of plates of other Spanish themed treats, it could easily serve 4. 

1 packet raw prawns
2 cooking chorizo sausages
1 red onion
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley
Good glug of olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Firstly add the olive oil to a pan or wok and place on a low heat.

Chop the onion and chilli and crush the garlic add to the pan to gently cook down and flavour the oil.

Slice the peppers and chop the tomatoes in half and add to the pan. Season generously and use a wooden spoon or spatula to move around to evenly coat.

Chop the parsley and set aside for a moment.

Chop the chorizo into little £1 coin sized discs and add to the pan. The chorizo will exude plenty of flavour and oil and mixed with the existing ingredients this will start to form a sauce. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until the chorizo is cooked through.

Finally add the prawns to the pan and again move around to ensure even cooking. These will cook in a matter of 2-3 minutes, and you can tell as they will turn pink in colour.

As soon as they are cooked remove from the heat and scatter over the parsley.

Plate up onto a sharing plate or platter and then squeeze over the lemon juice and give a final sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste.

Copa de Cava, Blackfriars

After visiting Gizzi Erskine’s organised Spanish Fiesta themed Street Feast with my brother and some friends back in August, my brother’s name got pulled out of a hat by Copa de Cava as the winner of a meal for two at their Blackfriars venue.

Happily Dan asked me to join him, and so we went one cold, wet and dreary Friday evening in September and had a lovely night.

We were welcomed by a team of super friendly staff, one of which absolutely made our evening, so attentive and warm was she in detailing items from the menu and matching us with a Cava that she thought we would both enjoy according to our palates. She was fantastic and this experience really brought home the fact to me, that good staff really can make or break a place. A very good start.

We enjoyed an array of tapas style dishes and continued to be impressed throughout the evening. We started with some Spanish olives in a dressing of Cava vinegar, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest. The olives alone would have been succulent, plump and juicy and full of flavour but this simple marinade truly elevated them.

The second dish was another simple but addictive dish– ‘Pimientos de Padron’ or sautéed green Galician peppers. These were small bite sized peppers coated in coarse sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil after being lightly charred. They were a delight and an intriguing one at that – one bite was never the same as another, some had a much deeper chilli heat than others – all were divine.

We had a board of charcuterie that was superb. It comprised of chorizo, lomo Iberico, Teruel D.O. Jamon and something I had never tried before but instantly fell in love with – fuet. Fuet is a Catalan speciality, cured pork sausage meat in a pork gut (this concept reminded me a little of a faggot). The meat was so soft and tender that it literally melted in the mouth and whilst it was quite salty, the flavours were just amazing. The charcuterie came with a selection of little bready bites – it would be a great plate of food to enjoy with a friend or two over a few drinks if you were only looking for a snack.

Patatas Bravas came in an unusual way – little cyclinders of fluffy potato in a crisp, delicious coating – I’m not sure how they were cooked, they didn’t taste as if they had been fried, so I’ve no idea how they had such a glorious outside, but I would love to find out. The sauce was smoky with paprika, smooth and velvety – my only complaint would be that in the interests of keeping the dish looking dainty, not enough sauce was given – I could have devoured much more of it.

The next two dishes were our final ones and they really had saved the best two till last. We had octopus with an olive oil mash and I just don’t know where to start. I’m a big fan of octopus anyway, but often it can be too chewy and have a rubbery texture from being overcooked, not so at Copa de Cava. I would hazard a guess that this had been slowly braised on a gentle heat, so tender and wonderful was the final result with just a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of paprika over it to complete it. Served on gorgeously soft mash which had a pepperiness from the olive oil and just the right amount of salt to complement the octopus perfectly. An absolute triumph. The photo is unfortunately not giving this dish justice, due to the lighting and my keenness to start eating the dish.

Our final plate was the favourite for both of us – Presa Iberica, shoulder of rare Iberico pig, with pearly barley, Iberico ham and Manchego. The pork was cooked rare and as with the octopus it was soft, tender and melt in the mouth. It was quite a strong flavour, with an almost game-like quality to it. Personally I loved the accompaniment which was basically a risotto of pearl barley instead of rice – or at least that’s how it both appeared and tasted. Creamy pearl barley that still had a slight crunch or bite to it was flavoured with salty Iberico ham and topped with a generous grating of Manchego cheese – fantastic.

We chose a bottle of the Reserva Aria Segura Viudas after a helpful chat with the waitress. We loved its almost smoky yet light and delicate flavour – it was selected as I said how much I love wines flavoured with peach and apricots, and this fitted the bill perfectly. We also had a glass of the Semi Seco Valarnau Demi Sec ‘Barceona’ to start off with, which was also enjoyable, yet a little drier than the bottle we had.

Copa de Cava is pitted as more of a Cava bar than a restaurant, but there are some seriously good dishes on the menu and I would certainly return. It’s a particularly good spot for catching up with friends. The downstairs section or ‘cave’ where we sat was cosy, warm and busy with a great atmosphere – in short a great venue.

If you’re a fan of Spanish food and Cava then this place is just waiting for you.

Applewood Spreadable Challenge: Cheese and Vegetable Pie with Kale and Chorizo

This is my third and final recipe that I have created as part of the Applewood Spreadable #SpreadStirShare challenge in which 20 food bloggers have been tasked with devising some interesting and delicious family recipes using Applewood Spreadable as an ingredient. I have already posted my Cheesy Pea, Leek and Pancetta Gnocchi Bake and the Creamy Pea, Courgette and Mint Risotto, and my final recipe that I enjoyed last night was a Cheese and Vegetable Pie with a side of Kale with Chorizo.

Of the three recipes, this has to be my favourite – but then I do love anything encased in gorgeous pastry, it’s so comforting on a cold, wet winter’s day, and this is a delicious pie filling that I will absolutely be making again.

I used pumpkin, broccoli and leeks in my pie, but you could experiment with whatever you had to hand really. I made a traditional roux – mixing equal parts of butter with plain flour as the basis for this unctuous, decadent cheese sauce, as well as mixing equal parts of the smoky Applewood Spreadable cheese with unsmoked Cheddar.

The kale and chorizo side was to convince the boyfriend that we can sit down to dinner without a big hunk of meat or fillet of fish and with, instead, just a little smidge of meat-stuffs and I’m happy to report he agreed after this lovely meal. This served the two of us comfortably with one portion left over for lunch today – just increase the portion sizes to stretch further!

Here’s how:

1 small pumpkin

1 broccoli head

2 leeks, trimmed

50g plain flour

50g salted butter

65g Applewood Spreadable

65g Cheddar (I used some Cathedral City I had in my fridge)

300ml milk (I used full fat)

Salt & Pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

250g puff pastry (I used Jus Rol)

1 beaten egg

100g kale

100g chorizo cooking sausages

Firstly cut the pumpkin in half carefully, and scoop out all of the seeds. Either retain to toast and enjoy later on or discard. Place on a piece of baking paper on a baking sheet and place in the oven at around 180-200 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime chop off the florets of broccoli and chop up into bite-size pieces. Plunge into some boiling, salted water and cook for 3-4 minutes, to ensure there will be no biting into rock hard vegetables in the pie. Then drain and put to the side.

Once the pumpkin is out of the oven and cool enough to handle, remove the skin and chop into small, bite-sized chunks. Place into an ovenproof dish, and then add the broccoli.

Chop the leeks and then add these, raw to the pie dish with the broccoli and pumpkin.

Next up it’s time to make your cheese sauce. Firstly weigh everything out equally in advance so there is no mad scramble mid-sauce-making as it is a bit of a delicate procedure and needs care and attention! Add the butter to the pan (a tip is to add it in small little knobs so it takes less time to melt and is less likely to burn) – keep on a low heat throughout.

Once the butter is melted, gently add a little of the flour at a time stirring in each time with a wooden spoon or whisk in gently with a balloon whisk. Keep repeating this process until all of the flour has been mixed in.

Now you will add your milk, a little at a time. You may not even need the 300ml, it will depend on how you prefer the consistency of the sauce to be. Once you’ve added about half, add the cheese. I firstly added the grated Cheddar and mixed through until melted through and part of the now-thickening sauce. If you need to, add a little more milk and then add the Applewood Spreadable, again stirring all the while.

Once you are happy with the consistency (it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and velvety smooth with no lumps), continue to cook on a low heat for a further five minutes to ensure the flour is all cooked out.

Remove from the heat, season generously and add a pinch of nutmeg or even cinnamon to add a little warming spice. Taste at this point to ensure it has the right flavour to your taste, if not add more cheese for a cheesier flavour or a little more milk for a milder taste.

Now cover the vegetables with the cheese sauce, using a spoon to ensure each piece of vegetable is nicely coated and place to the side for a moment. If you hadn’t already – get your oven pre-heating at this point at 180-200 degrees.

Now roll your pastry out accordingly so it will fit snugly over the pie. I baked this as a ‘pot pie’ with a just a pastry topping to cut the calories down a little, as it still gives that huge comforting joy of eating a pie, but isn’t quite as naughty. You could of course also top this with mashed potato and a little grated cheese too, but for me puff pastry is king.

Once you’ve covered the pie, egg wash it so it becomes lovely and golden and place into the oven. If you are artistic you could try and make a beautiful puff pastry garnish out of the excess pastry – if you are artistically challenged like myself, you could create something less adventurous:

The pie needs baking for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and ten minutes before the end of baking you can start preparing the side dish. 

Firstly chop 100g chorizo sausages into small cubes and add to a dry pan on a medium heat. Chorizo always exudes its own oils, so none is needed here. Once the chorizo has cooked for a good few minutes and is nicely charred on all sides, add the washed kale to the pan and mix continuously. It is more cabbage-like than spinach in the heat and does retain its pretty shape, a few minutes of cooking and this is ready to serve.

Remove the pie from the oven and dish up. Enjoy!

To keep up with the remaining Applewood Spreadable challenge follow the #SpreadStirShare hash tag and check out the Applewood blog for details on the winner due to be announced at the end of this month: http://applewoodcheese.co.uk/blog.php