Eat your greens

We went straight from the simple cazuela to the grand sounding Arroz de Mar y Montana - sea & mountain rice - with chicken, pork, prawns & squid.  You want to make this for 4 or 6.  For 6, season about 300g diced pork and 6 chicken thighs then brown in a cazuela or casserole.  Transfer to a plate.  Take 4 good pork sausages & squeeze them out of their casings and form into  small balls.  Brown them all over then remove.  Add 250g squid cut into smallish pieces & 1 finely chopped onion.  Cook until the onion is soft then add a tin of chopped tomatoes & cook 15 mins.  Return the other meats to the pan along with any juices on the plate and add 1 tsp smoked paprika.  Add 6 cups water & simmer gently 1/2 an hour.  Make a picada which is usually a mix of herbs and nuts - maybe a Spanish pesto.  Perhaps one of you Spanish cooking experts can enlighten us here.  In this case 2 cloves garlic, 10 skinless hazelnuts (roast in the oven a few minutes and the skins will rub off) & 1 tsp flat leaf parsley.  Pound in a mortar & pestle, or blend, with a little of the simmering liquid until you have a smooth paste.  Sprinkle some saffron threads into the cazuela, bring the liquid to a boil & add 2 cups rice, the picada, & a handful of shelled prawns.  If you have ones with the shell on give them a quick turn first back with the sausage balls.  Make sure the rice is evenly distributed then cook uncovered on a medium boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce the heat & cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed & the rice is al punto.
Now that the cold weather is closing in, try a spicy winter stir fry.  For 4, cut 2 carrots into thin batons, 2 parsnips into thin disks, 200g mushrooms finely sliced & 200g finely shredded Brussels sprouts.  Heat some sunflower oil in a wok or pan over a high heat & stir fry 6 finely sliced shallots & 1 hot finely chopped chilli for a few minutes.  Add the carrot & parsnip & cook 2 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms & 2 cloves finely chopped garlic & fry another couple of minutes.  Finally add the sprouts & cook another couple of minutes.  Season & add a pinch of sugar.  Scoop everything out of the wok, reduce the heat.  Add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp rice wine, 1 tsp Chinese five spice, a good squeeze lime juice and 4 nests of cooked drained egg noodles.  Cook a couple of minutes, then return the vegetables to the pan & toss through.  Serve with another good squeeze of lime juice.
One of my other favourite meals of the moment is chard & potato curry.  We have some rainbow chard growing in the garden and Wairarapa Eco Farms is now at the market every week.  Between us we produce a wealth of leafy greens for this dish.  You could use any waxy potato but I have been using Eco Farms Kowiniwini potatoes.  For 4, take about 500g rainbow chard, beetroot leaves, spinach, curly kale - whatever you have to hand.  Separate the leaves from the stalks.  Cut the stalks into 2-3 cm pieces & roughly chop the leaves.  Fry 1 finely sliced onion in a pan with sunflower oil until golden. Pound 3 cloves garlic with 1 finely chopped green chilli & a knob of chopped ginger with a pinch of salt, to a fine paste.  Add to the onion with 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp turmeric & 3 cardamom pods.  Stir through, then add about 350g small waxy potatoes, quartered and the chopped stalks.   Fry a few minutes then add 400ml water, bring to a boil & simmer 12 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Add the leaves & stir until wilted.
In a bowl mix 250g thick yoghurt, 1 1/2 tbsp tomato puree & a little curry liquid.  Stir this back into the curry & warm through gently.  Scatter over toasted mixed chopped nuts - almonds, cashew, pistachios and serve with rice or naan bread.
Try this Tunisian breakfast soup which I actually made for Saturday lunch.  Soften a finely chopped onion then add 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tbsp cumin & a finely chopped red capsicum.  Add a tin of chickpeas, a tin of tomatoes & 750ml chicken stock.  Simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Add 500g roughly chopped greens - the ones you didn't use in the curry.  Stir through 2 tbsp harissa paste. Grill a slice of sourdough bread per person & lay in the bottom of a bowl then pour over a ladleful of the soup.  Top with hard boiled egg, capers & a little more chopped capsicum with a drop of harissa.
I have often thought of making corn bread but never done so.  This week Hugh inspired me to have a go and it was a huge success.  His recipe include pumpkin and chillies both of which were lurking in the fridge looking for something to do.  I added a tin of creamed sweetcorn.  I think I have mentioned before this is a weakness of mine.  We couldn't eat it all so I divided into batches for the freezer & we will reheat for lunches from time to time. 
Finally I ordered some dumplings from Vicky Ha at the market and served them for Sunday dinner with my version of Alan Fong's greens.  I emailed Vicky & she put the dumplings aside for me with the dipping sauces and emailed me instructions on how to cook them.  They were truly wonderful.