Spanish Tapas "Pollo al Ajillo"

This is an easy tapas dish: chicken sauteed with loads of garlic and then simmered in Sherry. Flavorful and juicy!

900g/2 lb chicken wings (or whole chicken cut into bite size pieces)
salt & pepper
1 head garlic (about 12 cloves)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
120 ml/4 fluid oz/ 1/2 cup dry or medium dry sherry
chopped parsley

Instructions
Cut off the wing tips and discard. Divide each wing into 2 joints. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Lightly smash the garlic cloves to split the skins, but do not peel them.

Heat the oil in deep frying pan. Add the chicken pieces and garlic to the oil and saute them very slowly. When the chicken is browned on all sides, add the bay leaf and Sherry. Continue cooking until the liquid is cooked away and the chicken begins to sizzle again. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.

Yield: Makes about 12 tapas.

Spanish Tapas: "Pollo Con Limon Y Ajillo" Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

Eating tapas (small bites) is my favorite thing about going to Spain. There are endless tapas recipes and this will the first of hopefully many tapas posts to come. This recipe is fast and very easy to make.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper
fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish
lemons wedges, to serve

Instructions:

Slice the chicken meat into strips. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Stir-fry the chicken strips with the shallot, garlic and paprika over high heat for about three minutes until cooked through. Add the lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with lemon wedges, garnished with flat leaf parsley.

Serves: 2

Variation: Use strips of pork fillet with scallions instead of shallots and use the green scallion tops to replace the parsley.

Southwest Soup

I am a lover of soups. One of my favorite things about living in Ireland is that it is almost always perfect weather for soup. It is hard but if I had to pick a favorite soup recipe I think this would be it. It’s an easy crockpot recipe for a soup that is typical in the southwestern part of the United States. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can (15 oz.) whole tomatoes
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce (Old El Paso brand is great!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn
6 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large avocados, diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
sour cream
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Combine chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies and garlic in crockpot. Add water, broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Stir in corn. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into 2 1/2-by- 1/2-inch strips. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve soup in bowls and garnish liberally with diced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, tortilla strips, cilantro and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: Serves 4-6

Variation: From time to time I throw black beans and zucchini in it also.

Spanish Paella

Paella is a Spanish dish cooked in a special paella pan over an open fire. This recipe is the best I can do at home without a paella pan and on the stove top. Even without the special pan and open fire this dish is absolutely delicious and so much fun to eat. Also, authentic paella includes ingredients such as shrimp, mussels, snails, etc. We are not seafood eaters in my house so this a chicken and chorizo style paella which I had in Spain. The best part is the rice that gets stuck to the bottom of the pan while cooking- chewy and crunchy!

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces chorizo sausage, casing removed, cut into pieces
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked Arborio rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
8 slices lemon

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic and pepper; cook and stir for a few minutes. Add chorizo sausage, diced chicken, and rice; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 3 1/2 cups stock, wine, thyme leaves, paprika, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes; stir occasionally. Taste the rice, and check to see if it is cooked. If the rice is uncooked, stir in 1/2 cup more stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional stock if necessary, up to 2 cups additional stock, 5 cups total. Cook until rice is done. Stir in tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Cover with foil, and leave for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the foil, and scatter parsley over the food. Serve in paella pan, garnished with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Yield: About 4 Servings

Thai Yellow Curry Chicken

The first time I ever had Thai curry was when my Thai friend Susie made it for our mission team's Thai fundraiser dinner. Here is her delicious and easy recipe.

1 (4 oz) can Thai Yellow curry paste
1 can coconut milk
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups water
salt
hot cooked rice for six

Instructions:

Heat coconut milk in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the yellow curry paste. Stir until boiling. Add chicken, potatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of water and return to the boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about ten minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve with rice.

Variation: Use duck, shrimp, or vegetables in place of the chicken.

Yield: About 6 servings.