Carrot Rice 'Risotto' with Chorizo

Did you know that you can do more with your spiralizer than just make vegetable spaghetti? You can also make rice - or a vegetable rice anyway!

After spiralizing vegetables into spaghetti-like strands you can give it a quick whizz in the food processor and turn it into little grains like rice. I don't think you could put the raw veg straight into a blender - that is, you couldn't as easily turn a raw carrot into carrot rice without spiralizing it first, and a cooked carrot would just turn it to mush. You could of course grate it rather than spiralize like I did with this cauliflower rice.

I've got the Inspiralized recipe book by Ali Maffucci and also get a lot of recipes from her blog, www.inspiralized.com. I found a recipe for a spicy seafood and chorizo paella using carrot 'rice' and diced bacon (I used chorizo);  It tasted absolutely delicious - I was really impressed, and since it's now Sugar Free September (for some people at least) I thought I'd share my adaptation of this recipe if anyone is looking for meal ideas.

To serve two, you need:
1 tbsp. oil or a few sprays of Fry Light
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
half an onion, diced
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
200g tin chopped tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled and spiralized then processed in  blender to turn them into rice
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cod fillets, chopped into chunky pieces
12 large prawns
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Fry the chorizo, garlic and onion in the oil

Spiralizing the carrot, then pulse in a blender until it turns into 'rice'

Add to the pan with the tinned tomatoes, chilli, paprika, and turmeric, the cod and the prawns

Then add the lemon juice and sprinkle with the parsley. The finished dish:

Easy Spanish Paella

The next Formula 1 Grand Prix is taking place in Spain, and as I'm on holiday I made this Spanish paella in honour of the race a couple of weeks ago. It's really easy and a lot quicker than 'proper' paella as I used microwavable rice. I often don't have the time or patience to cook rice from scratch and am usually only doing it for one or two people anyway, so the microwave pouches are just right. But that's not to say I don't want to add my own twist to it!

I had some leftover red peppers in brine in  jar in the fridge and also some leftover chorizo which were perfect for this recipe. I'd bought a big bag of frozen king prawns from Iceland for - if I recall correctly - £4.99, which seems expensive for Iceland but it's a huge bag that has lasted ages.

I fried some onion and garlic in the base of the pan, added the red pepper and chorizo, then the cooked rice and some vegetable stock - also left over from another recipe in the fridge - and some seasoning plus a spice mix of saffron, paprika, and oregano. Stir it all around, heat through until the prawns are cooked, and serve!

I'm not pretending at all this is the correct recipe for a paella but it is a dish along those lines and I like the fact that it's quick and I can throw in whatever I have in the fridge or store cupboard!

I'm sharing this firstly with the blog challenge I host, Formula 1 Foods; the idea is to cook something inspired by the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.

I'm also sending this to Kitchen Clearout, hosted by Madhouse Family Rules, as it uses up leftover and storecupboard ingredients.

The theme for this month's Spice Trail challenge, hosted by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash, is spice mix - my own blend of spices for this paella fits in with that.

Spanish Paella

 I was given some Spanish chorizo recently by a relative of my boyfriend's who came over from Gibraltar, and decided to use it in an authentic paella. You can adjust the flavourings however you like, but this is what I used, to serve two:

2 chicken drumsticks

2 chicken thighs

150g chorizo, sliced

150g prawns

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp dried red chilli flakes

250g rice

1 pint chicken stock

1 tsp paprika

125ml dry white wine

1/4 tsp saffron strands

oil for frying

To begin, fry the chicken drumsticks and thighs in a large frying pan, or if you have one a paella pan - I brought one back from a Spanish holiday a few years ago.

Add the onion, garlic and red pepper and fry.

Here's the chorizo I was given - for a real Spanish flavour

Add the sliced chorizo to the pan and fry. Add the paprika and chilli flakes to the pan and mix.

Spoon the rice into the pan and fry for a minute to allow it to absorb the flavours. Meanwhile mix the saffron strands with a little of the chicken stock and add to the pan. Keep adding the rest of the stock gradually until it has all been absorbed and the rice is tender.

When the paella is almost cooked, add the prawns and fresh thyme

Serve and enjoy