As they say?

No Daring Bakers’ post today! I’m sorry about that! I spent the whole month trying to locate the tubes because I am a perfectionist and I didn’t want to make the shaped cannoli. Because I live in the most isolated major city in the world, I couldn’t get a hold of them. Perth fail.

The other reason I procrastinated from making them is the caloric content of the dessert. I knew they would be something that I wouldn’t be able to stop eating and I’m really trying to lose a bit of weight.

I have been cooking and baking, but I haven’t been taking any photos. I made a banana cream pie last week and a really good chicken pasta last night, but are there photos?! Of course not because I was too concentrated on feeding my face…

November was quite a busy month for me, especially as I was undertaking NaNoWriMo. Now I’m on my summer break I’ll be baking and cooking and throwing up heaps more posts and photos.

So as they say here is something I prepared earlier. I made this Paella in September for my boyfriend’s birthday. It was delicious. It took an age to cook, but the flavour is amazing so it was completely worth it.

I would recommend it for a special occasion if you have a seafood lover in your life like I do.

Paella

from The Essential Seafood Cookbook by Murdoch Books

INGREDIENTS

12 raw medium prawns

12 – 16 black mussels

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 small red onions, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1 small chicken breast fillet, cut into bite sized cubes

100g calamari rings

100g skinless white fish fillet, cut into bite sized cubes

1 rasher bacon, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small red capsicum, finely chopped

1 ripe tomato, peeled and chopped

90g chorizo or pepperoni, thinly sliced

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 cup long-grain rice

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsely

PROCEDURE

Peel the prawns and pull out the dark vein from each prawn back, starting at the head end.
Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards. Discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the bench.
Heat the wine and one red onion in a large pan. Add the mussels, cover and gently shake the pan for 4 – 5 minutes over high heat. After three minutes start removing opened mussels and set aside. At the end of five minutes discard any unopened mussels. Reserve the cooking liquid.
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then cook for five minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the prawns, calamari and fish to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the extra onion, bacon, garlic and capsicum and cook for five minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the tomato, chorizo and cayenne. Season to taste. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid then add the rice and mix well.
Blend the saffron with 1/2 cup of stock then add the remaining stock to the rice and mix well. Bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes without stirring.
Place the peas, chicken, prawns, calamari and fish on top of the rice. Using a wooden spoon push pieces into the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the seafood is cooked. Add the mussels for the last 2 minutes to heat. If the rice is not quitecooked add a little extra stock and cook for a few more minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.