Attack of the Vegans!

The Vegans come from a tiny island off the coast of the Hollow Volcano. It is traditional to offer them suitable food and libation as a welcome when then visit. However, what to cook? I had planned on Lasagne for a weekend meal, so I just took out the meat and replaced it with Aubergine - or, as the Large People from the nearby continent like to refer to it, "Eggplant"......

• 3 aubergines
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• a few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 1 dried red chilli, crumbled
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2x400 g organic tinned plum tomatoes
• 1 splash balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped
• 150 g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 handfuls Parmesan cheese, grated
• 6-8 fresh lasagne sheets
  
  
  Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/gas 6. Steam the whole aubergines over a pan of simmering water for 30 minutes, then scoop out the flesh and cut it up roughly. Slowly fry the aubergine, garlic, thyme and chilli in the olive oil for around 10 minutes.
  
  Add the tins of tomatoes, chopping them up roughly with a wooden spoon, then add the balsamic vinegar and most of the basil leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Throw in a little wine for flavour.
  
  Prepare a bechamel sauce, with plenty of nutmeg and then, starting with a layer of pasta, build alternate layers of sauce, bechamel and cheese, topping off with pasta, bechamel and cheese.
  
  Place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbling and golden. 

Seafood Paella!

Here in the Hollow Volcano, the Quartermaster sometimes has useful items. I recently raided his store (Motto over the door: "Look at what the LORD has done") and, under cover of darkness - avoiding the henchmen - I secured a Paella pan. Very handy. For Paella.

You would think that in the Tropics seafood would be abundant, but it isn't ( or rather it is, but it is expensive and imported from around the other side of the planet - what price Global Warming?) , so as a treat, my Paella is an infrequent guest at the table. It IS , however, extremely popular and usually involves a cheeky Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot "to wash it down" (sluice, more like).

You will note that the following recipe has few measurements - that because it's almost all "hand and eye" ( a bit like the construction method used in the Hollow Volcano) , so if you make too much, anything left over can be heated up and used the next day - but watch out for those shrimp: don't reheat more than once and chill any leftovers quickly.

Arborio Rice (handful per person)

Saffron & Paprika

Chorizo

Pimientos

Peas

Chicken (thighs – bone in and skin on give most flavour)

Seafood (at least uncooked shrimp, but clams, mussels and white fish can be added as well)

Onion

Garlic

Parsley

Stock (about 500ml, more if needed)

White wine

Seasoning

Chop the Chorizo and fry in olive oil, leaching the red oil from the sausage. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove, leaving the oil in the pan

Add chopped onion and sweat on a low heat until transparent, add garlic for a few minutes; be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove and add to meat.

Heat the stock in a separate pan and add saffron and paprika, stirring well

In the pan you used for the chorizo, using a little more oil, add the rice and – on a low heat – stir until it becomes translucent. Once the rice has changed colour (about three minutes), begin to add the stock. This takes a while but eventually the rice will thicken and absorb the stock. Throw in a glass of white wine. Stir until absorbed.

Add pimientos (chopped) and stir in with the meat and the onion. Keep stirring. Add white fish if using. Keep stirring or the mix will stick to the pan.

Add the peas and the shrimp. Keep stirring until the shrimp colour pink. Sprinkle with parsley, enjoy…