Yesterday’s F1 race was exciting to watch. My husband has been following the Formula 1 circuit for many years and he never misses one unless it happens that the race is well past his bedtime (time zones). Anyway, I usually make some sort of appetizer for hubby to munch on whilst watching the race. Halloumi is a white cheese made from goat’s and sheep’s milk. It has a distinctive layered texture, similar to mozzarella, and has a salty flavor. This is an easy snack to make.

Serves 4 (as a side)
recipe from Olive magazine

200g halloumi, sliced into 4
4 red bell peppers
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 red chili, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped oregano
4 black or green olives, sliced or chopped

Grill or roast peppers until they soften (enough to be able to wrap the cheese). Remove from heat and cover with saran warp. After the peppers have cooled, remove skin. Open each pepper and trim insides and tops. Place a slice of halloumi in the center. Sprinkle with lemon zest and juice. Divide chili, oregano and olives between the peppers. Tie with damp kitchen string and flatten slightly. Grill on BBQ on both sides for 5 minutes or until the peppers begin to char.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I love all the flavors happening in this little bundle! The lemon softens the saltiness of the cheese while the chili gives the peppers a bit of a bite, but not too much to overpower.

Paella is a family favorite but I don’t always have the time to prepare or the recipe feeds more than 4 people. However, this dish is easy to make plus it’s the right size for my family. There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (green vegetables, meat, snails, beans and seasoning), seafood paella (seafood with no beans and green vegetables) and mixed paella (free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables and sometimes beans).

Serves 4
recipe from Delicious magazine

110g cured chorizo, sliced
1 large Spanish onion, sliced
1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless cut into chunks
300g paella or risotto rice
1 litre of hot chicken stock
1 red bell pepper, sliced
handful green beans, halved
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
handful of chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Heat a large pan over a medium heat and dry-fry the chorizo until it is golden and the oil is released. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes then stir in the paprikas and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook 3-4 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat a knob of butter in the same pan and stir in the rice, then add the hot chicken stock, stir well and cook for 10 minutes. Return chorizo, chicken and onion to the pan with red pepper, green beans and tomatoes. Season and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: This was a delicious meal packed with flavor. Don’t worry if you don’t have a proper paella pan as I just used my wok.