Recipe | Paella Inspired Cauliflower Rice with Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus
1 dozen cherry vine ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1 small brown onion, finely diced
1 mild chorizo sausage, sliced
2tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp cumin
1 head of cauliflower 
1/2 cup fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
fresh rocket, washed
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare a baking tray with baking paper. Lay asparagus flat, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan. Place the cherry tomatoes, still on their vine, onto the baking paper as well. Drizzle with olive oil and give everything a good dose of sea salt and cracked pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and becoming golden and the tomato skin starts to split. 

Heat a medium sized fry pan with 2tbsp olive oil. Add onion and cook on a low heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Once onion is beginning to brown add the chorizo. Stir occasionally until the onion begins to caramelise. Add the cayenne pepper and cumin.

Meanwhile, break the cauliflower head into smaller segments. Place about 1/3 of the cauliflower in a food processor at a time and, using the chop button, process until it resembles a grain like texture (see image). Once you have chopped all the cauliflower you can add it to the onion and chorizo in the fry pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to combine it with the flavours created by the onion caramelising. Add fresh herbs and cook until wilted.  

Remove asparagus and tomatoes from over. On a serving plate make a small bed of rocket and spoon a small quantity of cauliflower paella on top. Place a few roasted tomatoes to the side and lay several pieces of roasted asparagus on top. Drizzle over some olive oil and season dish with cracked pepper. 

Enjoy and happy Sunday!
Erin xx

Recipe | Classic Weekend Soup

If you couldn't tell by now, you will know soon enough, that Jess and I are big fans of soup. She recently posted a delectable looking Carrot and Turmeric soup and I'm here to post one of many more to come on the way into and through Winter. I've also been getting into soups more recently to help relax my jaw muscles which have been causing me some grief. This soup is a variation on one that my mum would cook most weekends whilst growing up from whatever was left in the fridge at the end of the week. Feel free to change the vegetables and meat used for whatever you have. 

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic, crushed

250g chorizo sausage, sliced

1/2 head cauliflower, broken up into smaller heads

1 head broccoli, broken up into smaller heads

handful green beans, cut in half

400g tin crushed tomatoes

1tbsp tomato paste

400g tin red kidney beans (or other legumes) 

3/4 cup brown rice and barley mix (any rice or rice sized carbohydrate will suffice)
2 cups vegetable stock (I use Vegeta)
quality olive oil
sea salt and cracked pepper
parmesan cheese, grated for serving (optional but delicious)

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over a low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in sliced chorizo and turn the heat up to medium. Once chorizo becomes golden add the cauliflower, beans and broccoli and cook for several minutes. 

Add the tin of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock and kidney beans and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Pour in the brown rice and barley mixture and cover until boiling. Remove the lid and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. 

Serve and season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. 

And thats it, stupidly simple. A delicious, healthy and hearty lunch for a chilled out weekend indoors - and it should last the whole weekend too depending on how many you're serving. 

Erin xx