PAELLA-STYLE RICE

I hesitate to call this recipe 'paella' after Jamie Oliver got so much stick about the paella recipe that he tweeted recently (a lot of which seemed to concern his inclusion of chorizo). However, since 'rice with whatever' isn't a particularly catchy recipe title, I hope that calling it 'paella-style rice' will be acceptable to any Spanish readers. I've been lucky enough to visit Spain a few times (I've even eaten paella there!) but I shan't pretend that I know much about traditional paella. I've flagrantly disregarded most of the few rules that I do know about paella-making (i.e. that you should use Spanish rice; that, unlike risotto, you mustn't stir the rice while it's cooking; and that paella shouldn't contain chorizo) so I won't make any claims on the authenticity of this recipe. If anything, I'd say it's a British take on paella. Which is fine by me as it's pretty tasty, if I do say so myself!

While I'm being honest, I'll admit that this isn't a meal I'd give my kids at the moment. I hope it will be something they'll eat when they're a bit older, but they're currently going through a no-mixed-foods phase and my 5-year-old doesn't even like the different foods touching each other on the plate!

Tips

• I've used turmeric in place of the more traditional saffron simply because of the price. If you prefer to use saffron, soak the strands in a little of the stock and add along with the stock and passata.
• This dish can be reheated successfully the following day but do make sure that you cool down the leftovers as quickly as possible and promptly transfer them to the fridge, then reheat until piping hot all the way through. 

Paella-style rice

Serves 2 adults

½ tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
70g diced chorizo
175g chicken breast, cut into chunks
100g basmati rice
½ tbsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp smoked paprika
½ red pepper, deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
200g passata
200ml chicken stock
150g cooked king prawns, defrosted if necessary
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
120g frozen peas
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and cook the onions gently for 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the chicken, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until sealed all over.

Add the rice, turmeric and paprika and stir until all the ingredients are coated in the spices. Stir in the red pepper, garlic, passata and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 12 minutes, without lifting the lid.

Remove the lid and stir in the prawns, parsley, peas and chilli. Continue to cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns and peas are piping hot.

LAYERED PRAWN PASTA SALAD JARS

For my lunch today I celebrated the unseasonably warm weather we've been enjoying here in south-west England with a salad. And not just any old salad –  a salad in a jar!

I fear I'm a bit late to the party when it comes to food in a jar. No longer the preserve (see what I did there?) of jams and chutneys, it seems that jars are being used to package and present all kinds of foods – from breakfast oats (see my overnight oats recipe) to salads like this one, even cakes and desserts. And, whilst I don't go out on the town much these days, I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised if the next time I order a cocktail in a trendy bar it was served up in a jam jar!

I think a lot of the appeal of jar food is its convenience. Many foods will keep for several days in a sturdy, well-sealed jar so, with just a little forward planning, you can prepare tasty meals ready to enjoy when you're pushed for time. The jar also offers a perfect way to transport food and negates the need for any crockery – just eat straight from the jar! Sure, it'll probably turn out to be a passing fad, but you can't deny that jar food is aesthetically pleasing, especially when it includes colourful fresh fruits and/or veggies arranged in pretty layers.

I think salads work particularly well as jar food because the jars can be packed in such a way as to keep delicate salad items separate from any heavier ingredients (that may crush them) and sauces or dressings (that could make them soggy). So whatever ingredients you're using, I'd highly recommend putting any sauces or dressings in the base of the jar along with any heavy ingredients (such as pasta or beans) and popping the salad leaves right at the top.

I freely admit that this salad isn't entirely my own invention – it is my version of a pre-packaged salad I used to buy from a high-street supermarket when I worked in town. I added the red pepper, mainly because I thought it'd look pretty, and swapped the shop-bought version's iceberg lettuce with spinach because I've read darker leaves offer more health benefits (plus spinach is the only salad leaf that has my eldest daughter's seal of approval!). I also lightened up the Marie Rose sauce by replacing some of the mayo with fat-free yogurt. This makes two rather generous portions.

Layered prawn pasta salad jars

Serves 2
80g small pasta shapes (I used conchigliette)
200g cooked peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen
½ red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 carrot, grated
100g sweetcorn, defrosted if frozen
¼ cucumber, diced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves

Marie Rose sauce
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
2 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta, bring back to the boil and cook for 6 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain well.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Add the prawns and stir to coat thoroughly in the sauce.

Divide the ingredients between two 950-ml jars, starting with the prawn mixture, then adding the pasta, red pepper, carrot, sweetcorn, cucumber and spinach (in that order) to create colourful layers in the jars.

Eat immediately or chill and eat within 48 hours. You can eat straight from the jar or tip the contents onto a plate before tucking in (the latter method is easier, unless you have a really long-handled fork!).