Spanish Classics, The Easy Way
Contributed by: NAPSA
(NAPSA) - The cuisine of Spain is celebrated for family-style approach to cooking: simple to prepare and filled with fresh ingredients. Its most famous dish, paella, from the region of Valencia, is a colorful mix of saffron-infused rice, sausage, chicken and shellfish, all tossed into a roomy pot that by dinnertime abounds with intense flavor and heady aromas.
Preparing paella or aromatic Pollo al Ajillo (Chicken in Garlic Sauce) needn't be a daunting task requiring special cookware or other equipment.
In fact, Americans can replicate these dishes easily in a non-stick fry pan or deep saute and save time and effort when it comes to clean-ups. Non-stick cookware has the added advantage of using little or no oil or fats, turning any meal into a healthier one and without diminishing taste or flavor.
With non-stick, foods release effortlessly, so rice, meats and delicate seafood cook evenly and consistently without sticking.
Nowadays a wide range of high-quality non-stick cookware is available. T-Fal's non-stick coating is not only releasable but is durable enough to use with metal utensils.
And cooking is now easier than ever thanks to T-Fal's Thermo-Spot, an exclusive visual heat indicator in the non-stick coating that turns a solid red to signal that a pan is preheated to the right temperature for cooking, so foods sear on the outside and lock flavor inside.
Here are two adaptations of classic Spanish dishes, done the easy and healthier way with non-stick cookware.
Paella
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
- 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin chops (2-3)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 4 cups hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups uncooked rice
- 1/4 lb. light smoked sausage, cut into slices
- 1 chopped medium red bell pepper
- 1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen peas
Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Cut chicken and pork into cubes. In a T-Fal 4.4-qt. non-stick deep saute pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the chicken and pork cubes and cook over medium heat until meats are almost cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine 4 cups hot water with the saffron and black pepper in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. When onions are tender, add the water mixture to the deep saute along with the rice, sausage and red bell pepper. Cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, or until rice is done. Add the artichoke hearts, shrimp and peas to saute pan and cook, covered, for 5 minutes, or until shrimp is done. Uncover, stir ingredients and serve immediately.
Makes 8 Servings
Chicken in Garlic Sauce (Pollo al Ajillo)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 pound chicken, cut in small pieces
- Salt to taste
- 1 head of garlic, minus 2 cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Few strands of saffron
Heat oil in large T-Fal non-stick fry pan. Add chicken pieces and cook over moderate heat until golden brown. Transfer chicken pieces to large deep saute pan. Salt to taste. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of oil from fry pan. Saute garlic.
Stir in water and bring to boil. Pour over chicken. Add lemon juice and saffron. Cook, covered, over low heat about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender. Transfer chicken to plates, spoon sauce over pieces and serve.
Makes 4 Servings
