Over the weekend I wrote about the benefits of having a handful of “go to” meals, especially when cooking for a family. The type of reliable dishes that are prepared on a regular basis, without too much fuss, without having to forage about for exotic ingredients and are guaranteed to be eaten by everyone you happen to be cooking for. 

Another one of my “go to” meals is My Super Tasty Spaghetti Bolognese (recipe posted on 13th May). I popped a pot of this into the oven before tackling the afternoon errands, including taking the dog for a walk and wrestling with a roll of wallpaper and the required paste – gosh that adhesive has the consistency of thick inedible toffee! This evening I served it in deep bowls with fusilli pasta, generously topped with shavings of sharp Parmesan cheese and creamy fresh ricotta. 

Despite having a pot heavy with Bolognese sauce ready to be eaten, I just couldn’t stop craving something with chilli and rice – which I put down to being well into the third trimester of my pregnancy. I had purchased spicy chorizo and saffron this morning intending to use it later in the week for Spanish Chicken and I already had the required calasparo rice in the pantry, so paella seemed like the perfect edible solution.

I flipped open to Karen Martini’s recipe for paella from her book, Cooking at Home and prepared a pan of this fragrant dish. I posted the recipe for Perfect Paella on the 8th June, but this time I halved the quantity and left out the prawns, because I didn’t have any on hand. 

Of course the children wanted some of the paella alongside their Bolognese, especially the thick smokey flavoured circles of chorizo sausage. I can’t blame them, it tasted sensational. 
I think I’ve just found another winning recipe worthy of becoming a “go to” meal.