If you are an expat in any
location, there are always things you 1. Bring from home or 2. Stockpile when
the stores do have them. When the item
is medication, you take it when you need to.
When the item is food, that decision is more difficult. Do you save it as a treat or for a special
occasion or do you use it whenever, until it’s gone? I tend to err on the side of hoarding. But as we moved from KL to Cairo a few months
back, I realized that I had a lot of stuff in my freezer (just staying fresh) that
had been there way too long and was well past its expiration date. By hoarding, I deprived us of special treats
(what was I saving it for?!) and I ended up having to waste food that would not
be kept refrigerated in a shipment or give it away. I vowed that I would be better about using up
my stockpiles and try not to hoard.
To that end, here is a great
recipe using the spicy chorizo my sweetie brought me from Italy recently. We enjoyed it for breakfast yesterday morning.
Ingredients
1 link of chorizo, about
350g or 12 oz
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
2 red chili peppers
1 14 oz or 396g can
chickpeas
1 14 oz or 396g can whole
peeled tomatoes
Part of loaf of lovely
crusty bread
Butter to spread
Method
If your chorizo has an
inedible casing, remove it completely. (Some do, some don't)
Slice the chorizo and put it
in a pot with a lid. Turn the heat down
low and let the fat render out.
Meanwhile, chop your garlic,
onions and chili peppers.
Once the chorizo pot has
some rendered oil on the bottom, pour in the garlic, onions and chilis, and,
still on a low fire, sauté for about 10 minutes or until they are softened.
Rinse the chickpeas.
Using a sharp knife (or
kitchen scissors) cut the tomatoes into small pieces, inside the can.
Add the chickpeas and the
tomatoes to the pot. Add another half a
tomato can of water to the pot as well.
Give it all a good stir and put the lid back on.
Cook for 15-20 minutes to
allow the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally.
When the mixture is almost
ready, cut nice slices out of your crusty bread and toast them. Spread generously with butter.
Heap the chickpea/chorizo mixture on the
buttered toast. Can’t tell you how awesome this was!
Enjoy!
By the way, what do you stockpile? Tell me I'm not the only one.
Update: And here’s what I
made with the leftovers this morning. I
warmed the chickpea mixture and nestled in the eggs as I did in this recipe.
Yum.
Hey, see that little green Facebook symbol up in the right hand column? If you click on it and then hit LIKE when Facebook opens, you will never miss a post because they are automatically updated to my Facebook page. I mean, just if you want to.
Yum, yum! No, you are not the only stockpiler. I bring back carob chips from my travels. And cream of tartar. And I want to get some rennet next time I leave Hong Kong, so I can try making cheese at home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the validation, Sarah! After reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" I planned a cheese making binge, ordering all kinds of things from the recommended source http://www.cheesemaking.com/ because we were living in Singapore and I had access to a goat farm and fresh goats' milk. Right when I got back from the summer holidays with my goodies, we were transferred to Kuala Lumpur and my cheese making plans never materialized. One thing I do make, when given the opportunity, is fresh goat cheese. So simple and delicious. http://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2011/07/zucchini-flowers-stuffed-with-fresh.html
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