Another Friday Night

I think my problem with the new Delia Smith book is that it really isn't written for me. I have 3 of her books - Summer, Winter and Christmas, and they are all fab. The recipes work almost every time, they are delicious and the pictures are nice. But the new How to Cheat at Cooking is not for me. It is for people who don't cook because they think it is too hard, or for people who get put off by recipes because they have too many ingredients. By showing how you can add ready-prepared stuff to a recipe, and telling you exactly where to get these things, she's reaching out to the non-cook.

I, however, am not a non-cook. And I've been adding ready-prepared stuff to dishes for ages. Last night's meal was a case in point. We had some stuff in the fridge, but nothing I fancied or felt like cooking. We also have a pretty well-stocked pantry and freezer, so we added bits here and there and concocted a rather good seafood & chorizo stew. The only actually "fresh" things in it were half a bunch of slightly past-it coriander and the juice of half a lemon.

Seafood and Chorizo for Friday Supper

1 packet Sainsburys diced chorizo
1 packet Waitrose frozen seafood mix
2 tsp easy garlic
1 slosh dry sherry
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 tbs tomato paste
Handful chopped coriander
Juice of half a lemon

Heat a little olive oil in a large saute pan and add the chorizo. Sizzle it really well until it has given up a lot of fragrant, red oil and has browned and crisped at the edges. Add the frozen seafood (or you could be organised and already have it thawed) and stir well into the oil. Add the garlic (you probably won't want 2 tsp but we love garlic). When it has all begun to sizzle nicely add the sherry. When the sherry has almost evaporated add the chickpeas and tomatoes and tomato paste. When the sauce has thickened and the seafood is hot through, but before it starts to shrink and toughen, stir in the coriander and lemon juice and serve in large bowls. Serves 2 - 4 if you have rice or bread or another course.