I haven't been cooking with Cod lately... and you all know that I love it... so, when I saw Eating Club Vancouver's Spanish Menu, I knew my next dish would use Cod in it :D. You are my muses, girls!!!
Either one or the other they both have some of my favourite ingredients, I could live on Cod, Rice and Artichokes... but this is not the Royal Foodie Joust and these are not the 3 ingredients for this month.
Artichokes are original from the Mediterranean and an important part of its famous diet. They have nearly no kcal. and lots of other benefitial and healthy features... Hey! Let's eat Artichokes... they are in season now! Rice is a basic food all around the world and it's a powerful source of energy. The Cod is rich in proteins and vitamins and also sodium.
Could this dish be healthier? Yes, I didn't talk about the rest of ingredients, but you will have to trust me ;D.
And that's why I'm sending over this post to Meeta from What's for lunch Honey? and her Monthly Mingle: Healthy Family Dinners. There's still time to send your proposals to Michelle from What's Cooking Blog who is hosting the event this month.
The recipe also goes to APS Rice to Anita's Kitchen Event.
Ingredients for 4 servings: 400 grs of Bomba rice, 400 grs of desalted codfish, 3 artichokes for the rice paella and 8 more for the stuffing, 4 piquillo peppers, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, some fresh parsley, 3 tablespoons of canned fried tomatoe, olive oil and salt.
- Start the sofrito in a big pan (a paella is perfect. Like the one in the pictures). Pour a bit of olive oil and throw the onion in (previously peeled and cut in small dices). Stir and let it get transparent.
- Meanwhile, take 3 artichokes and discard the greener leaves. Put them inside a bowl with water and some lemon drops. Strain, dry and cut the tips of the leaves and slice in half centimeter portions. Throw into the pan and stir with the onion.
- When the artichoke starts to get some colour, add the garlic clove (peeled and cut in small pieces). When it's fragant, add the piquillo peppers cut in strips. Stir some more at low/medium heat.
- This time I bought my desalted codfish frozen. I previously defrozed it.
- Prepare a big pot and pour 900 grs of water inside, when it boils, add the codfish, and when it boils again turn heat off and take away from the heat. Don't throw the water away. Take the codfish out of the pot and with your fingers separate the slices of the fish. Reserve.
- Going back to the paella pan, add the tomatoe and stir until the sofrito is finished.
- Have the cod water boiling so that when throwing the rice in the paella we can immediately use it.
- So, throw the rice in and stir with a wooden spoon, let it cook for 1 minute aprox. Pour nearly all the cod water in, stir and let cook strong the first 5 minutes, then cook at low/medium heat for 10 minutes, add the codfish and stir some more. Taste and add salt if necessary. After that when there's nearly no water, smash the other garlic in a mortar and smash the parsley too, add some oil and salt and pour over the rice. Cover with a lid and keep away from the heat. Leave the rice covered for another 5 minutes.
- If during the process you need more water because it gets too dry, add some more.
- For the stuffed Artichokes: Clean the rest of artichokes and put inside a pot. Half cover with water and pour some salt and extra virgin olive oil in each one. Cover the pot and let it boil at medium heat until the water dissapears. Then, let them cool down, take the center leaves apart and stuff with the rice. Pour some drops of extra virgin olive oil on top.
