Jambalaya
This colorful one-pan rice dish is full of the flavors of the Cajun cooking from Louisiana. Its name literally means “jumbled” or “mixed up” because it is a mix of rice, meat, seafood, and vegetables.

Serves 6
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

7oz chorizo or any other spicy sausage, sliced
2 skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1½ cups long-grain rice
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp paprika, salt and freshly ground black pepper
14oz can of chopped tomatoes
3¾ cups vegetable stock
7oz raw peeled shrimp

In a large frying pan dry fry the chorizo for 2 minutes over medium heat until it releases its golden oil. Add the chicken and fry for 3–4 minutes until browned. Remove the chorizo and chicken and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery, and green chili to the pan and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened.  Add the rice, chili powder, and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Return the chorizo and chicken to the pan and add the thyme and paprika and season with salt and pepper.

Pour in the tomatoes and the stock, stir, and then bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid or foil, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the shrimp and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed, the rice is tender, and the shrimp are pink.

Fruit Crumble
This easy-to-make dessert has long been a favorite. Served with whipped cream, ice cream, or yogurt, a simple fruit crumble tastes delicious, and fruit such as apples and blackberries are a good source of vitamins.

Serves 6
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes

For the filling:
4 apples
8 oz blackberries
¼ cup superfine sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon

For the topping:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 stick of unsalted butter, diced
1½ cup less a tbsp of superfine sugar
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the apples and then cut into quarters. Carefully remove the cores and cut into bite-size pieces.

Place the apples and blackberries in a baking dish and sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon. Stir the fruit to ensure that they are coated evenly in the sugar mixture.

Put the flour into a mixing bowl and add the diced butter. Rub the butter into the flour, using your fingertips. When the butter is evenly mixed through the flour and the mixture starts to clump together, stir in the superfine sugar.

Scatter the crumble topping over the fruit and sprinkle the brown sugar on top.

Place the dish on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden and the fruit juices bubble around the edges.

Excerpted from HOW TO COOK: Delicious Dishes You’ll Really Want to Make © Copyright 2011 by DK Publishing. Reprinted with permission by DK Publishing

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