"Buen provecho!" the way the Spaniards wish everyone a good meal.
Two basic ingredients in all Spanish food are good olive oil and garlic. To me you just can't live without garlic and olive oil in food. Well, I'd add onions to that mix too because every dish tastes better with onions. Spaniards love their food, in fact it's been said they probably eat more food than any of us in the USA. They spread their meals throughout the day, take their time eating them and walk between meals, something we all could probably do more of - walking that is.
Breakfast in Spain is the smallest meal of the day with usually a continental breakfast. Breakfast might include strong coffee with hot frothy milk, sweet rolls with jam, toast with jam or mild cheese or Maria crackers dunked in hot milk. Usually breakfast in Spain is eaten at home before going to work or school.
Tapas are called little Spanish meals and are eaten well after breakfast, but before lunch. They are small plates, canapes or finger food served either warm or chilled and they vary from region to region. The Spanish love their tapas and you might meet your friends at several favorite bars to have wine, chat and have small little dishes.
La comida, the large midday meal in Spain has several courses, more like our dinner. Most likely this meal would involve a soup, pasta dish, salad, meat or fish and of course dessert which would consist of fruit and/or cheese.
Spanish cooking is known as the "people's cuisine." Most of it is simple, uncomplicated food based on local ingredients or regionally grown food. Did you know mountains run through Spain in several directions acting as a natural barrier. This is why cooking differs so much from region to region.
Typical foods and ingredients are olive oil, garlic, ham (jamon) is considered a very prized food. You most likely have eaten or heard of Serrano ham or ham from the sierra or mountains. Fish and seafood because Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula and is surrounded on three sides by water and seafood is plentiful. Halibut, shrimp, octopus and baby eels are just some items you will see on the menu or in the markets. Cheeses of every type can be eaten in Spain made from sheep, cow, goat or combos. Aged cheeses such as manchego to soft creamy cheeses with everything in between. Sausages, beef, lamb and pork are common meats. Eggs are eaten daily either fried, deviled or in a omelet called a tortilla espanola. Chicken, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and of course the use of many wonderful herbs and spices. Most well known dish of Spain is paella that wonderful, flavorful, delicious rice dish which I'm not including on this post as I've posted my recipe before.
Cooking methods are stewing, roasting, frying, sauteing and grilling. Now that we've had a little lesson in Spanish cuisine let's get onto the recipes. Jerry and I have never traveled to Spain, although our daughter did for a trip and brought us back some wonderful saffron. We have certainly enjoyed many Spanish restaurants and Tapas bars though. I hope you enjoy the recipes listed below and remember go try a Spanish restaurant or Tapas bar for some exciting meals.
Grilled Artichokes
12 artichokes
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup olive oil (good quality)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Split open each artichoke and wash well in cold water and drain. Arrange a layer of artichokes in a large bowl and season with salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil. Cover and marinate for about 1 hour. Grill on a hot grill, basting with some of the marinade. Serve as an appetizer or with the main meal.
Garlic Soup - soup you might not want to serve for a "romantic" dinner! This is an old standby for me when I catered and everyone loved it. I'm not sure if it's authentic Spanish, but I don't think they would object
2 cups cold water
2 cups chicken stock (good quality)
1 bay leaf
2 fresh sage leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme
15 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)
The binder
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 baguette
In a large saucepan bring water and stock to a boil and add; bay, sage, thyme, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil for about 50 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and remove the leaves. Place the broth and garlic back into saucepan, taste and adjust seasonings. In a bowl whisk the egg, yolks, cheese and black pepper beating until creamy. Slowly drizzle in olive oil beating then add very slowly whisking into the broth. Stir over low heat until it slightly thickens to about the consistency of heavy whipping cream. Tear chunks of the bread into the bottom of each bowl and pour over the soup. Drizzle with some olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Delicious Red Cabbage - I can eat the entire pot myself it's so good A young woman from Spain at the college where I taught gave me this recipe (she was from Brazil, but was in Spain quite frequently)
2 lbs. red cabbage
salt
4 black peppercorns
3/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup raisins, soaked in water 30 minutes
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Remove outer leaves from cabbage and cut into quarters, removing woody stem and chop into thin strips. In a pot of boiling salted water add cabbage and cook until tender. Drain well and place into a heatproof casserole dish. In a saute pan add olive oil and fry garlic, remove and set aside. Fry the pine nuts in the same oil. When they just start to get golden brown transfer to the casserole with the red cabbage. Drain raisins and add to casserole. With a mortal crush the fried garlic and peppercorns. Mix in 1 Tbl. of water and add this mixture to casserole. Season with some salt and add the cinnamon. Heat the casserole on top of stove stirring to mix until hot. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Spanish Mussels
25 fresh mussels in shells, well cleaned
4 garlic cloves,
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 Tbl. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 Tbl. sherry
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil (Spanish of course)
In a bowl, mix the onion, parsley and garlic, add olive oil, sherry, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and paprika. In a large pot, add mussels and onion mixture, cover and steam mussels until they open about 4 minutes. Discard any that don't open. Pour mussels into a serving platter and pour over onion, garlic mixture. Serve with slices of crusty bread and a simple salad of sun-dried tomatoes, toasted walnuts and Manchego cheese drizzled with a herb vinaigrette.
Garbanzo Bean Salad (love, love this)
3 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (of course you can start with dry beans too)
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
4 roasted red peppers (in a jar) drained and chopped
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly on diagonal
Hot sauce (to taste)
1 garlic clove, finely, finely minced
2 large ruby red tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbl. White wine vinegar
3 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil
Quickly blanch the tomatoes, peel and cut into small dice placing into a large bowl. Add chopped red peppers, garlic, sliced scallions, white wine vinegar and olive oil, toss and season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Add the garbanzo beans, parsley, gently stir, taste and adjust seasonings, chill covered for about 30 minutes. Place into a pretty serving bowl or garnish a serving platter with red leaf lettuce leaves and pile on salad mixture. Top with chopped hard boiled eggs.
Spanish Potato Salad
8 red potatoes
3 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbl. Red wine vinegar
1/2 white onion, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbl. capers
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tbl. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tb. fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
In a pot of boiling salted water add potatoes and cook until fork tender, drain well and cut into chunks placing in large bowl. Pour over vinegar and gently toss, toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, stirring to coat. Add onions, capers, parsley, basil and chives. Gently mix and place in frig. When ready to serve toss gently with mayonnaise, taste and adjust seasonings.
Garlic Shrimp
1 stick butter
1/2 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 lbs. medium to large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbl. dried red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup sherry
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Rice, cooked
In a large saute pan, add butter, olive oil and garlic cooking until softened. Add lemon juice, paprika, bay leaves, red pepper flakes then add shrimp cooking until they turn pink. Add sherry and parsley. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves and serve over rice with a crisp tossed green salad and crispy bread. I would serve a chilled Chardonnay or a Spanish White Rioja wine.
Rich and Comforting Lamb Casserole
2 lbs. lamb meat (leg of lamb) remove meat from bone and trim excess fat. Cut meat into chunks
1 head of garlic, peeled and separate cloves
2 large ruby red tomatoes, chopped
1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
1 sprig of fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 Tbl. olive oil
5 peppercorns
breadcrumbs (from one dinner roll)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Chop tomatoes, pepper, carrot, onion and parsley. Place lamb chunks into large Dutch oven and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, skim fat off the top of water. Add the bone from leg of lamb, garlic cloves, tomatoes, pepper, carrot, onion, parsley and bay to Dutch oven. Add olive oil and some salt. Simmer for about 1 hour or until meat is tender. In a mortar or food processor grind and mix peppercorns, breadcrumbs, 2 cloves garlic, paprika and cumin. Add about 1/2 cup of lamb stock from Dutch oven and mix in the mortar. Add the mortar ingredients to the Dutch oven and cook about 6 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. When ready to serve, remove leg bone and discard. Serve with hot crusty bread, and a crisp tossed salad. I would serve a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir wine with this.
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
2 lbs. chicken pieces, washed and patted dry
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 large box crimini mushrooms, sliced
7 carrots, peeled and thick sliced
1 2/3 cups sherry (good quality)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)
Rub the chicken pieces with garlic all over and season with salt and pepper. Place olive oil into a Dutch oven and fry chicken to brown (do it batches) when browned place on a plate, cover with foil and continue frying remaining chicken. Add onions, garlic cloves and carrots and cook on low stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add back the chicken and add sherry cooking on high for 2 minutes then season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 45 minutes over low heat, turning a couple of times. In a saute pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and add mushrooms sauteing until golden, keeping warm. Remove cooked chicken to a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour remaining sherry, onions, carrots into blender and puree, taste and season again with salt and pepper if needed. Remove foil from chicken and pour over some of the pureed sauce and add browned mushrooms, sprinkle with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes and a garden salad.
Fresh Baked Cod
2 lbs. fresh cod
5 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion,
1 leek (use only white and up to light green part), washed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
5 red potatoes, 1/4-inch slices (do not peel)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
all purpose flour
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven, add onion and leek and cook for about 9 minutes until light golden brown. Add garlic, parsley, sliced potatoes, season with salt and pepper, cover with 1/4 cup water and cook about 20 minutes. Season the flour with salt and pepper and lightly dust the fish with flour shaking off excess. Add the fish to the Dutch oven. Pour over white wine and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Serve with a salad of steamed and chilled fresh asparagus, drizzled with Spanish olive oil, vinegar and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Of course, a nice crusty bread would be nice too, such as a Sauvignon Blanc.
Spanish Omelet - Tortilla Espanola
1 lb. potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)
1 large white onion
6 eggs
1 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbl. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbl. fresh chives, chopped
Peel the slice the potatoes and onion thinly. Heat olive oil in a large pan, add onions and potatoes cooking on high for about 4 minutes then lower heat and cook slowly stirring them occasionally until potatoes are tender when poked. In a bowl, beat eggs and season with salt and pepper, add potato, onion and oil mixture, parsley and chives and mix well. In a non-stick skillet add a drizzle of olive oil and pour in potatoes, onions and mixed eggs, cooking on low heat. Once the bottom has set and browned and the eggs look set on top, place a large plate carefully over skillet (I usually do this over the sink) and turn the omelet over, carefully sliding back into the pan, continue cooking so it browns on the other side (use hot pads for this and be careful). Gently slide out onto a serving plate serve hot or cold, slicing into wedges. Serve with a salad such as; sliced ruby red tomatoes, sliced green peppers, thinly sliced red onions, sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and parsley, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over olive oil and vinegar. Serve with hot grilled garlic bread.
Arroz con Pollo (Spanish rice)
3 lbs. chicken, cleaned and cut into about 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
5 roasted red peppers (jarred) chopped
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. saffron
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (good quality)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups white rice (uncooked)
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil and saute chicken on all sides until golden brown, you will have to cook in batches. Place chicken pieces on plate and keep covered with foil. Add onion, garlic and saute until soft. Add roasted red peppers, pepper flakes, paprika, saffron, wine, stock, salt and pepper. Add rice and cook uncovered for for 20 minutes there will still be some liquid in pan, add cooked chicken to rice and cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer rice/chicken to a large serving platter and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with a tossed garden salad.
Lemony Chicken (love lemon)
1 large chicken, cut into pieces and washed and patted dry
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup chicken stock (good quality)
1 large lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 tsp. saffron, crushed
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbl. butter, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)
In a large Dutch oven, add some olive oil (not too much), season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook until golden brown on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add crushed garlic to pan and saute. Stir in water, stock, zest and saffron bring to a boil and simmer 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter, add back chicken with juices that have accumulated on plate. Spoon some of the lemon juice mixture over the chicken and bake in oven for about 45 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove from oven sprinkle with parsley and serve with roasted potatoes and a vegetable.
Sauteed Vegetables - these are so good
4 large ruby red tomatoes
2 large onions
4 large red peppers
4 medium eggplants
15 garlic cloves, leave on peels
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil (good stuff)
fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)
fresh lemon juice (garnish)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash vegetables and pat dry. With a sharp knife make small pokes on the skin of the eggplants, as well as a couple along the sides. Do the same with the tomatoes. Place the eggplants, peppers, garlic cloves and onions in a pan and lower heat to 350 degrees. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes and add tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Take pan out of oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 20 minutes. Peel the vegetables removing skin and seeds (from red peppers) and slice into strips, placing vegetables on a serving platter, season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and a drizzle of lemon juice. Serve with thick slices rustic bread. Can be eaten as a side dish with meat or fish or just as a delicious vegetable dish or appetizer.
Desserts - many of Spain's desserts are smooth and creamy using the country's high quality milk and eggs. Other desserts served are; tarts, almond flavored cakes, ice creams and cheese desserts.
Spanish Bread Pudding - very similar to French toast
3 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
olive oil or butter
2 cups honey
1 cup sugar
8 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large loaf of bread cut into thick slices (use a good quality bread, do not use a crusty bread)
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional, but I like it)
In a large bowl, mix milk, sugar and vanilla (add cinnamon now if using). In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add to milk mixture. Dip the bread slices into the milk and eggs and fry in a saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the fried bread onto a serving platter and pour over honey. It's almost like a french toast with honey. Another good addition is a sprinkling of fresh berries on top of the french toast.
Strawberry Flan - very easy
1 pint of strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 (14 oz.) can condensed milk
6 eggs
1/2 cup sugar for caramelizing
1 cup heavy whipping cream
dash of pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy saucepan add 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat and with a wooden spoon stir sugar around until melted and caramelized (golden brown) Carefully pour equal parts of this caramelized sugar (it's hot and sticky) into 6 ramekins and set aside.
Wash berries and place berries, sugar, eggs and condensed milk into a blender and pulse thoroughly to combine. Pour into each of the ramekins and cover each with foil. Place ramekins into a large baking pan and add hot water, about 1/2-inch (don't get any into the ramekins) Place into oven and bake 30 minutes. Remove ramekins from water bath and take off foil, let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve run a thin bladed sharp knife around edges of each ramekin and place a small serving plate over the top, turn over and they should fall perfectly into place on the plate, flip plate over. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream to almost stiff peaks, add vanilla and powdered sugar. Garnish each ramekin with whipped cream if desired. Add additional sliced strawberries for garnish if desired.
Gypsy's Arm - Sponge Cake - Easy and I love a sponge cake
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (good quality)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbl. powdered sugar
Filling
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. rum extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Topping
fresh raspberries - if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 15x8 baking pan by buttering it and lining the bottom with parchment paper, butter again and dust with 2 Tbl. powdered sugar, set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until thick, yellow and smooth. Stir in flour, cocoa and vanilla and blend well to combine. In a separate clean and dry mixing bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks, but not dry. Fold into yolk and flour batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes then turn cake out onto a clean dry kitchen towel to cool, after 10 minutes peel off parchment paper. While cake is cooling, whip heavy cream to almost stiff peaks and add rum extract and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Spread whipping cream mixture evenly over cake to 1/2-inch from edge. Using your towel to help, starting with long edge roll the cake into a jellyroll or log. Carefully place on pretty serving platter and dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh raspberries if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Bon Appetit
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace" - Numbers 6:24-26
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