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Great Spanish Casserole

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , — John @ 7:42 pm May 31, 2010

Recipe: Spanish Chicken Casserole

Chicken Casserole

Summary: Another take on a great Spanish classic that we have enjoyed on several occasions.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
  • 8 skinless chicken thighs
  • 290 ml chicken stock
  • juice of 2 oranges and grated zest of 1
  • 150 ml sherry
  • 1 tbsp Lee & Perrins
  • 350 g button mushrooms, sliced
  • fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Add the onions and fry for around 10 minutes until slightly browned and soft. Remove from the pan to a plate.
  2. Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and then add the chicken and fry until evenly browned. Add the stock and return the onions and their juices to the pan. Add the orange juice, zest, sherry and Lee & Perrins. Bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for around 30 minutes ensuring the chicken is tender.
  3. Stir in the mushrooms, season to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with boiled rice.

Cooking time (duration): 60 Min’s

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:3 stars: ★★★☆☆

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Another Chorizo Recipe

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , — John @ 7:21 pm

Recipe: Stew With Chorizo & Black Olives

Summary: Another great meal if you like chorizo. Great served with some nice crusty bread.


Ingredients

  • 400g chorizo, sliced
  • 3 garlic clove, chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • lge tin cherry tomatoes
  • 200g small pitted black olives
  • 100g butterbeans
  • 1/2 glass red wine

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, sweat the chorizo with the garlic and olive oil for four minutes
  2. Add the tomatoes, black olives, butterbeans and red wine. Cook for fifteen minutes
  3. Serve.

Cooking time (duration): 30 mins

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:3 stars: ★★★☆☆

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Spanish Flan

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , — John @ 7:09 pm

Recipe: Spanish Flan

Summary: Anyone that has spent any amount of time in Spain must have had a Spanish Flan. I guess that this desert is served in almost every cafe and restuarant and is always a part of a Menu del Dia.


Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 small glass of milk
  • 3 desert spoons of sugar

Instructions

  1. In a metal flan mould burn one desert spoon of sugar with one desert spoon of water. Stir over a strong heat until the sugar and water becomes a brown coloured caramel.
  2. Beat the egg with the remaining 2 desert spoons of sugar. Beat well, add the glass of milk, and beat some more.
  3. Pour the mixture into the metal mould over the caramel, and put the mould into a pan of simmering water. Make sure the level of water is lower than the moulds, so that no water spills into the flan mixture.
  4. Let the flan cook like this until it is ready. To test, put a sharp knife into the middle of the mixture. If it is clean when you take it out, the flan is cooked.

Cooking time (duration): 20 mins

Number of servings (yield): 1

Meal type: dessert

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:2 stars: ★★☆☆☆

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Andalucian Asparagus

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , — John @ 5:54 pm

Recipe: Esparragos a la Andalucia

Summary: A typical Andalucian dish which can be served as a lunch or in smaller portions as a starter.

Ingredients

  • 500g asparagus
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 slice bread, crusts removed
  • pinch paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 taespoon vinegar
  • 150ml water
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Trim the asparagus and chop into small lengths.
  2. Blanch for 2 minutes and drain.
  3. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic and bread until golden.
  4. Remove to a blender and mix with the cumin, paprika,vinegar and a little water to make a paste.
  5. Add the asparagus to the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes, then add the paste and a little more water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  6. This dish can be served as it is or you can add 2 beaten eggs and a little more water then leave on a low heat until the eggs are set.
  7. Serve with slices of fried bread.

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:3 stars: ★★★☆☆

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Eggs with ham and tomatoes

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , — John @ 5:51 pm

Recipe: Huevos a la Flamenca

Summary: A very traditional Spanish recipe. Served as a starter or sometimes as a main course. Always very tasty!

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic very finely chopped
  • 100g diced serrano ham 3 large tomatoes peeled and deseeded
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 8 eggs
  • 75g cooked peas
  • 1 small tin red pimiento
  • 8 asparagas tips
  • 100g chorizo
  • 2 artichoke hearts parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and ham until the onion is soft.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes and paprika and cook on a medium heat for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down into a sauce.
  3. Oil four individual dishes and divide the sauce between them making two indentations. Carefully break an egg into each of these wells and then divide the peas, the sliced pimientos and the artichoke hearts amongst the dishes. Season as required and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
  4. Bake in a medium oven until the egg whites are set, approx 10 minutes.
  5. Serve straight away with fresh crusty bread.

Cooking time (duration): 40 mins

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:3 stars: ★★★☆☆

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Fish Is On The Menu

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , , — John @ 5:49 pm

Recipe: Bacalao en salsa verde

Summary: A very tasty fish casserole.

Ingredients

  • 3 kg cod
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 leek
  • 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • fresh parsley
  • 5 potatoes thinly sliced
  • 100ml water
  • salt flour
  • 150ml white wine

Instructions

  1. Chop the onion and leek.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a strong earthenware casserole dish – add the onion and leek and fry on a low heat until they are a golden brown colour (about 10 mins).
  3. Add the garlic, parsley, sliced potatoes and a couple of pinches of salt – cover with the water and simmer until the potatoes are nearly cooked (this takes about 20 mins depending on thickness of potato slices)
  4. After covering the fish pieces in flour add them to the casserole dish
  5. Pour the white wine over the fish and cook for about 10 mins over a low heat until the fish is cooked

Cooking time (duration): 60 mins

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆

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Easy Spanish Tomato Sauce

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , — John @ 5:44 pm

Recipe: Tomate Frito

Summary: This delicious versatile  sauce is easy to make and can be eaten warm,with meatballs for example or cold to acompany salads or a BBQ meat dish. Also makes a great base for any pasta dish.


Ingredients

  • 1 kg ripe tomatoes
  • 3 soup spoons of cold olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 medium onion
  • Salt
  • Basil
  • 1 clove garlic

Instructions

  1. Put the oil in a frying pan and fry the chopped onion and garlic for about four minutes
  2. Peel and chop the tomatoes and add them to the onion and garlic
  3. With the edge of a spatula mash the tomatoes, onion and garlic up as they cook, for about 15 minutes on a moderate heat. When the mixture is cooked, take off the heat and liquidize so that you are left with a thick tomato sauce
  4. Chop some leaves of basil, and add this together with the salt and sugar

Cooking time (duration): 30 mins

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆

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Weekly GBP/EUR Round-up by Keith Spitalnick

Filed under: General,Money — Tags: , , , , — John @ 4:44 pm

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Traditional Vegetable Recipe

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , , — John @ 2:13 pm

Recipe: Pisto

Summary: Pisto is the Spanish ratatouille style dish served in many bars and restaurants. It seems to be a real favorite here!

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe tomatos
  • 2 medium sizes onions
  • 2 green peppers
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 courgettes
  • cloves of garlic olive oil sugar

Instructions

  1. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water to loosen the skin, then peel them and cut them in to small pieces
  2. Peel and slice the onions and garlic
  3. Clean and slice the peppers and courgettes
  4. Put the olive oil into a frying pan, and gently fry the garlic and onions for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers and turn up the heat a little. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time.
  5. Add the courgette, stir and cook for five more minutes and then add the tomatoes. Cover the pan, and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.
  6. Add a teaspoon of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Turn up the heat and stir well. If the pisto has too much liquid, let it boil away but keep stirring so that none of the ingredients stick to the bottom.

Cooking time (duration): 25 mins

Culinary tradition: Spanish

My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆

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Manchego Cheese

Filed under: Spanish Recipes — Tags: , , , , , , — John @ 1:58 pm

Here is a fantastic, quick recipe from a friend and fellow blogger who actually lives over in Lanzarote. Mike has a passion for food and has been kind enough to send us this great suggestion for some delicious cheese!….Thanks Mike

This is a guest post from Mike Cliffe-Jones

Manchego Cheese is a staple of most tapas offerings, but there’s a secret to how it should be served, that will really bring the flavour out!

You’ll find Manchego in most good delicatessens. It’s a hard, dry cheese and comes from the La Mancha region. It’s made from whole sheep’s milk, and is aged for between three and six months in caves. It has a much stronger flavour than most sheep’s milk cheeses, and is tangy and slightly salty.

As with all Spanish cheeses it can be bought Fresco (fresh) but is very bland at that stage, Curado (3 to 6 months) which is perfect, or Viejo (1 year) which I find too dry.

Here’s how to serve it:

Slice the cheese into triangles about 3MM thick, and place them on a plate.

Dredge the slices in best quality olive oil and leave to soak in the oil while you do the rest

Finely chop half an onion, a clove of garlic, a deseeded chilli (optional) and two tomatoes. You should skin the tomatoes, but I never bother! Mix those ingredients thoroughly, with a squeeze of lemon juice and you’ve produced an instant salsa!

Now get a clean plate and pile the salsa in the middle, arranging the cheese slices over it. Slew some more oil over the top, a little crunchy sea salt, and some finely chopped coriander. Finally add a few olives.

Serve with a glass of chilled dry white and enjoy!

Mike Cliffe-Jones is a writer based in The Canary Islands. You can find him at www.mikecliffejones.com He’s the author of the books Living in Lanzarote and Beyond Blogging.

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