Recipe: Tostados
Summary: I always thought this was a typical breakfast of Spain. I now know that it is actually the typical breakfast of Andalucia.
Ingredients
- A day old barra (baguette)
- A peeled clove of garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh tomato
Instructions
- Slice the barra lengthwise and toast until golden.
- Rub the toasted side with the garlic clove all over.
- Take the tomato and slice in half and rub vigourously over the toast.
- Drizzle lots and lots of olive oil onto the toast let it soak in.
- Add a little salt to taste.
Cooking time (duration): 5 mins
Meal type: breakfast
Culinary tradition: Spanish
My rating:2 stars: ★★☆☆☆
Recipe: Albóndigas
Summary: Meatballs are often served in tapas bars as a snack or an appetizer. Spanish meatballs are made as a main dish at home. This dish is so versatile it can even be served as a starter. The options are only restricted by your imagination.
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 small glass of white wine
- A little flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Carrot
- 1 bayleaf
- Tomato puré or tomate frito
- Half a stock cube
- 400g minced chicken or turkey
- 100g minced bacon
- 1 desertspoon pinenuts (optional)
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 3 desertspoons soya sauce
- 2 desertspoons bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. of oregano
- Olive oil
- 2 small, ripe tomatoes
- A small cup of peas
Instructions
- Mix the minced chicken or turkey with the minced bacon. Grate one onion and chop or crush one clove of garlic. Add the grated onion, chopped garlic, soya sauce, oregano, pinenuts and breadcrumbs to the meat, and mix all ingredients together very very well.
- Make small balls with the mixture – about the size of a large marble. Coat them lightly in the flour (get a bowl, put some flour in and roll each ball around) and put all the balls on a large plate until you are ready to fry them.
- To make the sauce. Cut up the other onion and chop the other garlic, and put both of them in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil, the fresh parsley and some salt and pepper. Fry gently until they are soft, and then chop the 2 tomatoes and add them. Finally grate the carrot and add that too. Add the white wine and the cloves, half a stock cube dissolved in half a cup of water, the peas, a bayleaf and a bit of tomate frito. Stir well and put on a low heat.
- Put some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and fry the meatballs until they are brown all over. You don’t have to use lots of oil – turn them over so that they cook on all sides, and make sure the heat isn’t too strong, otherwise they might burn. You will probably need to fry them in several batches, depending on the size of your frying pan. As each batch is ready, put the meatballs straight into the pan with the sauce and when they are all done, leave them to simmer in the sauce for about half an hour.
Cooking time (duration): 60 mins
Meal type: snack
Culinary tradition: Spanish
My rating:3 stars: ★★★☆☆
Recipe: Aïoli Sauce
Summary: A great sauce served with many different Spanish meals. Fantastic with small roast potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- pinch salt
- 250g olive oil
- ¼ lemon, juice
- pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, garlic and salt until well combined
- add the olive oil in a steady stream until all of the oil is incorporated into the mixture and the mixture has thickened. If the sauce is too stiff, add a few drops of warm water to loosen it
- whisk in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper, to taste.
Culinary tradition: Spanish
My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆
Recipe: Chickpeas with chorizo
Summary: A great winter warmer. Very filling and tasty!
Ingredients
- 250g chickpeas (ready cooked)
- 1 onion olive oil
- 100g chorizo sausage
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Chop the onion and sauté in 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan
- Cut up the chorizo and set aside
- Rinse the cooked chickpeas well and then add them to the fried onion together with 1/2 tsp paprika – continue frying for a further 5 mins 4. Add the chopped chorizo and fry a little longer before serving
Cooking time (duration): 20 mins
Meal type: dinner
Culinary tradition: Spanish
My rating:3 stars: ★★★☆☆
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