Summer cooking

 Salami, tomato, chips and cheese calzone!

 Homemade bread!!!Ummm!

Of course, our Paella with prawns, olives, chicken....Simply delicious!!!


Really enjoyable summer cooking tasty dishes with Alba!

Spanish summer in Ireland

We really enjoyed our Spanish food (tortilla, migas, croquetas...) with our Spanish students. Really tasty! We even got some Spanish weather!

SERRANO HAM, BLUE CHEESE AND ROASTED APPLE

A tasty and colourful "tapa": SERRANO HAM, BLUE CHEESE AND ROASTED APPLE
 
Ingredients (4 people):

-4 slices of serrano (or "ibérico"ham, even better) at room temperature
-4 slices of toasted bread
-200grs of blue cheese (stilton, roquefort...)
-1 Apple
-2 tablespoons of honey
-Balsamic vinegar
-Mint leaves for decoration

Preparation

Drizzle the Apple with the honey and roast it in the oven at 180º for about 10 minutes.
Make a Little cone with the serrano ham slice. Place it onto the toasted bread, then the cheese and the roasted Apple. Drizzle with a Little bit of balsamic vinegar. Decorate with mint leaves.

I got this recipe from my friend Susi when she came over to Ireland last summer. This is a family recipe that she got from her aunt. It's really easy to make and can be used to feed a crowd. The flavours of this dish are enhanced if it's cooked the day before. I love the sweetness of the  carrots and  peppers and the tenderness of the chicken!!!!! Ummmm!!!! Really tasty!!!!



CHICKEN IN SPANISH BEER SAUCE

Ingredients (4 people)

-1 whole chicken cut into pieces (skin on)

-5 spoonsful of olive oil

- 2 chopped tomatoes

-2 sliced onions

-1 sliced red pepper

-4 sliced garlic cloves

-1 can of beer (500 ml)

-Salt and pepper

Preparation

Put the olive oil in the pan.Add the onions and garlic.Cook over low heat for about 1 minute. Now add the carrots, peppers and chicken, season and fry all together for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the beer and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

The sauce is lovely, perfect for dipping in crusty bread!!!

STUFFED AUBERGINES (Berenjenas rellenas)

This is a very comforting dish for cold days. It can be prepared in advanced, just add the cheese and pop the aubergines in the oven. Delicious!


STUFFED AUBERGINES

Ingredientes (4 people)

-2 aubergines (cut in half)
-500 grs. of mince meat
-500 grs.of tomato sauce
-300 grs. of grated cheese
-1 clove of garlic (finely sliced)
-Half onion (finely sliced)
-Olive oil
-Salt and pepper


Preparation
Cut the aubergines in half and scoop out the aubergine "meat". Slice it finely.
 (Keep the aubergines skin to be used as a "plate")a. Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic and onion over low heat for 1 minute. Add the aubergine, season and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes over low heat until it softens. Now add the mince meat, season and cook altogether for about 3 minutes (until the meat is cooked) over médium heat. At this stage add the tomato sauce, mix it all well and over low heat cook for about 3 minutes. Fill the aubergines with the mixture. Put the grated cheese on the top and grill the aubergines in the oven  till the cheese is melted.  Add more grated cheese (like parmesan) if desired.
Perfect with a glass of Rioja wine!!! Enjoy!

FERIA DE ABRIL 2013

Last week we celebrated "Feria de Abril" at home, here, in Ireland (even though we didn´t get Seville´s weather, unfortunately!)

 Anyway, we really enjoyed our "homemade" Feria de Abril and tasted those lovely typical Spanish flavours with a cold beer or a glass of "fino" (sherry).

 

 

In Feria de Abril de most popular food are "tapas": olives, prawns, tortilla de patata (spanish omelette), "flamenquines" (deep fried chicken or pork fillet with peppers), "garbanzos con espinacas" (spinach with chickpeas)....and much more....

And after the lovely tapas more  dancing, drinking and enjoying the "fiesta" with family and friends...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY "APERITIVO" (Appetizer): PATATAS BRAVAS(FRIED POTATOES WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE)

Today is Sunday, the "aperitivo" (appetizer) day for most Spaniards.

Ummmm!!!! I love going for the "aperitivo" on a sunny Sunday  in Madrid with my family and friends before lunch.

That´s why I´m cooking today  one of the most popular "tapas" in Madrid:
"PATATAS BRAVAS" (Fried potatoes with Spicy  Tomato Sauce).

There´s lots of different recipes for this "tapa". Each bar cooks the potatoes and the salsa brava in a different way. This is my easy and quick recipe for the salsa brava.

Ah! Don´t forget that the salsa  brava should be very spicy (if you like it): This is what "brava" means...

Enjoy it with a glass of cold beer!!!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4):

-4 medium size potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
-Olive or sunflower oil to fry the potatoes
-Sea salt

Salsa ingredients:

-Half onion thinly sliced
-3 garlic cloves sliced
-Sieved tomatoes (tinned) 250 grs.
-Sugar (1 tabespoon)
-A bit of salt
-Tabasco (To your taste)

PREPARATION:

-Fry the potatoes in a deep frying pan over low-medium heat.
-For the "salsa brava" put in a frying pan 3 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the onion and garlic over low heat. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and cook it for about 2 minutes, stirring to mix all the ingredients. Then add the tabasco. Put the salsa into a blender and blend until you get a smooth sauce.

Place the potatoes on a plate, season with a bit of sea salt and spoon the "salsa brava" onto the potatoes.Yummy, yummy!!!