My collection of favourite recipes..tried and tested!
This is a filling and healthy Spanish dish. Great with bread or by itself. Can be eaten as a starter or main dish. INGREDIENTS 250 gms (green) lentils 6 cloves garlic 70 gm onion 2 bay leaves 1 Maggi vegetable or chicken cube 1 tsp …
This is my favourite pasta dish and I love to make it because no one else can make it the way I like it! We first had REAL pasta in Rome. Of course Rome, where else! After our trip there in 2005 we really appreciated …
Roasted pimientos or red peppers are a common ingredient in Spanish cooking. They are great in salads and many Tapas are made using roasted pimientos.
On a good day, you might find them bottled or canned in a supermarket. However, its easy to roast your own and freeze them ready to use when you need them.
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.
Keep the peppers whole – cut away the long stalk if any, that’s all. Wash the peppers, dry and wrap them all together loosely in aluminium foil. Place on baking tray and roast for 40 minutes until the peppers collapse.
When they have cooled down enough to touch, peel the skin off. Remove stem and seeds and reserve the juice.
To store, pack in individual containers or Ziploc bags with the juice. When required, defrost and use.
Ensaladilla Rusa (literally – Russian Salad) is a traditional tapa served throughout every region of Spain, with little variation. Nearly every Tapas Bar will serve this colourful salad. A poorly made version will taste like a mouthful of mayonnaise. On the other hand, a well-made …
Bolognese sauce made with 1/2 kg minced beef (See Spaghetti Bolognese) 9 lasagne leaves Shredded Parmesan cheese For the Béchamel: 3 – 4 tbsp butter 1 1/2 tbsp flour 400 – 500 ml fresh or UHT milk salt to taste Prepare the …
Arroz con Leche, literally “rice with milk” is a typical dessert from Spain. It is said that it has Arabic origins because this dessert is also common in Arabian restaurants and homes. There are many ways of making it but this is how we make it….quick and easy.
Preparation time 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Serves 3
1/4 cup pudding rice (any rice will do as long as its not basmati rice)
500 ml fresh milk or UHT milk (you can also use low-fat milk)
2 tbsp sugar
Rind of 1 orange
Cinnamon stick
Cinnamon powder to serve
DIRECTIONS
Lightly wash the rice and place in a non-stick saucepan together with the orange rind, sugar, cinnamon stick and half the milk and cook on medium heat.
Stir often and keep adding the rest of the milk making sure that its always “SOUP not CONGEE”. Simple explanation – don’t let it get thick. If it becomes congee, it will stick to the pan.
When all the milk is used up, allow to gently boil for about 15-20 minutes until the rice is soft. It should be soupy – once it has cooled down it will be come thicker. If its not soupy, add more milk and heat again for awhile.
Remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel and allow it to cool. Once it has cooled down, place in a serving bowl or individual dessert bowls and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
To serve, sprinkle cinnamon powder and decorate with a piece or orange rind or cinnamon stick.
This is our recipe for Bolognese sauce – not necessarily the REAL Italian way of making it. Its how we have made it and how we like it. We also use this Bolognese sauce to make Lasagne. This recipe makes up to 4 servings …
I was looking for a chicken casserole recipe one day and was too lazy to check the internet sites, so I did it "old style"! Looked at the hundreds of recipe books we have and ended up with one of my favourite recipe books from Delia Smith – "Delia Smiths’s Complete Cookery Course". I used to watch Delia’s cooking program on TV in England and she’s a great cook and her recipes are always the best! She has a great website too.
We love this recipe because its very similar to the Spanish "Pollo al Chilindron"…without the serrano ham of course.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2
4 pieces chicken thighs
1 level dessertspoon hot paprika or 1 level tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
6 oz (175 gm) roasted red peppers or pimientos from a jar drained and each pepper roughly sliced into 1 inch (2.5 cm) strips
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ x 560 gm jar chopped tomatoes
¼ pint (150 ml) dry white wine (non-alcoholic)
2 rounded tablespoons crème fraîche (optional)
pinch ground paprika, to serve
salt and freshly milled black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F, (180°C).
You will also need a small flameproof casserole about 4½ pints (2.6 litres) in capacity.
Heat the oil in the casserole over a high heat and season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. When the oil gets really hot and begins to shimmer, fry the chicken thighs to brown them well on all sides; each thigh needs to be a lovely golden brown colour all over.
Using a draining spoon transfer them to a plate and drain away all but about one tablespoon of the fat. Now add the onion to the casserole, turn the heat down and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until they are softened and nicely browned at the edges.
Return the chicken to the pan with the sliced peppers and garlic, then pour in the tomato sauce, the dry white wine and the paprika.
Stir and bring it up to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the casserole from the oven. Swirl in the crème fraîche to give a marbled creamy effect, sprinkle with a little paprika and serve straight from the casserole.
No, I haven’t made this, although I have made the "original" Ratatouille. But I do want to make it the next time an opportunity (a dinner party?) arises. According to Wikipedia: French chef Michel Guérard invented a "Confit Bayaldi" as early as 1976, replacing ratatouille’s …
