Spanish Supermarket Stew

 

Well, that's my name for it.  When we lived in Spain, we used to do a big shop at Carrefour hypermarket, once in a while.  Carrefour is so big that we often spent several hours there and stopped for lunch.  One of my favourites was the beef stew and I think it was a little like this.

 

 

Ingredients:

Chunks of beef for stewing

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped, or if you really like garlic, put a whole bulb cut in two halves.

A small tin of tomato puree

Olive oil for cooking

A red bell pepper, cleaned and sliced

Salt and black pepper

Beef stock

3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

A jar or tin of pre-cooked peas and carrots

1 tablespoon of gravy granules with 200 ml of water

Method:

Cook the beef in a pressure cooker if you have one

Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil (large saucepan)

Add the tomato puree, cooked beef, salt and pepper, vinegar and gravy made up with the water.  Add a beef stock cube and more water if necessary.  When everything is soft, add the red pepper, peas and carrots.  Adjust the thickness of the sauce with more or less stock.

Serve with either a baguette to dip or paprika potatoes sliced in the oven on a tray, cooked for about an hour on 180C.  Or Yorkshire pudding goes nicely with the stew.

Baked Egg Custard

Ingredients    

Use a coffee mug to measure

3/4 of a mug of sugar for the caramel
3/4 of a mug of sugar for the custard
1 dessertspoonful of vanilla essence
8 eggs, beaten
5 mugs of full cream milk

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade.  Gas mark 5.

Melt the first mug of sugar in a pan until caramelised into a golden coloured liquid.  Pour the caramel into a large pyrex bowl.

Beat the eggs with the second mug of sugar.  Add the vanilla essence and the milk, then whisk until thoroughly blended.

Pour the custard onto the caramel.  Place the pyrex bowl inside a much larger ovenproof pan and add hot water to the pan up to 3/4 of the side of the custard.  Cook for 1 hour.  Carefully remove it from the pan, be careful as everything will be very hot.  Leave it to rest until it cools and then place in the fridge for 4 hours to set.

To serve, place a deep dish over the pyrex bowl and invert if you are feeling brave.  Otherwise it can just be served from the pyrex bowl as it is.

Enjoy!!

Arabic Minced Lamb Omelette

I think it is called "Mekloma".  My husband taught me how to make this and his father taught him.

Ingredients

400g of minced lamb
7-8 beaten eggs (medium) or 6 (large)
salt and ground black pepper
A little oil
Lemon to serve

Method

Fry the minced lamb in the oil over a low heat for a few minutes, then add salt and lots of black pepper.  Cover the meat with water and cook for 20 minutes, adding more water if it evaporates.  When the meat is cooked and all the water has evaporated, cover the meat with the beaten eggs, stirring a little with a wooden spoon, so that the eggs sink in and start to cook.  When the eggs are cooked it can be divided into wedges and served with salad or potato wedges.  It is also nice when served cold.

What to do with leftover roast chicken

If you buy a large family size chicken and there is some leftover, here is what I sometimes do with it.

Chicken in cream and pesto sauce with tagliatelle

You will need

The chicken cut into small slices or cubed
An onion peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons of green pesto sauce
Half a carton of either double cream or creme fraiche
A splash of white wine if desired
Olive oil to cook with
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion until translucent in a little olive oil. Add the chicken, pesto sauce, cream, wine if using and the salt and pepper.  Heat through on a low heat for about 10 minutes, about the time the tagliatelle needs to be cooked in boiling water.

Mushrooms would be a good addition if you have some in the fridge or in a tin.

A quick to make stir fry supper

King Prawns in a Wok

After a hard day at the office, who needs to cook something long and complicated when you can throw a few things in a wok for 5 minutes and serve with a microwave or boil in the bag rice packet.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of uncooked prawns (shell on)
3 garlic cloves, cleaned and sliced
lemon and lime juice mixed together or just one of them, if you don't have both
A small glass of wine
A teaspoon of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
A bunch of coriander leaves and parsley leaves, washed, chopped and mixed together
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil or sesame oil
then:
Chillies....this is up to you.  My family cannot tolerate very hot chillies.
A teaspoon of harissa OR
3 fresh chillies, chopped OR
A teaspoon of dried chillies

Method: 

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic with the chillies or harissa.  Fry for one or two minutes before adding the prawns, parsley, coriander, salt, pepper, lemon/lime juice, wine and fish sauce until the prawns turn from grey to pink.


 


If very hungry, you could add this as a side dish.

Ingredients:

A pack or two of ready to wok noodles in the size you prefer
A tin of bamboo shoots as used here or possibly water chestnuts or beansprouts
3 tablespoons of soy sauce

Method:

Add to the ready hot wok the three ingredients and stir fry for a couple of minutes.  Decorate with a few prawns from the main dish.

Chicken livers with red onions

This is a light lunch dish

Ingredients:

250g of chicken livers, washed and cut in half
3 spring onions (scallions), diced
Large glug of extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion
Juice of one lemon
A knob of butter
One tomato
A quarter of a cucumber


Method:

Pour the olive oil into a frying pan with a knob of butter.  Add the spring onions plus half the red onion and fry on a low heat until translucent.  Then add the chicken livers and cook to your taste over a low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add half the lemon juice.

Serve on a plate with the rest of the red onion slices and tomato and cucumber cut into chunks.

Cous cous with capers as a cold salad

Ingredients:

250g of fine cous cous
2 large tomatoes chopped in cubes
Half a cucumber diced
Half a red onion, diced
A handful of parsley, washed and chopped
A handful of mint, washed and chopped
Roughly 15 capers or caperberries
Juice of a whole lemon
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Put the cous cous in a pyrex bowl and pour on 300 mls of boiling water or a light stock.  Leave for 10 minutes then fluff up with a fork.

Meanwhile prepare the other ingredients and place in a pretty serving bowl.  When the cous cous has cooled down, add to the bowl and stir thoroughly.

Great as a side salad with grilled or fried chicken pieces.

Chicken Thighs in a rich tomato sauce

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
6 chicken thighs with skin on, or skinless if you prefer
2 celery stalks, washed and sliced
2 large carrots, washed and sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 oz of butter
A dollop of tomato puree
A tin of good quality tinned tomatoes
A tablespoon of oregano
Some fresh flat leaf parsley, or dry if you don't have fresh to hand
A pepper.  Any colour will do.  I used a yellow one, cut into slices
Salt and pepper to taste
A chicken stock cube
Some pitted black olives

In a wide and deep frying pan, fry the onions in a mixture of olive oil and butter.  Cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes or until translucent.  Then add the chicken thighs (if keeping the skin on, cook until the skin is crispy), sear the chicken until slightly brown, then add the carrots and celery.  Boil a kettle of water.  Put a dollop of tomato puree in the pan and cook down a little in the oil (add more oil if necessary), then add water to cover, salt and pepper.  Then add the chicken stock cube or fresh chicken stock if you prefer.  Add the oregano, chopped parsley (save a little for decoration) and the tinned tomatoes, then stir.  Bring to a boil and stir everything together, then reduce to a simmer for half an hour.  Add the yellow pepper and olives.  Sprinkle with a little fresh parsley

Serve with white rice, or baby potatoes and butter beans with parsley.

Have you tried Ajja? Do you know what it is?

Recipes enjoyed in Spain

Having spent three weeks in Benahavis, a village full of gourmet restaurants just North of Marbella, I got to thinking about the food I used to cook in Spain, taking full advantage of the fresh produce available.

One of the favourites was the North African dish Ajja which can be adjusted according to what is available in the store cupboard. It was a favourite of the workmen who spent many long hours laying tiles around the garden.  They started at 8 a.m. and stopped for a packed lunch of chorizo, cheese and tomato in a large baguette at 10.30 a.m. on the dot.  This "snack" would be accompanied by a glass of red wine or a bottle of strong lager.  Then they would work through until 2 p.m.  Sometimes, I would make Ajja and give them a plate to enjoy with more wine on a table under the massive rubber tree, providing shade from the midday sun.  Here is a photo of the shady area under the rubber tree:-

Recipe for Ajja

 



Ingredients

4 coloured peppers (green and yellow perhaps, but any ones will do) sliced
half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
salt and pepper to your taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
2/3 crushed garlic cloves
2 chopped tomatoes (with skin removed if you can bother)
some cold water
6 beaten eggs
chopped onions (optional)

Pour the olive oil into a non-stick frying pan and add the chorizo sausage.  Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally and when the red coloured oil comes out of the sausage, it is time to add the cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper, garlic and fry for two minutes. Add the tomatoes, a dash of water, followed by the beaten eggs. 

Now is the time to add the sliced peppers if you want them not overcooked.  However if you prefer them a bit mushy, you could add them right at the beginning with some chopped onions.

Stir the eggs and mess it around.....it is more scrambled than omelette.

You can vary this according to taste.....swap the chorizo for minced meat, change the cayenne pepper for harissa paste (just a touch) or tabasco sauce, or if you like HOT food, use all three!

More for Foodies - Egyptian Ful Medames

A great brunch idea for Sunday mornings

Ingredients:

1 tin of Ful Medames (from Middle Eastern shops)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To serve:
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Lemon quarters
Boiled eggs

Put some olive oil into a non stick frying pan.  Add the tin of Ful Medames and crush with a fork.  Heat through slowly.

Serve with quartered boiled eggs and sprinkle both with chopped parsley.

Refreshing side salad x 2

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce
Cucumber
Avocado
Celery
large on the vine tomato

Dressing:

Salt and pepper
Lemon and extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Simply chop all ingredients into similar size cubes and dress with salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil

Ingredients:

Large on the vine tomato
Cucumber
White salad onion (or red)
A few sprigs of coriander

Dressing:

Lemon juice (or lime)
Sea salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil


Method:

Slice the tomato, cucumber and onions into rings.  Chop the coriander into very small pieces.  Add lemon or lime and olive oil as well as sea salt and black pepper.  Give a good stir to coat the ingredients with the dressing.

This is great with an Indian meal.

Quick mid week roast dinner - sorted

Ingredients:

1 small lamb joint
Venezia baby potatoes or any other waxy salad potato
No peel carrots, topped and tailed and cut into chunks, on a slant
Dry thyme
2 oz. of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 leeks, cleaned and sliced in rings
White cabbage, chopped
Creme fraiche
1 large onion
Mushrooms
Bacon
A splash of white wine
Salt and pepper to season

Method:

If you have a rotisserie, then skewer the lamb, brush with olive oil and seasoning.  If not, it will be fine in an ordinary oven heated to 200C.  Turn down to 180C after the first 15 minutes.  This piece weighed 575g so I cooked it for 1 hour.  To have been pink inside, I think 45 minutes plus resting time would have been better.

Whilst the lamb is cooking, the rest is fairly straightforward.  

Mushrooms, bacon, onions in white wine

Peel and slice the onion.  Cut in half and cut into slices and fry in a little butter and olive oil.  Snip the bacon with kitchen scissors and drop the pieces in the pan.  Then slice the mushrooms and add them.  Stir them altogether and cook for about 5 minutes before adding a splash or two of white wine.








 Thyme glazed carrots


 Cook the carrots in salted water until tender.  Drain and return to the pan with a knob of butter, black pepper and thyme.  Simmer for a few minutes until coated.



 Creamy leeks and white cabbage in creme fraiche

Boil the leeks and cabbage in salted water for around 5 minutes, then drain in a colander.  Add a knob of butter to the pan and the creme fraiche, warm gently and return the leeks and cabbage to the sauce with some black pepper.



Venezia potatoes boiled then roasted 

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes until cooked through.  Meanwhile heat some oil in the oven.  Drain the potatoes in a colander and place in the oil.  Return to the oven for half an hour at 200C.

 

 If you aren't keen on lamb it could be replaced by beef or pork. 

My version of minestrone soup

Ingredients:

3 spring onions, cleaned and finely chopped
Olive oil
2 large carrots, cleaned and cubed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
tomato puree, about a tablespoonful
2 teaspoons of green pesto sauce
3 soft tomatoes chopped
A quarter of a green cabbage
Vegetable or chicken stock
Fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of vermicelli

Gently fry the spring onions in a little olive oil.  Then add the carrots, garlic, tomato puree and pesto sauce.  Add about 1 litre of the stock and bring to the boil.  Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes until the carrots are cooked.

Then add the other ingredients, season and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.

You could always add a tin of cannelini beans, celery and such like, if you have them to hand.

Lamb stew with light green courgettes

This makes a nice winter meal served with pure white basmati rice and a chopped mixed salad.

Ingredients

4-6 light green courgettes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 tin of chick peas, washed and drained
1 chicken stock cube
half a kilo of cubed lamb from the leg or the neck
olive oil
salt and pepper

Fry the cubed lamb in a little olive oil until browned.  Add 1 pint of chicken stock, salt and pepper.  Then add the chick peas and courgettes.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about half an hour until the lamb is soft.

Spanish Style Roast Lamb - Castilian - with Potatoes and Onions

This is a popular dish in Spain when eating at home or outside.  Each person is often served a whole baby leg of lamb but a large one between a family will do just as well.

Ingredients:

Large leg of lamb (3-1/2 pounds) or 1.5 kg.
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or dried)
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
A wine glass of white wine
1/2 a pint of water (300 ml)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
Juice of a lemon
6-8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1cm thick rings
2 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings

Method:

Rub the olive oil into the lamb along with the thyme, salt and pepper.  Make slits in the lamb and insert the sliced garlic slivers.  Set aside for about an hour for the lamb to absorb the flavours.

 

Put the onion rings and potatoes in a roasting tin, together with the garlic cloves.

Put the lemon juice, wine vinegar, water and white wine into a pan and bring to the boil.  Pour half over the meat and place in a preheated oven at 230C/450F (gas mark 8) for 15 minutes.

Then reduce the heat to 180C/375F (gas mark 5) and continue to cook allowing 15 minutes per pound if you like it rare or 25 minutes per pound if you like it well done.  Baste with the remain liquid occasionally.

Serve the lamb on a platter with the potatoes and onions.  Green vegetables would be a great accompaniment as would a bottle of Faustino red wine.

Fried Emperador or Swordfish in English

Swordfish is a straightforward way to eat fish without worrying about bones.  The Spanish word for swordfish is emperador.

Ingredients:

2 swordfish steaks
A little olive oil
A few threads of saffron soaked in water or milk
Salt and pepper
Juice of half a lime or lemon

Method:

Pour the olive oil into a shallow frying pan and when warm add the swordfish and fry slowly, adding the salt, pepper and saffron.  After about 4 minutes turn the fish and add the juice of the lime.

Serve with white rice or baby potatoes with fried tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Spanish Style Tuna Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients:

5 eggs, hardboiled and peeled
Half a tin of tuna
1 tablespoon of salad cream or mayonnaise
A dash of salt
Paprika to decorate

Method:

Cut the eggs in half.  Snip a little off the bottom so they sit flat on a plate.  Take the yolks out and place in a bowl to mix with the tuna, salt and salad cream.  Spoon this mixture back into the egg whites and sprinkle with paprika.

As an alternative, mix a little curry paste in the stuffing and leave out the paprika.

A Simple Salmon Salad

When summer is just around the corner, this is good for a light lunch or supper.

Ingredients:

Some lettuce, washed and drained
Cucumber slices
Tomato slices
Mooli (washed, peeled and sliced)
Boiled baby potatoes, cooled and sliced in half
A few olives
2 slices of Haloumi cheese
1 portion of salmon
Juice of half a lemon
Cumin powder
Pickled cucumber
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the salmon in a tin foil parcel....sprinkle with lemon juice, salta and pepper, followed by a teaspoon of cumin powder.  Cook in a preheated over at 180c for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile roll the Haloumi cheese in seasoned flour and fry on a griddle pan with a little olive oil and sprinkle with chopped coriander.  Cook until crispy, about 2 minutes each side.

Serve the salmon and cheese accompanied by the salad ingredients.

Chicken with spinach and egg

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 breasts of chicken, skinned and cubed
Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
2 spoons of curry powder
Half a bag of frozen spinach
Small amount of water to cook with
Salt and pepper to taste
Boiled eggs (1 per person)
A little oil to fry

Put a little oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions, until translucent.  Then add the chicken and cook until sealed.  Add the curry powder, salt and pepper and stir together.  Then add the chopped tomatoes with a little water to cover the meat.  Leave to simmer for half an hour before adding the spinach and peeled boiled eggs.  Simmer on a low heat for another 10 minutes and serve with slices of toast.

A Simple Chicken and Pasta Dish

3 chicken breasts, skinned and cubed
1 onion peeled and chopped finely
Half a tube of tomato puree
1 tin of good quality chopped tomatoes such as Napolina
Heaped teaspoon of oregano
Heaped teaspoon of Provencal herbs
A bag of penne pasta, or fusilli
1 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A little oil to fry

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or big saucepan.
Saute the onion until transparent.
Add the chicken and seal for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the tomato puree and cook through for a minute.
Add sufficient water to cover the chicken and onion, the tinned tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper.
Leave to simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens a little.

Meanwhile boil a large pan of water with a splash of salt and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Drain the pasta and add to the tomato and chicken sauce.  Mix together and serve with a side salad and crusty bread.