Spanish Tortilla

It's a lot like your traditional potato bake, but different.... Just try it :)

Ingredients

500g lady potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon Lupi extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
150g roasted red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika

 

Method

1. Cook potato in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender. Drain. Whisk eggs and milk together in a jug. Season with pepper.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Heat oil in a 5cm-deep, 20cm (base) non-stick, flameproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add potato, capsicum, paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. Gently shake pan to allow egg mixture to evenly spread in pan.

3. Cook, without stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until base and edges are firm. Remove from heat.

4. Place pan under grill. Cook for 5 minutes or until top is golden and set. Serve.

Enjoy!

Roast Spatchcocks with Lentils and Bacon

I like spatchcocks, but a lot of people don't, so you can substitute it for chicken pieces instead if you prefer

Ingredients

2 (about 500g each) spatchcocks
2 tsp olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 bacon rashers, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup (210g) Puy lentils
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock
2 cups (500ml) dry white wine
Lemon thyme leaves
100g baby spinach leaves

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. To prepare the spatchcocks, use kitchen scissors to cut down both sides of the backbone of each spatchcock. Remove backbones. Use a large, sharp knife to cut through the breastbone and slice each bird in half.(Or, alternatively, you can have the butcher cut them into pieces for you)

2. Heat oil in a large flameproof roasting pan over high heat. Add the spatchcock, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bacon and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the lentils and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Place the spatchcock, skin-side up, over the lentil mixture. Sprinkle with lemon thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until chicken and lentils are tender.

4. Place the spinach leaves on plates. Spoon over the lentils and top with the chicken. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Tomato Relish

Who doesn't love a good tomato relish?

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 finely chopped Spanish onion
1 coarsely grated apple
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 1/2 tsp chopped thyme

 

Method

1. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

2. Add 1 finely chopped Spanish onion, 1 coarsely grated apple, 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes and 1/2 tsp ground allspice. Cook, stirring occa-sionally, for 8 minutes. Add 100g brown sugar, 2 tbs red wine vinegar and 400g halved cherry tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.

3. Cool, then stir in 1 1/2 tsp chopped thyme.

Enjoy!

 

Spanish Pork

I am constantly amazed at how much the Spanish love their spices!

Ingredients

1 tbs mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbs baby capers, rinsed, drained
8 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
350g piece pork fillet, trimmed
Cooked broad beans, to serve
Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. To make sauce, whisk together mustard, garlic, capers, olives, parsley, zest, juice, 1 tbs olive oil, pepper to taste and 2 tbs warm water.

2. Heat remaining oil in an ovenproof frypan over high heat and cook pork, turning, for 5 minutes until golden.

3. Place pan in oven for 5 minutes until pork is cooked through. Rest pork for 5 minutes, then slice.

4. Drizzle with the sauce and serve with broad beans.

Enjoy!

Spicy Tomato and Vegetable Soup

This recipe packs quite a kick, calling for harissa which is a fiery north African paste made from dried chillies, garlic, cumin, caraway seeds and tomato paste, and is commonly used in soups, stews and tagines. You can find it in delicatessens and some supermarkets. Halve the amount, or leave it out completely to make this a child friendly recipe.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon harissa (see note)
1 medium carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
200g cauliflower, cut into small florets
800g can diced tomatoes
100g green beans, trimmed, chopped
2 tablespoons couscous 

 

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft. Add harissa. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

2. Add carrot, capsicum, cauliflower, tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Cover and bring to the boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and soup has reduced slightly.

4. Stir in beans and couscous. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until beans are tender. Serve.

Enjoy!

Spanish Tortilla Pie

Really yummy with just a hint of heat. 

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen ready-rolled quiche pastry, partially thawed
400g packet baby potatoes with butter and herbs (available from Woolworths and Coles)
2 (120g each) chorizo sausages, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salad leaves, to serve

Method
1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Grease a 22cm (base) loose-based, fluted flan tin. Line with pastry. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Place tin on a baking tray. Line pastry case with baking paper. Fill with ceramic pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove weights or rice and paper. 

 2. Meanwhile, microwave potatoes following packet directions. Thickly slice. 

3. Reduce oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chorizo, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomato and half the potato (cover remaining potato to keep warm). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tomato starts to soften. Remove from heat. 

4. Spoon chorizo mixture into pastry case. Crack whole eggs over mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until just set. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with salad leaves and remaining potatoes.

 Enjoy!

Sangria

A red wine "punch" that kicks quite a punch!

Ingredients
1 lemon, sliced, seeded
1 orange, sliced, seeded
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
750ml bottle Spanish red wine
60ml (1/4 cup) brandy
500ml (2 cups) soda water

Method
1. Place the lemon and orange slices, sugar, wine and brandy in a jug.

2. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Top up with the soda water and serve.

Enjoy!