THAI GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

Let’s make a Thai Green Chicken Curry today. And we will make our own green curry paste. You can buy delicious Thai curry pastes, it is true. But we will make ours from scratch. It is not difficult. And it will be rewarding.

Ingredients:

Thai Green Paste:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
12 black peppercorns
12 small dried shrimp or 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
20 Thai green chillies
2 shallots
1 lemon grass stalk
3 kaffir lime leaves
Some grated kaffir rind
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal (or ginger, if you cannot get galangal)
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Chicken Curry:

1 big chicken breast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ chopped onion
½ cup cubed squash
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 chopped carrot
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tomato
1 teaspoon fish sauce
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

First we will make our green paste. We will take the cumin and the coriander seeds and we will dry-roast them in a pan. Be careful, do not burn the seeds. Once this is done, put them in a mortar and grind them along with the peppercorns and the dried shrimp.
Prepare the green chillies. You will have to remove the seeds and chop them a bit. Now we will start mixing all the green paste ingredients in a blender. We will chop the shallots and lemon grass and then we will put them in the blender. We will do the same with the kaffir lime leaves, the galangal and the garlic. We will add the grated kaffir rind. Now we can blend a little. After this, we will add the rest of the ingredients for our paste: the green chillies, the mix with cumin, coriander, dried shrimp and peppercorns. We will blend again and then we will add some sugar, some salt to taste and some vegetable oil. We have to use the oil to get a delicious green paste, so use it to get the paste to your taste. And with this we will have our green paste.
Now we will start with the curry. We will cut the chicken the way we want, cubes, strips, it is up to you. We will prepare the vegetables too.
Then, in a wok, we will heat the vegetable oil. Once it the oil is hot, we will start cooking our ingredients. First, the onion, the carrot and the green pepper. A couple of minutes later we will add the chicken to the wok. Stir continuously, that is always a good idea. You can add some extra garlic and galangal (or ginger) now. We have these ingredients in the paste but it would be good to add some more.
We will add now the fish sauce. And then we will add the mushrooms and the squash. A minute later we will add the green paste, two or three tablespoons, to your taste. We will stir and mix everything and then we will add the tomato cut in little pieces.
Now is when we can add the coconut milk. We will cook our curry very gently now. It is the time to add the lime juice and the chopped cilantro.
We can add some other ingredients. For example we can add some peanuts and bamboo shoots. Do this when u add the chicken to the wok. A good touch is adding some basil, Thai basil if you can get it. Add it when you add the fresh cilantro. We will have our Thai Green Chicken Curry ready now. You just have to serve it with some Thai Jasmine rice. And enjoy your Thai Green Chicken Curry cooked with your own Thai Green Paste!

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SWEET POTATO CHIPS

More vegetarian. Why not cooking some Sweet Potato Chips. Everyone likes chips. Today, instead of cooking regular potato chips I will use sweet potatoes, something different and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some salt to taste

We do not really need many ingredients for this recipe. Just sweet potatoes, oil and some salt. We will use extra virgin olive oil. I do not think I have to tell you why.
Sweet potatoes are very common in the United States. In Spain are not used much, to tell the truth. And it is a pity, because sweet potatoes are very good vegetables.
Our recipe is very easy. We will peel the sweet potatoes first and then, using a mandoline, we will make thin slices. Then we will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan. The next thing is frying the potatoes in several batches. Make sure they are well done and add some salt to taste. Leave the chips on kitchen paper towel to get rid of the oil they might have. You can serve them with your favourite dishes, burgers, chicken… Now is up to you. Enjoy!

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FRIED CAULIFLOWER

Vegetarian today. Indian influences, Indian spices. Something very healthy. And very easy to make. I like this recipe because is a different way of eating cauliflower. Those who do not like this vegetable will find it interesting.

Ingredients:

½ cauliflower
2 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
Some freshly ground black pepper
Some salt to taste
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
Some vegetable oil

First we will cut the cauliflower in little pieces. The next step is steaming them for five minutes. Once this is done, we will drain the cauliflower.
In a container we will mix the eggs, the milk, the pepper and the salt.
Now, using a pan without any oil, we will toast the cumin seeds gently. Do not let them get burnt. It is important to shake the pan with the cumin seeds. When they start to get brown remove the pan from the heat.
Now we will add half of the seeds to the container with the eggs and the milk. We will mix this well. Then we will add the cauliflower pieces to the mixture. And then we will fry pieces of cauliflower and egg mixture in a frying pan with hot oil. We may need to do this in several batches.
Finally, add the rest of the cumin seeds, pepper and salt to taste. And enjoy your Fried Cauliflower.

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CRAB & SPAM TERRINE

Cooking with Spam? Why not? It is not the best meat but if you mix it with good ingredients, you can get something delicious. This is what I will try.

Ingredients:

1 can Spam (or similar)
1 can crab soup
Some extra virgin olive oil
1 green onion
¼ cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 eggs
12 shrimp
Some freshly ground black pepper

First we will prepare the vegetables. We will chop the celery, the green onion and the garlic. In a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil we will sauté the vegetables, starting with the celery and leaving the green onion and the garlic for the last moment. We will turn the heat off and then we will add the shrimp.
We will pour the crab soup in a container and then we will add the Spam. We will mix it so that we get a paste. Then we will add the vegetables and the shrimp to the container. We will beat the eggs and add them to the container, mixing everything well. You do not need to add any salt. Canned food contains already a lot of salt.
Then we will poor the mix in a terrine mold. And that terrine mold in an oven tray which will contain some water. So we will use a bain-marie to cook our terrine. We will take both the terrine mold and the oven tray to a preheated oven to 350ºF for about 60 minutes. Once it is ready, we will have to let it cool for a while. When it is cool, we will remove our dish from the terrine mold. And you will only have to slice it and serve it. A delicious Spam terrine!

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CORNED BEEF

Another classic. Wonderful beef. With vegetables. For sandwiches. Lots of possibilities. You can buy your canned corned beef but I am going to show you how to cook your own Corned Beef. You will find it far more delicious. It will be something different.

Ingredients:

1 corned beef brisket
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
2 potatoes
1 carrot
12 mushrooms
1 bottle of beer
Some water
Some salt to taste
Some freshly ground black pepper

I normally use my pressure cooker to cook my Corned Beef. It is fast ant it works very well.
First we will prepare the vegetables. We will peel the potatoes and the carrot. Then we will cut them in little pieces. We will cut the mushrooms as well.
Once everything is ready, we will put the beef brisket in the pressure cooker. We will put the beer and some water so that the meat is almost covered. We will add the bay leaves and the thyme now. Then we will close the pressure cooker and following the directions of the cooker maker, we will let the brisket cook for 30 minutes, starting counting when the pressure cooker begins to steam. At that moment you will have to lower the temperature.
Once the brisket has been cooking for 30 minutes, we will open the cooker and then we will add the rest of the ingredients: the potatoes, the carrot, the mushrooms and the black pepper. We will add some salt to taste as well.
We will close the pressure cooker again and cook for 30 more minutes. And then, after those 30 minutes, our Corned Beef will be ready. We will open the cooker again and remove the liquid. Now, just cut the Corned Beef in thin slices, always against the grain. And finally, serve it with the vegetables. Your own Corned Beef. What a difference!

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ANCHOAS EN VINAGRE

More anchovies! One of the tapas you can find anywhere in Spain. I really miss those tapas, those authentic Spanish tapas you can enjoy in the bars in Spain. And I love anchovies. And vinegar, olive oil and garlic. What else can you ask for?

Ingredients:

20 anchovies
1 teaspoon dill herb
Some red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Spanish pimentón (paprika)
Some salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Some extra virgin olive oil

First of all we will prepare the anchovies. This time I used frozen anchovies. It is important to do something if you used them fresh. It is a bit risky to eat uncooked fish, so I think that it is a good idea to freeze the anchovies before we prepare our Anchoas en Vinagre. Then it will be safe to eat them without using heat to cook them.
We will have to remove head, bones and guts from the anchovies. You also have to remove the sort of spine they have on their back.
Once the anchovies are clean, we will put them in a container. We will add the dill herb, the pimentón and the red wine vinegar, just to cover all the anchovies. We will close the container and put it in the fridge. The anchovies should be for some hours in the fridge. I would say that the best option is having them in the fridge overnight. To serve them, just remove the anchovies from the container and add the chopped garlic and the extra virgin olive oil. Add some salt to taste and if you want, you can also add some chopped parsley. And enjoy them! I will!

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APFELSTRUDEL

Apples. Apfelstrudel is a kind of apple pie from Austria. You can find apple pies everywhere. Many countries have their own recipes. I tried this Apfelstrudel and I found it really good. If you like apples and if you like apple pies, believe me, you will love it.

Ingredients:

2 apples
1 puff pastry sheet
Some flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
2-3 ounces unsalted butter
Some lemon juice
Some breadcrumbs
Some milk
Some confectioner’s sugar

First we will start preparing the apples. We will peel them and then we will cut them in little slices. Then we will put the apple slices in a sieve that will be inside a big bowl. We will add the granulated sugar and mix well. Leave the apples there for an hour. This will make the apples lose some of their juice.
Once the apples have been there for an hour, remove the juice from the bowl and put the apple slices in the same bowl. Now we will add the vanilla extract, the cinnamon and the raisins. Mix well and reserve.
And now we will prepare the puff pastry. I use frozen puff pastry because it is very useful. You have to thaw it first and then extend it with a rolling pin. It is a good idea to use some flour to make this.
Once the puff pastry is ready, we will put the sheet in a greased oven tray. On top of the sheet we will put the apple mixture. Add some breadcrumbs now. We will add the butter and the lemon juice. The butter will be spread over the apples. Then we will close the puff pastry with the apples inside. Brush the pastry with some milk and take it to the preheated oven to 350ºF for 30-35 minutes. Once again, when using your oven, you have to be careful. Check it because every oven is different. Once it is done, let it cool for a while and dust it with some confectioner’s sugar and serve. And enjoy it! You will love it.

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BOQUERONES AL AJILLO

Anchovies! Another delicious tapa from Spain. Easy, delicious and very rewarding. And of course, garlic and olive oil.

Ingredients:

12 anchovies
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Some salt to taste
1 cayenne pepper
Some extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon parsley

Anchovies are delicious. If you can get fresh anchovies, that will be great. You will have to clean them thoroughly. Remove head, bones and guts from the anchovies. It is not difficult. When you are cleaning them, do not forget to remove a sort of spine they have on their back. If you get them frozen, they will normally be a bit cleaned. However it is a good idea to check and clean them properly. After cleaning the anchovies, dry them thoroughly.
Once the anchovies are clean, we will prepare the garlic and the cayenne pepper. We will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and then we will sauté the garlic and the cayenne pepper. Very lightly.
Then we will add the anchovies. We will cook them for some minutes. Make sure you turn them over so that they are properly cooked. It will not take long.
Finally we will only have to add some chopped parsley and serve. When you serve them, just add some extra virgin olive oil and some salt to taste. And enjoy your boquerones!

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LASAGNA

Pasta! A dish with lots of possibilities. I will cook a simple Lasagna. But of course, if you use your imagination, you can create your own Lasagna. It is a bit of work, but it is worth it. Let’s cook it.

Ingredients:

9 lasagna slices
Some drops of oil for cooking the pasta
A pinch of salt for cooking the pasta
½ lb ground beef
Some tomato sauce
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
¼ cup chopped red pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
Some salt to taste
Some freshly ground black pepper
6 cheddar cheese slices
1 cup ricotta cheese
Some olive oil
Some milk
Some flour
A pinch of nutmeg
Some grated cheddar cheese
Some grated parmesan cheese
Some grated romano cheese

First we will make our pasta. We will heat quite a lot of water and prepare the lasagna slices. Remember to put some oil and salt in the water. Once the pasta is cooked, after having cooked it according to the package directions, drain it and reserve.
Now we will prepare our tomato and ground beef sauce. You can start from scratch if you want but I will start using some tomato sauce previously prepared, at least in part.
First I cook the ground beef a bit. When it starts to get cooked, I add the tomato. To the sauce I normally add some chopped vegetables. They have to be really finely chopped. The vegetables I add are onion, green pepper, red pepper and garlic. Do not forget to add some spices to the sauce. Thyme, rosemary and oregano are perfect for the sauce. Put some black pepper and salt to taste too.
Once the sauce is ready, we can start layering our lasagna. First we will take a greased tray and we will put a layer of lasagna slices. On top of that we will put a layer of our tomato and ground beef sauce. Then we put the six cheddar cheese slices. Now another layer of lasagna slices. Then we will spread the ricotta cheese. On top of it, we will put another layer of the tomato and ground beef sauce. And then another layer of lasagne slices.
Now we will prepare the béchamel sauce. We will put two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and when it is a bit hot, we will add three tablespoons of flour. We will stir continuously. Then we will add some milk, little by little. We can add the nutmeg now. We will add more milk if we see that our sauce needs it. We want a creamy sauce, not too thick. When it is done, remove it from the fire. Finally we will top our lasagna with the béchamel sauce. We will put the cheddar, the parmesan and the romano cheeses on top of the béchamel and the lasagne is ready for the oven. This must be preheated to 375ºF. Our lasagna will be ready in 10 or 15 minutes. You only will have to enjoy it.

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MEATBALL CURRY

More meatballs! This time with an Indian influence. A delicious Meatball Curry that will show you that meatballs can be served in many ways, with different flavours and different influences. To make the meatballs tastier we will mix the meat with some spices that will turn our meatballs into something really good. Don’t forget the cardamom. My favourite spice!

Ingredients:

8 green cardamom pods (without the pods)
12 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves
½ cinnamon stick
A little piece of star aniseed
A pinch of asafoetida
1 red chilli
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
½ lb ground lamb or ground beef
1 egg
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 big potato
Some flour
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup green beans
½ cup squash
½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 small chopped tomato
1 chopped green onion
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
Some cooked basmati rice

Curries are very rewarding. The same as meatballs. Let’s make a rewarding curry then.
We will start preparing the spices. In a mortar we will grind the cardamom seeds, the peppercorns, the coriander, the cumin, the cloves, the cinnamon, the star aniseed and the red chilli. We will add the asafoetida to this mix.
Now we will mix the meat, some salt, half the spice mix, the egg, the breadcrumbs, half the garlic and half the ginger in a container. We will mix this so that we get a consistent mix. If we need it, we can add more breadcrumbs.
As for the potato, we will peel it and cut it in small pieces. Then we will boil these potato pieces. When they are ready, we will reserve them.
Now we will start making our meatballs. We will shape our meatballs with the help of some flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs. They do not need to be completely cooked because we will finish cooking them later. When they are brown, reserve them on kitchen paper towel.
Now we will take a wok and heat some oil in it, not much. When the oil is hot, we will sauté the onion and the green pepper. A bit later we will add the squash, the green beans and the mushrooms. When this is a bit done, we will add the rest of the spice mix and the rest of the garlic and ginger. Of course, it is important to be stirring and moving the wok. Now we will add the tomato and after one minute, we can add the coconut milk and the turmeric. Stir and add the potatoes that we had reserved.
Finally we will add the meatballs to the wok. We will let them simmer at a low temperature for some minutes. Just before serving, add the cilantro, the lime juice and the green onion. Add some salt to taste if necessary. Serve with basmati rice if you want. And enjoy your Meatball Curry!

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CHAMPIÑONES AL AJILLO

Simple but delicious. A tapa you can find in many places in Spain. Easy to make, easy to eat. Little mushrooms grilled and seasoned with olive oil, garlic and parsley, three favourite ingredients in Spain.

Ingredients:

Some fresh mushrooms
Some drops of lemon juice
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some parsley
2 cloves of chopped garlic
Some salt

The first thing we will do is to clean the mushrooms. We have to do this carefully. We will remove the stalk of the mushrooms and then we will clean them with a wet cloth. Now we will put the mushrooms in a bowl with water and some drops of lemon juice. After doing this, it is very important to dry the mushrooms completely.
Then we can prepare the dressing for our mushrooms. We will mix the garlic, the parsley and the salt with the extra virgin olive oil. Now we will heat a grill pan and when it is hot, we will put the mushrooms on it. We will put some of the dressing on the mushrooms. We will let them cook for a couple of minutes and then we will turn the mushrooms back adding more dressing on them. We will let them finish cooking two more minutes and we will have our Champiñones al Ajillo ready. And now enjoy!

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GUMBO

More from New Orleans. I love that city and its food. This time we will cook one of its masterpieces, despite its humble origins. Gumbo is a delicious soup that can be cooked in many ways and with a great variety of ingredients. You can have seafood gumbo, chicken gumbo or endless combinations of what you have at hand. I will cook a chicken and shrimp gumbo.

Ingredients:

½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup flour
Some salt to taste
2 tablespoons frozen corn
½ cup sliced okra
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove of chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green pepper
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon thyme
Some file powder
Some hot water, beer or broth
1 small cubed tomato
1 chicken breast
20 small shrimp, peeled
1 green onion
2 cups cooked rice

First we will have to make a sort of roux. We will put the oil in a pan and will heat it. When it is hot, we will add flour little by little, stirring continuously. This is important so that it does not get burned. You have to get a brown colour in your roux.
When the roux is ready, after ten minutes or so, we will add the onions, the celery and the green pepper. We will sauté them for a while. Then we will add the corn, the okra and the garlic. Just a bit later, we will add the chicken, cut in little pieces. We will let the chicken be cooked for a while and then we will add our liquid. You can add a bottle of your favourite beer. Make sure it is not cold. And you have to add some hot water or broth. The quantities depend on your taste. Some people like their gumbo thick, some like it more watery. You decide. But do not add too much liquid at the beginning. If you need it, you can always add it later.
A delicious option is to add an Andouille sausage cut in slices. It is really delicious. If you want to add it, this is the moment.
Now we can add the tomato and the spices. Add salt to taste.
Finally, we will add the shrimp and let it cook for a while, not too long. Add the chopped green onion and our Gumbo will be ready.
You can, you should, serve your Gumbo with some cooked rice. You can add the rice you want to your Gumbo.
If you want your Gumbo thicker, you can add some file powder to your bowl. And, of course, make your Gumbo with your favourite ingredients. You can add crabs, crawfish, the fish you want… You can season it with your favourite Louisiana sauce. I like it with a garlic Louisiana sauce. The possibilities are immense. Yummy!

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BEEF RENDANG

We come back to Asia. We will cook a delicious Rendang. A curry-like dish popular in Indonesia and Malaysia. We will need time to cook it and we will have to do it slowly but the result is great.
In fact Rendang is not a curry. The secret of Rendang is to cook it slowly and get rid off most of the liquid.
Let’s make it.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons flake unsweetened coconut
½ pound beef, cut into little cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup chopped onion or shallot
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 dried red chilli peppers
1 tablespoon lemon grass (from a tube, or use fresh if you can get it)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon sugar
Some salt, to taste
3 cloves
½ cinnamon stick
1 cup coconut milk
Some water

First we will dry-roast the flake unsweetened coconut in a wok. We will stir continuously being careful so that we do not burn the coconut. When the coconut is golden brown, we will reserve the coconut.
Next we will take a food processor and we will blend the onion or shallot, the ginger, the garlic, the chilli peppers and the lemon grass. We must get a paste. We will reserve it.
Now we will grind the cumin, the fennel, the coriander and the nutmeg in a mortar.
And now we will take the wok and we will start cooking the paste from the food processor. You do not need to use too much oil. In a couple of minutes we can add the spices from the mortar. It is important to be stirring continuously. Cook for three minutes. Then, we will add the beef and let it cook for some minutes over medium heat till it gets browned. Now we will add the sugar, the cloves, the cinnamon stick, the coconut milk and the roasted coconut. We will bring to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer. We can add some water if we see that the beef needs it to be cooked properly. Our Beef Rendang will be ready when the beef is tender and the liquid is almost gone. It is a slow process, give it one hour at least. Remember we must be simmering it. You can serve it with some rice and steamed vegetables. Really good.

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BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

A delicious surprise for me. This is one of my favourite American recipes. I have to admit that I was not a broccoli lover. But now, I find it good. This recipe is wonderful. I discovered it as a side in a Southern restaurant and then, of course, I had to try to make it. And it is good, and not very difficult indeed. It is delicious. I love these American casseroles.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
2 cups broccoli
1 cup celery
1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10.5 oz can cream of celery soup
1 tablespoon butter
1 green onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Some salt to taste
Some Cheddar cheese

As we are using broccoli, the procedure will be different depending on if you use fresh or frozen broccoli. If you use it fresh, you will have to cook it longer. I normally use frozen broccoli, it is really good. But of course, you can have it fresh.
First I boil the broccoli, cut in little pieces. I also boil the celery, cut in little pieces as well, as I use it frozen too. Once this is ready I remove the water and reserve.
You will also have to prepare the rice. You can prepare it the way you normally use. Once this is done, reserve.
And now we will take a big pan and heat the butter. We will cook the green onion cut in little pieces. We will add the garlic later. If you use fresh celery, you should fry it now along with the green onion and the garlic.
Now we will add the contents of the two cans to the pan, the cream of mushroom soup and the cream of celery soup. We will let it cook for a while and then we will add the Cheddar cheese. We will stir continuously and when the cheese is melted, we can add the rice and the broccoli, and the celery in case you have boiled it with the broccoli. Mix well. We can taste it and add some pepper and salt to taste.
You can serve it like this but you can also put the contents in another container suitable for the oven. If you do this, after having moved the Broccoli Casserole to this new container, spread some more cheese over it and bring it to a preheated oven to 350ºF until the cheese melts. And enjoy. It is a delicious side but you can also eat it as your main course.

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CHICKEN ALMOND CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

We come back to India. This is a delicious recipe from Bengala. Something not very complicated but really delicious. Chicken, almonds, coconut and spices, of course.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast
2 tablespoons oil
Some salt
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1 tablespoon flaked unsweetened coconut
½ cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground chilli powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
5 green cardamoms
1 dry red chilli
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

The first thing we will do is to dry-roast the almonds and the flaked unsweetened coconut. The almonds must be peeled and then ground. We have to be careful. We must not burn the almonds and the coconut. We have to be stirring continuously and when the almonds and the coconut start to become brown, we will remove them from the fire. We do this to get more flavour. We will put the almonds and coconut in a bowl. Then we will add the coconut milk to the bowl. Along with the coconut milk we will add the ground coriander, the ground chilli powder, the ginger, the garlic and some salt. We will mix it well.
Now we will start cooking the chicken. Previously we will have cubed it. We will heat the oil in a wok and when it is hot, we will add the chicken, the cardamoms and the bay leaf. We will cook it for about three minutes, stirring continuously.
Then we will add the mixture in the bowl and we will lower the heat. Now we will add the dry red chilli and the cilantro. We will cover the wok and let it cook for 15 minutes. We can stir the chicken from time to time.
Finally, we will uncover, stir and let it cook three more minutes. And the chicken is ready. We can serve it with basmati. Enjoy.

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MEATBALLS IN ALMOND SAUCE

A wonderful recipe from Spain. And a wonderful recipe from my childhood. I remember my grandma cooking it. Then it was my mom’s turn. And now it is my turn. I hope it will also be yours from now on. You will enjoy it a lot.

Ingredients:

¼ lb ground beef
¼ lb ground pork
1 egg
1 slice of bread
Some flour
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
A pinch of salt
1-2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Some extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons ground almonds

Meatballs in Almond Sauce! When you taste them, you will love them.
First we will prepare the meat for the meatballs. But before we will take the slice of bread and shred it. Then we will have to mix the ground beef and the ground pork with the egg, the bread, half of the garlic, one teaspoon of parsley, some salt, some milk, the black pepper and the cinnamon. And now we will shape our meatballs. To do that we will take a piece of the mixture, and with the help of some flour we will make the meatballs. We will heat some oil in a pan and fry the meatballs. It is important that the oil is hot and we have to make sure that the meatballs do not break. Stir the meatballs in the pan but do this gently. Once they are done, remove them from the pan and keep them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of the oil they might have.
Now we will work on our almond sauce. First, if there is too much oil in the pan, we will remove some. Then we will add some flour to the pan. We will stir the flour so that it cooks. Be careful. We do not want it to burn. Then we will have ready a mixture with the ground almonds, the other half of the garlic and one teaspoon of parsley. We will add that to the pan now. We will keep on stirring and we will be adding warm water little by little to get the sauce we want. When the sauce is almost ready, we will add the meatballs to the pan and will let them simmer for a while before serving.

And now, just enjoy your meatballs in almond sauce.

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MARMITAKO

A fish stew from Spain. This is a delicious fish stew that Basque fishermen cooked themselves in the boat. They fished for tuna and bonito and made it their meal. Fresh fish, for sure. And good vegetables. Potatoes, peppers, garlic… Really delicious. I cannot avoid envying those fishermen eating their tuna and potato stew. But we can cook it too. Let’s do it.

Ingredients:

1 pound tuna, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Some tomato sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cayenne pepper
Some extra virgin olive oil

To cook our Marmitako, first we will cube the tuna. Then we will sear the tuna for a while in a pan with hot oil. We will reserve the tuna. The next step will be to cook the onion and the green pepper in the same pan. Two minutes later we will add the diced potatoes and the garlic. Then we will let this cook for five minutes. Now it is the moment to add the tomato sauce, not too much. We will add the spices now: parsley, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, salt and pepper. We will add some water now, just to cover our stew. We will turn down the fire and cook it for about 20 minutes. At the last moment we will add the tuna. And in a couple of minutes we will have our Marmitako ready. Delicious!

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SPAGHETTI PESTO

Pasta and pesto! Pasta is good. Everybody likes it. And pesto! It is a wonderful sauce. I have to admit that basil is, maybe, my favourite herb. We will make our own pesto. It is not difficult.

Ingredients:

½ package spaghetti
Some drops of extra virgin olive oil for the pasta
Some salt to cook the pasta
Enough water to cook the pasta
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Some salt for the pesto
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for the pesto
¼ cup parmesan cheese

I guess you know how to prepare pasta. So I will not say much about it. Heat some water. Bring it to a boil. Add some salt and oil. And add the pasta, of course. Have the pasta boiling for the minutes the package says and once it is ready, drain it and reserve.
Now we will prepare our pesto. It is good to do it in a mortar. We will mix the garlic, the basil leaves, the salt, the black pepper, the cheese and some of the olive oil. If you want, you can add some parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese as well. We will work on it for a while and then we will add half the pine nuts. We will mix it and finally we will add the rest of the olive oil and pine nuts. Now, just a gentle mixing, try it and fix it according to your taste. And now we just have to mix the pesto sauce with the pasta. We will put everything in a pan, mix it and heat it for a while. A drop of olive oil will not do any harm. And just enjoy!

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PORK IN TOMATO SAUCE

A Spanish recipe. One that brings back to my memory home meals.
It is an easy recipe. The main ingredient is pork. Then tomato sauce. It is simple but delicious.

Ingredients:

1 pound pork loin chops
Some flour
Some salt
Some extra virgin olive oil
½ green pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Some tomato sauce
2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano

First we will coat the pork with some flour, but not too much. We will put some salt to the meat too. Once this is done, we will start frying the meat in a pan with hot oil. A bit later we will add the green pepper, which will be cut in little pieces. We will keep on frying and then we will add the garlic to the pan. When we see that the meat is almost ready, we will add some tomato sauce that we will have prepared previously. At this moment we will also add the red pepper and the herbs. We just have to let it finish for a while at medium heat. Easy, isn’t it? But delicious. Enjoy.

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THREE-FLOUR BREAD

Who doesn’t like bread? I really love it. And I love baking my own bread. I haven’t bought much bread since I got my bread machine. I bake almost all the bread I eat.
You can make the kind of bread you prefer. You can mix flours. You choose. Your bread is yours!
I will show you how I bake my three-flour bread. You do not need to use mother dough, although the results would be better. You can do something else instead. But first, the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 cup and 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon powder milk
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup bread flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons “old dough”
2 teaspoons yeast

I make my bread with a bread machine. I put the ingredients in the machine. First the water, then the oil, the sugar, the powder milk and the salt. I mix the three flours in a bowl and then I add it to the machine. As for the salt, what you can do, instead of using regular salt is using some seasoned salt. By doing this you can give your bread a different touch.
As I told you, I will not use mother dough this time. What I do is the following. Every time I make bread, I keep a small piece of dough apart. I take it from the dough once it has risen. I keep it covered in the fridge so that I can add it in my next bread. You can even freeze it. That starts the dough for your bread.
Let’s go on with our bread. Add the piece of old dough to the machine. Then make a little hole in the flour and poor the yeast there.
Now we will select the program to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. Once the cycle is over, we will let the dough rest in the machine for 60 more minutes. Then we will prepare a tray, grease it a bit and take the dough from the machine to make three loaves. This is important. When we do this, we do not have to knead the dough again, just shaping the loaves without manipulating the dough too much. Then we will let them rest for 30 more minutes. Of course, you can shape your loaves the way you want. You can make small rolls if you want. It is completely up to you.
Now it is the time to bake. We will have the oven preheated to 425ºF. I also put a tray with a bit of water in a lower rack of the oven. This is in order to add some humidity to our bread. In principle, the bread will be in the oven about 25 minutes, but this will change according to the oven you use, so you will have to be careful about this. What I also do is turning over the loaves when these have been in the oven for 15 minutes or so. This will help the loaves to be done evenly.
When the bread is done, I turn off the oven but I leave the loaves in it for a while with the over door open. Now you only have to enjoy your bread. Believe me, once you bake your first bread you will not be able to stop.

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MUSTARD SALMON

Fish. Salmon. Today I will cook salmon. This is a quick recipe. Very useful when you are in a hurry. You just need a can of salmon. I make my mustard salmon with a can of salmon but if you can get fresh salmon, you will have to cook it further. Then mustard. I love mustard. A great combination.

Ingredients:

1 can of salmon
3 tablespoons cooked peas
Some extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice

First we will remove the bones from the salmon. The bones in canned salmon are not hard but I think it is a good idea to remove them. You can keep them, though. If you keep them, your salmon will have more calcium, which is always good for your health. Then we will mix the salmon with all the other ingredients. We will mix them well but trying not to squash the cooked peas. We will put this in an oven tray, previously greased. And then we will take it to the oven, preheated to 350ºF, for just 5 minutes. Serve it warm and enjoy.

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MEAT LOAF

An American staple. I love meat loaf. It is a very rewarding dish. And it is easy to make. I am sure many of you have your own way of cooking meat loaf. I have my way too. I use a flour wheat tortilla in my meat loaf. I cut it in little pieces and add it to the rest of the ingredients. It is something different. You can do it if you want.

Ingredients:

½ lb ground beef
½ chopped green pepper
½ chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Some oil
Some salt
1 flour wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
½ cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons tomato sauce or ketchup
1 beaten egg
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cilantro

When I came to America I fell in love with Meat Loaf. It was a simple recipe. You could even do it your way. But it was always good. And I made it mine.
I do not like my meat loaf to be just meat so I add vegetables to make it a bit different. And the tortilla too, of course.
First I sauté the onion and the green pepper. We will add the garlic at the last moment, sauté a bit and remove the pan from the stove. Let it cool for while. Then we will mix the rest of the ingredients but reserving some of the cheese. Mix everything well adding the onion, the green pepper and the garlic as well. I like adding the tomato sauce or the ketchup to the mix. This makes a creamier meat loaf. But if you want, you can pour the tomato over the meat. Or you can do both things. And then the only thing you have to do is to put the meat loaf in a greased tray. You will have a preheated oven to 350ºF and will cook your meat loaf for about 60 minutes. To finish the dish, we will add the rest of the cheese five minutes before turning off the oven. Serve hot and add some tomato sauce or ketchup if you want. And enjoy.

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PINCHITOS MORUNOS

Pinchitos, Kebabs, Kabobs, Brochettes… Food on skewers. Grilled, boiled, even roasted. They are popular in many countries. And delicious. I will make my own pinchitos. This is the way we call them in Spain. Pinchitos Morunos. Moorish Kebabs in English. They are called like this because Arabs were the first ones to introduce this delicacy in Spain. My pinchitos are pork pinchitos, something that Arabs, of course, would never do. Mix of cultures. This is one of the many things I like about food. You can mix cultures, you can mix ingredients. You can adapt a good recipe to your culture. And that is what pinchitos morunos are. Of course, you can adapt your pinchitos as well. Use lamb, beef or even chicken. Use vegetables too: red or green pepper, tomato… Use your imagination.

Ingredients:

1 pound pork, cubed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

First we will marinate the meat. To do this we will put the pork in a container. And then the rest of the ingredients. We will mix well, cover the container and put it in the refrigerator for at least four hours. If you let it marinate overnight, it will be really good. The longer, the better. I use the oven to make my pinchitos. You, of course, can grill or barbecue them. They will be good no matter how you do it. You can use metal or wooden skewers. If you use wooden skewers, you should wet them before threading the pork. That will prevent them from burning. Take the skewers and thread the pork. Put the skewers with the meat on the sides of the tray so that they do not touch the bottom of the tray. When you are doing it, put every piece of garlic and ginger onto the pieces of pork. We want to make the most of every piece of garlic and ginger. And now to the oven, which must be preheated to 400ºF. You will cook your pinchitos for about 30 minutes. And enjoy. They are perfect served with a Couscous Salad. You can serve some mayonnaise sauce as well.

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COUSCOUS SALAD

A delicacy. And something very easy to make indeed. Healthy, good for vegetarians. A perfect accompaniment to other dishes.
Now that you can find precooked couscous very easily, nobody has an excuse not to cook it. If you have not tried it, you will love it. If you have tried it before, you know what I am talking about.

Ingredients:

1 cup precooked couscous
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout
¼ cup chopped onion or green onion
¼ cup chopped squash
¼ cup frozen corn
¼ cup chopped carrot
¼ cup chopped green pepper
¼ cup chopped lettuce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
½ teaspoon chopped basil leaves

First we will prepare the vegetables. We will cut them in little pieces. Then we will sauté onions, carrots and green pepper in a pan. Five minutes later we will add the squash, the corn, the garlic, the salt and the black pepper. In the meantime, we can prepare the couscous. We will heat the water with some drops of oil in it. When it is hot, remove from the fire and add the couscous. Let the couscous absorb the water and add the Ras El Hanout, a Moroccan mixture of spices. If you cannot find it, you can use a good curry powder. Mix well. Now we will add the squash, the corn and the garlic to the pan. A couple of minutes later we will add the rest of the ingredients: the tomato, the lettuce, the salt, the lemon juice, the mint and the basil. We cook it for two more minutes and remove the pan from the stove. Then we will mix everything with the couscous. If we need it, we can add more olive oil and lemon juice before serving. This is a different salad. I like to eat it a bit warm but I know that some people will like it cold also. Anyway, enjoy it.

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MOUSSAKA

I discovered Moussaka in Greece many years ago. It was something good. I was travelling in Greece by myself. I remember being in Mycenae, the old archaeological site in the Peloponnese. I was in the porch of a restaurant. And I ordered Moussaka. It was good, really good! I loved it.
Cooking Moussaka takes time and work, but it is not hard. Eggplant is the main ingredient. Ground lamb should be used to make Moussaka but I normally use ground beef. It is good too. And this time, use extra virgin olive oil. It will give a special taste to our Moussaka. I love cheese, so my Moussaka will have loads of cheese. Maybe this is not very orthodox, but it is delicious.

Ingredients:

Some extra virgin olive oil
Some salt
3-4 potatoes
1 eggplant
½ lb ground or chuck beef (or ground lamb)
Some tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Some ricotta cheese
6 gruyere cheese slices
Some grated parmesan cheese
Some grated romano cheese
Some milk
Some flour
A pinch of nutmeg

Cooking Moussaka takes time, as I said before, but it is worth it. We will start preparing the potatoes and the eggplant. We will peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼-inch thick slices. A bit thicker if you want. To know how many potato slices I need, what I do is putting the potato slices in the tray that I will use later with the Moussaka in the oven. In that way I will know the amount of potato slices I will need for a layer of potatoes. Once I have the potatoes I will fry them in a frying pan in two batches. The potatoes must not be completely done. Leave them on kitchen paper towel because we do not want too much oil. Then we will do the same with the eggplant. After washing it, we will slice it in the same way. We will slice enough eggplant for a layer. Then we will fry the eggplant slices. We will need more oil for the eggplants, but it is a good idea not to use too much. We can fry them using a wooden spoon. Press the slices with the spoon so that they get enough oil. Once fried, leave the eggplant slices on kitchen paper towel.
The next step will be the sauce. We will put the meat in a frying pan and we will start cooking it. When the meat starts browning, we will add the tomato and cook it in a low heat for about ten minutes. Then we will add the spices (cinnamon, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil, salt and pepper). Keep cooking it for a while in a low heat. And then we will take the tray and start layering the Moussaka. First of all, we will grease the oven tray. Then the first layer will be the potatoes. On top of that, a layer of the tomato sauce with the meat. Then the eggplant slices. At that moment we put the tray in the preheated oven to 400ºF for about ten minutes.
We will prepare the sauce now, a Béchamel Sauce. To do this, we will put two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and we will heat it. We will add three tablespoons of flour. Stir continuously and add some milk, little by little. We will add the nutmeg now. We have to get a creamy Béchamel Sauce so we will have to be adding milk to get the sauce we need. Stir and do not let the sauce get too thick. Once it is done, remove it from the fire.
Now we will take the tray out of the oven. And now the cheese. First we will spread some ricotta cheese. On top of that the gruyere cheese slices. Then we will top it with the béchamel sauce. Then we will put some parmesan and romano cheese. You can use some mozzarella cheese if you want too. And then back to oven so that the cheese melts and makes a really creamy Moussaka. Some fifteen minutes will be OK, but you can check the oven to see when the Moussaka is ready. And enjoy! I can’t wait to make it!

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CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

Cheese. And Mexican tortillas.
Maybe Mexicans will say that these Quesadillas are not Mexican. Maybe they are Tex-Mex. I think that is not important. What it is important is the food, and the influence. I have never been to Mexico, unfortunately. I will definitely go in the future. And then I will taste real Mexican food. But by now, I will keep on enjoying recipes like this. I will show you how I make my Chicken Quesadillas. They are tasty and easy to make. I am sure you will enjoy them.

Ingredients:

Some vegetable oil
Some salt
½ small chopped onion
½ cup cubed squash
¼ cup chopped green pepper
¼ cup frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ chopped tomato
1 chopped Arbol Chili
1 chicken breast
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon cilantro
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lime
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 flour wheat tortillas
Some guacamole
Some sour cream

We will prepare all the ingredients first. Cut the chicken in little pieces, the way you like it. Prepare the vegetables too. And then, heat some oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion, squash and green pepper first. Then we will add the chicken and the salt. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add the corn, the garlic and the chilli. Keep on cooking for a while. When the chicken is a bit done, we can add the tomato, the cumin and the black pepper. Once this is ready, we will add some cilantro and some lime juice. The next step will be to grill the tortillas. For this, I like to use a grill pan. The way I make it, you can cook two Quesadillas at the same time. First I put a tortilla on the grill pan. Then I fill it with the mixture we have cooked. We add some cheese, some guacamole and some sour cream. We fold the tortilla and repeat the same thing with the other tortilla. Then we will have two folded tortillas on the grill pan. We will heat them on one side and with the help of a wooden spatula we will turn them over so that both sides turn a bit brown. And they are ready. You can make your own Quesadillas very easily. You can choose your favourite ingredients. Now enjoy them.

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PINEAPPLE CAKE

Let’s make some dessert. Do you like pineapple? And Graham Crackers? This recipe is very good for the summer. It is very easy to make and I hope you will like it. You can make it with fresh or canned pineapple. Dessert time!

Ingredients:

A 20 oz pineapple can (or fresh pineapple)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla flavour
Some Graham Crackers

This is a cold cake. You will not have to heat anything. You will only need a blender and a container to prepare this cake.
First we will blend the pineapple, adding the sugar and the vanilla. If you use a pineapple can, you can add some of the liquid in the can, but do not add too much. Once we have the pineapple blended, we will start layering the cake.The first thing will be to start with a layer of Graham Crackers in the container. Then a layer of the pineapple mixture. And finally we will add another layer of Graham Crackers. We will cover the container and we will cool it in the fridge for a couple of hours. And then it will be ready. Good.

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SUMMER SAUSAGE PIZZA

Today is pizza day! Do you like pizza? Maybe you don’t like those mushy pizzas. But there is nothing like a homemade crispy pizza! I will show you the way I make my own pizza. You can even make your own dough. It’s not difficult. I will show you how you can do it.
I will make a Summer Sausage Pizza. Of course, you can choose your own ingredients. That is one of the good things of making a pizza. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

Dough,

1 cup and 1 tablespoon water
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon salt
3 ¼ cups flour
½ tablespoon yeast

Toppings,

Some flour
Some olive oil
½ cup tomato sauce
Summer sausage slices
1 chopped mushroom
¼ cup cubed squash
¼ cup cubed dill pickle
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped green olives
1 tablespoon roasted chopped red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt to taste
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated romano cheese

First we will make the pizza base. I use a bread machine to make my pizza but, of course, you can knead your dough by hand. Doing it by hand is hard, so, as I have a bread machine, I use it to knead my dough. You can use a stand mixer as well.
Using my bread machine, I put the ingredients in this order: water, oil, sugar, salt, flour and yeast. I select the program just to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. The machine will do its job and then it will let the dough grow. If you want to make your dough by hand, you can do it placing the flour on a table making a well with the water inside. Add the rest of the ingredients and make the dough. And then you will have to knead the dough properly. Knead and knead till the dough is elastic. Let it rise in a bowl covered by a wet cloth.
Once we have kneaded the dough, either by hand or with a machine, we will shape the pizza with a rolling pin. Remember that a floured work surface is always important. With that amount of ingredients you can make two pizzas. What I do is dividing the dough into two parts. I make a pizza with one portion and I use the other one to make bread rolls. You can make two pizzas if you want, of course.
Using a pizza stone will make your pizza crispier because these stones distribute the heat evenly. Nonetheless you will have to preheat the oven earlier and maybe use a pizza peel to transfer your pizza to and from the oven. I haven’t tried the pizza stone yet but I am planning to get one. I think the results must be good. Anyway, if your oven is powerful, your pizza will be good.
Let’s go to the oven. Preheat it to 450ºF. I hope you will have your toppings ready because now you will have to add them to your pizza base. If you use a pizza stone, put some semolina on the stone. If you use a regular oven tray, make sure it is greased.
First we will paint the pizza with a little olive oil. Then spread the tomato sauce. On top of that put the summer sausage, the mushroom, the squash, the pickle, the garlic, the green onions, the green olives and the red pepper. Do this evenly. Now we will add the spices: black pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Add some salt if you want. I do not add any salt as the dough and some other ingredients already have some. Then I finish the pizza with cheese. You should always use mozzarella cheese in your pizzas. I add parmesan and romano cheese as well, as I like the combination of these three cheeses. And your pizza is almost ready. You will only have to put it in your oven. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Wonderful pizza!

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JAMBALAYA

I love New Orleans. This city is a melting pot. And melting pots produce wonderful food. New Orleans has the influence of France, Spain, Italy… All those influences combined make all those delicious dishes: Gumbo, Muffaletta, Beignets, Po’ Boys… and, of course, Jambalaya. Today we will cook Jambalaya, New Orleans Paella. I call it like this because, although the way Jambalaya is cooked is different from the way paella is prepared, it has many similarities to the Spanish dish. Of course there are as many jambalayas as paellas, but in essence, both are rice dishes with meat and seafood. I will cook a typical Jambalaya with prawns and chicken.

Ingredients:

Some vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup sliced okra
1 chicken breast
1 Andouille Sausage, cut in half slices
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon hot paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ cup crushed tomato
2 cups seafood and/or chicken stock
2 peeled and chopped tomatoes
Some salt
1 green onion (only the green stalks)
1 cup rice
10 prawns

The first thing we will do is to put some oil in a pan. I like using a big pan. It is important that the heat is well distributed. We will sauté the celery, the onion and the green pepper. I like okra in my Jambalaya so I will add it now too. Five minutes later we will add the chicken cut in little pieces and the Andouille sausage. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, and then add the bay leaf, the thyme, the oregano, the paprika and the black pepper. Stir well and then add the garlic and the crushed tomato. Let it cook for a while and when the tomato is reduced a bit, add the chopped tomato and the stock. Add some salt if needed and bring it to a boil, but the heat must be low.
Let’s say something about the stock. You can use either seafood or chicken stock. You can use both too. If you want, make your own stock using some chicken bones and the shell of the prawns, along with some vegetables.
Coming back to our recipe, we have to add the rice and the green onion stalks after 10-15 minutes of low heat. As for the rice, you can use regular long rice or parboiled rice. I prefer the regular one but if you use it, you take the risk of getting a sticky jambalaya. Parboiled rice is safer. When you add the rice, increase the heat and stir the bottom of the pan. We do this because we do not want the rice to stick on the pan. When you see that the rice starts absorbing the liquid, turn the heat off, cover the pan and let it sit there for 20-25 minutes. You can add the prawns now too if they are uncooked, but if they are cooked, you should add them at the last moment.

And then you will have your Jambalaya. You can serve it alone or as an accompaniment to other dishes. Really good.

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RUSSIAN SALAD

This is a Spanish dish, despite its name. I do not think that Russians know this salad but who knows!
You can find Russian Salad in every Spanish bar. It is one of those everyday tapas. When I talk about Spanish bars I should make clear that they are different from what, for example, an American bar is. Spanish bars, the bars I am talking about, are tapas bars. Places where you can drink some beer or some wine and eat some delicious tapas.
And one of those tapas is Russian Salad. The typical Spanish bar is not one of those pretentious Tapas Bars you find outside Spain. Anyway, let us prepare some Russian Salad.

Ingredients:

Basically a Russian Salad is sort of an American Potato Salad but with more ingredients. You can use fresh vegetables or frozen ones. The frozen vegetable bags you can buy at supermarkets are quite good to start with. None the less I will tell you the ingredients for a fresh Russian Salad.

1 cubed boiled potato
1 cubed boiled carrot
¼ cup cooked corn
¼ cup cooked green beans
¼ cup cooked butter beans
¼ cup green onions
¼ cup chopped lettuce
2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon chopped tomato
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 chopped hard-boiled egg
1 3-ounce tuna can
Some salt
Some mayonnaise sauce


Those are some ingredients you can use in your Russian Salad. In Spain people always use green peas but I do not use them because my wife does not like them much. In fact I should say that she hates green peas. What a pity! Tomato and beans are not used either. You can add some green olives, celery… You know you are the boss in the kitchen.Preparing Russian Salad is very easy. You just have to boil the vegetables that need to be boiled, that is to say, potatoes, carrots, corn and beans. Of course, if your vegetables are fresh and not frozen, it will take longer. Bear that in mind. The important thing is that all those vegetables are well boiled. Once you have your vegetables ready, drain them and then mix them with the tuna, the egg, the pickle, the red pepper, the green onions, the garlic and the lettuce. Mix well, add some salt to taste and finally mix with some mayonnaise sauce. Do not put too much sauce. We do not want it to be too oily so if this is your first Russian salad, add the mayonnaise little by little. Cool your Russian Salad for some time in the fridge and then it will be ready to eat.

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TIRAMISU

A delicious dessert. I admit I have not tasted Tiramisu in Italy. I have done it in several countries. They were different but, most of them delicious. You can find Tiramisu turned into cakes or even ice cream. Again, I will show you how to make my Tiramisu. Remember, there are many ways of cooking something. Discover yours.

Ingredients:

8 oz mascarpone cheese (or regular cream cheese)
3 oz ladyfingers
Some espresso coffee
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Tiramisu should be done with mascarpone cheese but if you cannot find it, regular cream cheese will do, although it will not be same, of course.
First, we will take the eggs and separate the white from the yolk. Then, in a bowl we will mix cheese, sugar and yolks. It has to be really creamy. In another bowl we will beat the whites till they are stiff. We will mix then these two bowls. But it is important to try to get a fluffy mixture, so do not mix too much. We will have some coffee ready. I prefer some really strong espresso coffee. Then we will start layering the Tiramisu. We will use a container in which we will put a layer of ladyfingers. Then we will wet the ladyfingers with some coffee. And now a layer of the mixture. Then more ladyfingers and more coffee. Cover with another layer of mixture and finally sprinkle with the cocoa powder. Cover the container and put it in the fridge. It is better to let it cool and it tastes better if you eat your Tiramisu the following day.
There is a “but” though. Raw eggs. You have to bear in mind that using raw eggs has a risk. You can use pasteurized eggs if you want. But I am sure of something, you will love Tiramisu. And you can also put some liquor in the coffee. Some rum or whisky, for example. That will give a different touch to your Tiramisu. I also put some chocolate chips along with the cocoa powder. Enjoy.

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ROAST STUFFED CHICKEN

Stuffed Chicken. A classic. I am sure you will know many ways of stuffing a chicken. In this recipe I will use a small chicken, a sort of gallinita or picantón but, of course, you can use a regular chicken or even a turkey. As for the stuffing, what can I say? I will only give you an idea of what you can do. You can stuff your chicken the way you want. Let’s start.

Ingredients:

1 clean chicken

Marinade:

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder

Stuffing:

A jar of assorted mushrooms
Some Greek baby eggplants
Bread crumbs

First we will prepare a marinade. For that, we will mix all the marinade ingredients. We will rub the chicken with part of that marinade and will put it on a greased tray. We will let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes. Then we will stuff the chicken with the mixture we have prepared, in my case, assorted mushrooms, Greek baby eggplants and some bread crumbs. You can also try with artichoke hearts and green and red pepper relish. You know, use the stuffing you wish. Now we will pour the rest of the marinade on the chicken. If you want, you can also put some potato wedges on the tray, rubbed with the same marinade. It is a good idea to cover the chicken legs with foil, so that they do not get cooked too much. Put the tray on a preheated oven to 375ºF for about 60 minutes. If the chicken gets too dry, you can sprinkle some water on the tray, but do not open the oven too often. And when it is ready, serve and enjoy.

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GOULASH

I discovered Goulash when I visited Hungary some years ago. I had heard about it but I had never tasted it. And it was such a discovery for me. I have developed my own Goulash recipe… by now I am sure you will know I am so brave to do this. I just hope Hungarians do not think I am too brave. Let’s cross fingers!
My Goulash is a pressure cooker Goulash. It is fast but delicious.

Ingredients:

1 pound beef chuck
1 small chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
8 black peppercorns, some whole, some split
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 large peeled diced potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 chopped carrot
½ cup chopped squash
½ chopped green pepper
1 chopped seeded red chilli
1 teaspoon mixed herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
Some water

First we will cut the beef in cubes. They must not be too large. Then we get all the rest of the ingredients ready. Peel and cut the potatoes, chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, squash, carrot and red chilli. Once you have everything ready, put the oil in the pressure cooker and let it heat a bit. Then season the meat with salt and put it in the cooker. Seal the meat for some minutes stirring the beef. Now you only have to add the rest of the ingredients. Add water so that all the ingredients are covered by it. And then follow the instructions of your cooker. Close the pressure cooker and proceed according to the instructions. Once it is done, open the cooker.What I do now is to remove some liquid and prepare with that a noodle soup in another pan. You just have to add some noodles and let them cook. In this way you will have two dishes, the Goulash noodle soup and the Goulash itself. Maybe it is not too proper for a Goulash but, why not trying? Another option is to prepare some dumplings. For this you will need all the Goulash broth, so you will not be able to make the Goulash noodle soup. You will need one egg, five tablespoons of flour and a bit of salt. Mix this and let it stand for 30 minutes. Then, with the help of a spoon drop the dumplings into the cooker. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes when the dumplings come up to the top. And then, serve it. Close your eyes and imagine being in Hungary on a cold evening enjoying your Goulash.

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CHICKEN IN PUFF PASTRY

I remember that when I was a kid I didn’t like puff pastry. That changed when I started using it to cook stuffing it with different ingredients. This recipe is very easy to make. In this recipe I stuff the puff pastry with chicken but you can do it with all kind of meat. I also do it with ground beef, and it is delicious. And, of course, you can use just vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 small chicken breast
1 ready-to-bake puff pastry sheet
1 small chopped tomato
1 small chopped carrot
½ chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped frozen spinach
1 cup cubed yellow squash
½ cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper
¾ cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
Some spices (thyme, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, salt)
Some vegetable oil
Some flour
Some milk or one beaten egg

Thaw the puff pastry sheet following the instructions of the package. Prepare the vegetables and heat a frying-pan with some oil. First put the carrots and the onion in the pan. A bit later add the garlic, the ginger and the chicken, cut in small pieces. Later add the squash, tomato, spinach, corn, red pepper, tomato sauce and spices. When everything is ready, specially the chicken, add the ricotta cheese and mix well. Set aside.
We will prepare the puff pastry now. With the help of a rolling pin we will extend the puff pastry on a floury surface, just to make it a bit thinner and softer. Then we will stuff it. Put the pastry on a greased tray and stuff it with the mixture. Close the pastry and brush it with some milk or some beaten egg. Put the tray on a preheated oven to 400ºF for 30 minutes. While the pastry is in the oven, shake the tray a couple of times so that it does not stick to the tray, but do not open the oven much. The pastry will be done when it has a wonderful golden brown colour. Let it cool for some minutes and serve.

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COCONUT AND GINGER SOUP

Don’t you like soup? Healthy stuff not only for the cold winter. I come from a country where soups are very important. We Spaniards normally take two courses in each meal and many times you will find a soup as the first course. Not this soup though.
This is one of my favourite soups. Coconut milk and ginger give this soup with a Thai touch its special character. Chicken, some noodles and a bit of cilantro complete the dish.

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped chicken
1 liter water or 1 liter chicken stock, but not too strong
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons thin noodles
2 tablespoons flake unsweetened coconut
1 chopped seeded red chilli

You can make the soup with chicken stock or just with water but I do not like a strong stock that could disguise the flavour. Coconut milk and ginger are essential in this recipe. First heat the water or stock in a pan. When it is a bit warm, you can add the chicken and a bit later the coconut milk, the oil, the ginger, the garlic, the mushrooms, the coriander and the salt. Let it cook at a moderate heat and then add the noodles, the dry coconut flakes and the red chilli. When the soup is almost ready, add the chopped cilantro and serve hot. And enjoy the flavour of the coconut milk, the ginger and the garlic. I think I will make it now!

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CHICKEN BASIL

My favourite. A dish with a Thai touch that is delicious and that it is very easy to make. It does not matter if you cannot find Thai basil, the regular one will do. You can use dried basil but it will be better if you can find fresh basil. The fish sauce will be easy to find in any Asian store, even in some regular supermarkets. I use lemon grass from a tube; fresh lemon grass is difficult to find. I use ginger but, of course, if you can find Thai galangal, it will be great. First, I will give you the plain recipe. There are some interesting variations, though.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
½ onion
1 green pepper
½ red pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon grass
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Some vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 chopped seeded red chilli
1 tablespoon basil

First, we will prepare the onion and the peppers. We will cut them in not too small pieces. Then, we will do the same with the chicken. We will heat some oil in a wok and put onions and peppers first. When they are a bit done, but not much, we will put the chicken, the red chilli, the garlic and the ginger in the wok. We will cook it for two minutes and then we will add the fish sauce, the salt, the sugar and the lemon grass, stirring continuously until the chicken is golden brown. And the last touch is the basil. We will add it after turning off the fire, mixing it evenly with the chicken and vegetables. Serve hot and enjoy. As I said before, you can also use some variations. You can drop some sesame oil, just a few drops. Or a spoonful of peanuts. It will give the dish a different touch.

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CHEESEBURGERS

Can I show you something about making burgers? I am sure I can’t. Nonetheless I will show you here how I make my own cheeseburgers.
I like to make them using ground or chuck beef. The quality of the meat will be very important, of course. And good cheese, I like it sharp.

Ingredients:

½ lb ground or chuck beef, enough for two burgers
3 slices sharp cheddar cheese
Some sliced onion
Some lettuce
2 tomato slices
Some dill pickle, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 hamburger buns

Divide the meat in two. Cut a slice of cheese in half and fill each portion of meat with that cheese. That will make really creamy burgers. I put the two burgers on a pan and cook them without any oil as the meat has its own fat already. With the help of a spatula I turn them over several times so that the meat is cooked well. Get ready the rest of the ingredients and once the meat is done you can put them in the buns. Then, on top of the burger you put the rest of the ingredients: onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle and a bit of salt and pepper.
Of course, you can have your own variations. If you like it, you can add some bacon, for example.
And finally, you know, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise… The sauce(s) you like, if any. Serve with some fries or chips. It is up to you. Happy burger!

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JERK CHICKEN

A Jamaican treat. A very popular dish originally from the Caribbean but now an almost everyday American recipe. A symphony of flavour.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
2 cloves of chopped garlic
½ cup chopped onion
1 chopped green onion
1 chopped red chilli
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

First I prepare the chicken. I cut it in small pieces but if you want, you can use bigger pieces. This is what I do. I cut the chicken in small pieces and I prepare the marinade. In a container I put all the ingredients, mix well, cover and let it marinate for some hours in the fridge. I would recommend four hours at least.
Then I cook the chicken in the oven. I put the chicken on a tray along with some of the marinade, directly in the preheated oven to 400ºF for 30 minutes. Check it a couple of times and pour the rest of the marinade when the chicken is almost done.
Of course, if you have the opportunity, you can cook the meat on a grill or barbecue.
You can serve it in many ways. This time I cooked some rice with beans and a little salad. A good idea is to serve the chicken in a warm wheat tortilla along with a salad (lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, green olives and corn). Enjoy.

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SPANISH OMELETTE

A simple dish, apparently. Eggs, potatoes and, if you want, some onion. Just that. This dish, tortilla de patata in Spanish, is typical of my country, Spain. You can find it everywhere, in bars, restaurants and of course in every home.

Ingredients:

You can make your omelette with or without onion. When I was a kid I preferred it without onion but now I like it with a bit of onion. It gives the omelette a special taste.
To make a small omelette you will need:

A quarter of a medium onion (if you decide to put onion in the omelette)
3 medium potatoes
2-3 eggs
Oil (olive oil or some other healthy vegetable oil)
A pinch of baking powder
A pinch of salt
1-2 tablespoons milk

It seems a simple dish but believe me, it is not easy to make a tortilla de patata. Beginners will realize soon but I encourage you to try, it is worth it.
There are different ways of making a Spanish omelette. I will describe the way I use.
First we will chop the onion, if used. Then we will prepare the potatoes. First, pealing them and then cutting them in pieces resembling a quarter of a dollar, but thicker. Some people cut them in bigger slices, others even in cubes. You choose. When I prepare the onions and potatoes, I put the cut pieces on a dish that I will use later to turn the omelette over. It must be a big dish, slightly bigger than the frying pan you will use to cook the omelette. I use a plastic dish, a light but firm one.
Well, then we have to fry the onions and potatoes. I use a frying pan that I only use to make Spanish omelette. Tortillas love their pans and don’t like sharing them with other dishes. I don’t use too much oil for frying the onions and potatoes. I don’t want my omelette to be too oily. I prefer to be stirring the pieces of potato so that they fry evenly and don’t get stuck to the pan. You can use olive oil or some other healthy vegetable oil. You choose. Once the onions and potatoes are fried, I remove the frying pan from the stove.
Then I beat the eggs, adding baking powder, salt and milk. You must be sure you will have enough to make the omelette evenly.
Once you have the eggs ready, put the pan on the stove again, at medium heat, and pour the eggs on the pan over the potatoes. Make sure the eggs are evenly spread.
You must be sure the omelette doesn’t get stuck to the pan. I use a wooden spatula to make sure that doesn’t happen, applying it in the outer part of the pan. And something very important, shake the pan, avoid the sticking.
Once you think the omelette is a bit done, take the pan out of the stove, and over the sink, just in case, put the plastic dish on the pan and carefully turn it over. You will have the omelette on the dish now. Put it now in the pan again and back to the stove so the other side is cooked. Keep on shaking the pan. I recommend that you turn over the omelette several times; it is the best way of making sure it doesn’t get stuck and it is evenly cooked. Use the spatula in the outer part of the pan to give the omelette a wonderful rounded rim.

Some people cook it in a different way. Once they have the fried potatoes and the eggs beaten, they mix it in a bowl and then they pour it in the frying pan, adding oil if necessary. Then they proceed in the same way I have said. You choose; maybe this way is easier for beginners.
You can eat the tortilla as a tapa, a little piece on a slice of bread or in a bocadillo, a sandwich made with a baguette. And on a dish, of course. Enjoy.

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