Viva Espana!

Having spent the morning with my dad creating a Mediterranean oasis of a garden in what could only be described as Mediterranean weather, I wanted food to match.

Yes everything is looking a little sparse at the moment, but it won’t be long before the flowers are all in bloom, what a site to behold it will be.

With some lovely Whitby cod in the fridge fresh from the fishmonger yesterday and vegetables fresh from the market I set to creating a Spanish inspired meal. 

Cod is a white, light textured flakey fish with an ability to stand up to bold flavours, however, I didn’t want to do anything too strongly flavoured so as to make the most of the fish.  I decided to simply pan fry the fish in butter, giving a lovely golden colour and slightly crisp, nutty edge to the fish.

To accompany this a sweet and sour red pepper relish and Canarian style new potatoes. I remember eating a very similar dish to this when on holiday in a remote area of Tenerife as a young teenager, it was one of those dishes that just stuck in your mind, one to never forget.

The pepper relish is so simple yet so effective, simply onions and red peppers cooked gently in olive oil, then dressed well warm with sherry vinegar and really good quality Spanish olive oil.

Papas Arrugardas (Canarian potatoes) are potatoes cooked in salt water (sea water is traditional) until the skins are dry and wrinkled, doesn’t sound so appetising does it? Do take my word for it though, they are stunning. Traditionally they are served with a mojo sauce however I decided against this, not wanting the piquancy of this sauce to interfere with the rest of the meals components.

The sweet, sour relish really brought the creamy fleshed fish alive, giving a little piquancy, which when paired with the salty, fluffy potatoes really did give a feeling of completeness.

Adding a dash of sweet paprika, as you can see above, gave the sauce a gorgeous ruby tint, which with the sheen of the olive oil, glistened beautifully.  Very appealing to eyes and tastebuds alike.

The meal went down a storm, to quote my mother “another culinary masterpiece” and my dad “a real taste of the Med”; needless to say I’m very very pleased.

I’m so glad I had my notebook to hand as this is a recipe I want to recreate over and over again.

The Recipes (Serve 4):

Agrio-Dulce Peppers:

• 60ml olive oil
• 2 onions peeled and finely sliced
• 1 large red peppers, sliced
• 2 large red sweet pointed peppers, cut into rings
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large sprig of thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the chopped onions, fry very gently for 25-30 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
2. Add the peppers, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, sugar and water cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the peppers are softened and the onions beginning to caramelise.
3. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, along with a little salt and pepper, add to the pan and toss together.
4. Serve with the cod resting on top, scatter the basil leaves over the fish.

Butter Fried Cod:

• 4 cod fillets, skin left on
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, large enough to hold all the fish with plenty of space.
2. Add the butter to the hot oil and allow to get slightly brown.
3. Add the fish, skin side down and cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish).
4. Turn the fish and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, very gently to avoid colouring the fish.

Papas Arrugardas:

• 1 kg Small potatoes 
• 4 Tablespoons Rock Salt

1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly in fresh water but do not peel, add potatoes to saucepan of fresh water with 4 tablespoons of rock salt. 
2. Bring to the boil and simmer fast for approximately 20 minutes or until tender and cooked. 
3. Drain the potatoes, leaving small amount of water in the pan. 
4. Return the potatoes to the pan and boil off remaining liquid, keeping the potatoes moving until the skins are dry. Remove, any excess salt (not all the salt) from the skins with kitchen roll and serve in separate, warmed bowl.

Showcasing Talent

Nanette a German foodie over at Violets Pantry posted a picture of a divine looking cheesecake a while back and oh how I drooled over it.

The thought suddenly occured though, that you all deserve to see it too. So here it is:

The Recipe:

Crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups ground shortbread cookies 
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons blanched almonds, toasted and finely ground 
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Cake: 

• 2 3/4 pounds cream cheese 
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons homemade dulce de leche or one 14-ounce can prepared dulce de leche 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1 or 2 drops almond extract 
• 1 tablespoons rum (optional) 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
• tiny pinch of salt 
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Topping: 

• 1 1/2 cups sour cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup homemade or prepared dulce de leche for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. For the crust, combine all the ingredients in a 10-inch springform pan (28 cm) or a cheesecake pan with a removable bottom. Toss to blend, then press into the bottom of the pan. (Well, I used non-stick baking spray to line the pan and mixed the ingredients in a bowl and then pressed the mixture in the pan as I wasn’t sure if it would work without any non-stick lining.)
3. For the cake, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese on the lowest speed until smooth (I used a handheld mixer). One at a time, add the dulce de leche, brown sugar, vanilla, almond extract, rum, eggs, cream, salt and flour, blending well after each addition and stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and place pan on the oven rost. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until set all over. Remove from the oven. Increase the temperature to 350°F (180°C).
5. For the sour cream topping, stir all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Spoon gently over the cake.
6. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the oven off, open the the oven door completely, and let the cake cool for 1 hour in the oven. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then cover the pan with aluminium foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or as long as overnight.
7. To garnish, heat the dulce de leche in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed. Pour in a spiral design on top of the cake. Using a wet paring knife, pull lines from the innermost point of the spiral to the sides to create a spiderweb design.

Oh How Pretty

This delightful dessert was made by the lovely Sally over on Violets Pantry.  

It’s a pink lemonade jelly with summer berry fruits.  Oh so pretty, don’t you agree? I bet it tastes gorgeous too.  

Well done Sal

 

Southern Comfort

Tonights dinner was one of pure comfort, Southern style - Dutch Fried Tomatoes, which I served on toast. The recipe came from a wonderful book full of nostalgia alongside fabulous recipes, The American Diner Cookbook: More Than 450 Recipes and Nostalgia Galore  (Linda Everett and Elizabeth McKeon).  

For me it just has to be white toast for this lovely meal. The bread I used came from my local bakers and was a couple of days old. The best toast is always from a loaf a couple of days old, somehow it seems to crisp up that bit better.

I made several changes to the recipe, simply to make use of the ingredients I had in and avoid the need to shop again and waste my other perfectly good food.

I used spring onions instead of the specified white onion, and cherry tomatoes in place of the sliced red tomatoes. I also added much less sugar - it asked for a quarter of a cup but I used around one heaped teaspoon, anymore and it would have been far too sweet for me; and that is saying something given my sweet tooth.

I toyed with the idea of using double cream instead of sour cream, but I didn’t, and I’m so glad. The sour cream gave the dish a slight edge which prevented it from becoming sickly.

One key point to bear in mind is not to break the cherry tomatoes, just let them burst in their own sweet time, else they can become bitter and in such a luscious creamy meal that is not at all good.

It really is so easy and quick to make. Everything bar the toast is done in one pan so there is hardly any washing up to be done either, always a bonus.

The Recipe:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 1 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1 or 2 slices of white toast

1. Heat the butter to foaming point and add the onions, saute until soft.
2. Add the tomatoes and allow to fry gently until the skins begin to ‘pop’
3. Mix the cornflour with the sour cream and add to the pan.
4. Simmer until thickened then add the parsley and seasoning.
5. Pour over the hot slice(s) of toast,
6. Eat.

Is There An Olive In The House?

I love pasta, I’d eat it everyday if I had to, without any form of complaint.  It’s such a versatile product which can be eaten hot or cold with such an array of other ingredients that I fail to see how it could be called boring. My mother on the other hand, only likes baked pasta, so I only get my fix of ’simple’ pasta when she is out. Tonight was one of those nights.

A little while back the lovely Rita sent me a copy of Italian Food by the wonderful Elizabeth David, a very influential British cook of the 20th century.  It was she who began the influx of continental ideas to British food, and she remains incredibly popular today.

I love her books, she doesn’t tend to write in true recipe form, more of a short story around the ingredients and methods.  A joy to read, although if you’re anything like me you’ll need notepad and pen with you while you read so as you can jot ideas down as you go, along with more demonstrative recipes which will be easier to follow in the mad rush round the kitchen.

After perusing the fridge and pantry, gazing at the lovely produce brought from the market the other day I decided upon spaghetti with prosciutto for dinner. A very simple dish containing only five ingredients, but the result was stunning. What with the saltiness of the olives, the smoky ham and the sweetness of the cheese it gave rise to a wonderful selection of flavours and textures making it such a delight to eat.

True to form tonights dinner didn’t follow a set recipe, more some guidelines, however I have tried to make more of a recipe here for you lovely readers to follow. 

The Recipe (Serves 2):

• 250g spaghetti
• 6 slices prosciutto cut into chunks
• 50g butter
• 50g parmigiana (plus extra for serving)
• 10 olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile heat the butter in a large frying pan and add the prosciutto, fry until golden.
3. Add the pasta and olives to the pan, toss until coated with butter.
4. Stir through the cheese and serve.