Almond Chicken (Pollo a la almendra)

Spain is the second largest almond producer in the world after the United States. The growing areas are the regions along the Mediterranean Sea and the origin of the almond is Asia, from the Aegean sea to Turkistan. The almond was introduced in Europe by the Greeks and Romans. The best of all varieties is the Marcona almond. It is also the most expensive because of its sweetness - it doesn't have the bitterness of other almonds. Given that Spain is such a big almond producer, it is understandable that there are many  different dishes with almonds as an ingredient.

Ingredients:


1/2 cup olive oil
1 slice bread
15 almonds
6 chicken thighs and 6 legs
1 onion, cut in julienne
4 cloves garlic
1 glass of white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken bouillon
a pinch of saffron
salt and pepper


For the "picada":


almonds
slice of bread
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup parsley
salt


Work this mix in a mortar until if forms a paste called "picada."


In a large pan, heat the olive oil and fry the almonds. When they start getting light brown, remove them from the pan. Then fry the bread, and when it gets light brown, remove it and set it aside. Add the chicken and brown it, then add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions turn translucent. Next add the glass of wine to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol burns. Then add the chicken stock and cook everything on a low heat for about 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes add the picada to the chicken and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes more until everything is mixed. If you like a creamy sauce, use a chinoise to make it smoother.

Omelet rolls (Rollitos de tortilla)

Why not make something fun for a Sunday brunch? Let's make some omelets with our favorite veggies and cheese and serve them with potatoes  that are boiled and then broiled and a spicy tomato sauce. 

Ingredients:

2 whisked eggs per person
1/2 broccoli head
1 portabella mushroom cut in julienne
2 garlic gloves minced
cream cheese
1 medium yellow yukon potato per person
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
tomato sauce or your favorite sauce


Boil or steam the broccoli until it is done. In another pan with a 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, sauté the broccoli with garlic. Remove it from the pan, cut in small pieces and reserve. In the same pan sauté the mushroom, then remove it from the pan and reserve. In a non stick pan pour the eggs, making sure they cover the whole pan. First cook one side and, when it tuns brown, then turn it to the other side. Extend the omelet on a plate and add the broccoli, the mushroom, and cream cheese. Roll it so it is tightly closed. Cut and discard the ends and then continue cutting the roll in 1 inch pieces.


While working on the omelet, put the potatoes to boil. When tender, remove, peel, and cut in wedges. Preheat the oven to the highest number and coat the potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and Spanish smoked paprika. Then brown them in the oven on all sides by turning the potatoes every few minutes.


In a pan place the tomato sauce, pepper flakes and a pinch of sugar. Let it cook on low heat until it reduces.


Serve the dish on individual plates.

Catalan Cream (Crema catalana)

This is a traditional Catalan dessert made of milk, eggs, cinnamon or vanilla beans, lemon peel, and sugar. It is a very creamy custard topped with caramelized sugar. It is a staple of many holidays, especially for Saint Joseph or Father's Day in Catalonia, so some people know it as Crema de Sant Josep. Today it's eaten any day of the year and it's offered on many dessert menus year round. This dish is the equivalent of the French crème brûlée. The difference is that the French burn the sugar with a torch and the Catalans use a hot iron in the shape of a circle. 

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk

8 egg yolks

2 tablespoons corn starch

6 tablespoons sugar plus 1/2 tablespoon more per dish to burn

1 cinnamon stick (I use 1 vanilla bean instead. If you use vanilla bean, cut the bean open and extract the vanilla with the tip of a knife.)

1 lemon peel

In a deep pan put 3 cups of milk (save one to mix with the corn starch), the cinnamon stick, and the lemon peel on a very low heat. Just before it starts boiling, remove the pan from the heat. While the milk is heating, take a large bowl, put in the eggs, the sugar and the corn starch previously mixed with 1 cup of milk, and stir. When the milk is ready, take a colander and add it to this mix little by little and keep stirring. Put everything back into the deep pan and cook it on a low heat, stirring continuously until you get a creamy consistency or until it gets to the boiling point. Then remove the pan from the burner and divide the cream evenly in small earthenware bowls. Put them in the refrigerator to cool off. Before serving, place about 1/2 tablespoon  of sugar on top of each dish and burn it to make a hard caramel.  I use a plumbers' torch.

This is a delicious combination of creamy cold custard with hot caramel. It's an easy and quick dish to make.

Cod with garlic and cayenne pepper (Cazuelita de bacalao al ajillo)

The cazuelita is another way to eat tapas in Spain. It is a small earthenware dish used to serve small portions of food that cannot be served on a piece of bread or on a stick because it contains a sauce or broth. In this case, the sauce is an infusion of olive oil with garlic and a cayenne pepper. This is a dish that we will always order in a bar in Gernika name "Forua" on our way home from the "Laga" beach in Urdaibai (Bizkaia).

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5 lb. cod fish, desalted and then rehydrated, torn into pieces
6-8 slices garlic cloves
2 whole cayenne peppers 
salt if needed

In a medium size earthenware dish (or if you don't have one use a regular pan), put the olive oil and then add the garlic and cayenne pepper. When the garlic is turning brown and the oil is hot, add the cod and remove the pan from the heat so the cod doesn't get overcooked. Let it rest for two minutes and serve in individual "cazuelitas."

Cod Salad (Esqueixada de bacallá)

La "esqueixada" is a Catalan salad of tomatoes, red onion, peppers, and the star ingredient: dried salted cod which has been desalted and rehydrated. The word "esqueixar" means to tear, and "bacallá" is cod. After the cod is desalted and rehydrated, tear the cod in pieces with your hands. This salad always reminds me of my aunt, Lolita, and my cousin, Alex, who one time made it with lox (salmon) instead of cod. Both of them got really excited when cooking and they produced great dishes from their hearts. This is a very refreshing dish.

Ingredients:

11 oz. desalted cod fish
4 medium tomatoes or 6 roma tomatoes
1 medium red onion cut very thin
3/4 green pepper cut in julienne
Kalamata olives

sherry or wine vinegar
good extra virgin olive oil (always have a good extra virgin olive oil for raw dishes, like salads)
Maldon salt (sea salt)

Mix all the ingredients. Then add the vinegar, olive oil and salt, and toss it.

Chicken with Peppers and Ginger (Pollo con pimientos al jenjibre)

This dish features a flavorful sauce  that combines ginger, soy sauce and vinegar.  It is very easy to prepare and great served with avocados and either basmati rice, cous cous, pasta or flour tortillas. I make it in a wok on high temperature but using a large pan would work equally well.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 1/2" fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water

Cut the chicken, peppers, and onions and place in a large bowl.  Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne pepper,  and sesame oil and set aside for 15 minutes.  Then heat the olive oil on in the wok, add all of the ingredients and cook on high heat, stirring frequently.  When the chicken is done and the peppers are tender, add the water and flour and stir well  to thicken the sauce. 

Swiss Chard with Chickpeas (Acelgas con Garbanzos)

This dish is a variation of the typical "acelgas con garbanzos." I use the leaves and the stems of the swiss chard. I fill both the stems and the hardboiled eggs with blood sausage. My kids love this dish, of veggies, legumes, potatoes, eggs and, of course, garlic.

Ingredients:

1 bunch swiss chard (separate the leaves from the stems)
1 head of garlic (half chopped and half sliced)
2 cans chick peas
6 small potatoes
1/4 morcilla de Burgos or 1 regular morcilla (blood sausage), crumbled
2 tablespoons milk
3 hardboiled eggs
olive oil
2 teaspoons flour

Separate the leaves of the swiss chard from the stems. Chop the leaves and place both the stems and the leaves  in a pan with boiling water. Add 6 garlic cloves and salt. When the leaves are tender remove them and let the stems cook longer. When they are done,  remove, set aside, and reserve the liquid. In another deep pan  put the potatoes with the skin on and the eggs and boil them. When the eggs and potatoes are done remove them from the pan.

Peel the potatoes, cut them in quarters, put them in a pan with non stick foil, and brown them in a 450˚ oven, stirring so they brown on all sides.

In a large frying pan, put 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the sliced garlic and sauté it until golden brown. Remove the garlic from the pan. Add the swiss chard (just the leaves) and chickpeas, then sauté and add some of the boiling water that was reserved.

In another pan cook the morcilla. Add 2 tablespoons milk and 2 teaspoons flour. Put the mix in half the swiss chard stems and close them with the other stems like a sandwich. Dust them with flour, moisten with egg and fry lightly in oil until golden brown.

To assemble the dish, first put the swiss chard and the chickpeas on a serving platter,  add the fried garlic, the potatoes, the stems filled with morcilla, and the hard boiled eggs. 

Braised Oxtail (Rabo de toro)

This is a stew from the XVI century. Originally from Cordoba, like many dishes it has evolved through  the years. This recipe is a more modern version from the XIX century and it has many variations. The original oxtail wasn't from an ox but from a bull. After a bullfight they would butcher the bull and people would buy parts of it or if it was a remarkable bull it was auctioned off. Now the recipe is made with bull, ox, or veal. You can blend and strain the sauce in a chinoise (conical strainer) or just leave the carrots, and other vegetables untouched. Braising is the cooking process of browning the meat at the beginning of the cooking process to sear it and then using a long cooking process with liquid covering the meat until it falls from the bones. Usually is done with tough meats to cook to the point of tenderness. In this case it took 4 hours. The result is just fantastic.

Ingredients:

4 pounds oxtail, cut in two inch thick rounds
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and cut in slices
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt 
pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons cured ham, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons flour
2-3 tablespoons flour

In a deep pot, sear the meat in the olive oil until it turns brown. Cover the oxtail with water and then add the carrots, onion, celery, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, remove any foam, and then cover and cook on low heat for three hours. Remove the oxtails and reserve the liquid, skimming off the fat.  Clean out the pot and then put the oil in the pot to heat, followed the garlic, ham, onion, paprika and bay leaf. Sauté until the onion is translucent and then add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and the cup of wine. Add the flour and stir well until the sauce has thickened. Return the oxtails to the pot, stir well, and taste for salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for one more hour. Serve with boiled potatoes or the vegetable of your choice.

Squid Filled Pepper (Pintxo de pimiento relleno de txipiron)

What to do with leftover squid in its own ink? I had to disguise them and make a new dish so I made a tapa with peppers. They were fantastic!! I had eaten them once before but they were done with Gernika peppers.

Ingredients:


1 banana pepper per squid
olive oil


Cut the top of the peppers and remove the seeds and veins. Fry them in a pan with about 1/3 cup olive oil. When done fill them with the squid and put the top back. Heat them in the microwave. Lay  them over a piece of bread and put a "pintxo" or spear to hold it together.

Egg on Toast (Tostada con huevo estrellado)

If you like potatoes, green peppers, serrano ham, and  eggs, then this is your Sunday breakfast - or in Spain it will be supper. There was a café/bar in Bilbao that made a sandwich with an egg in the middle of the bread. I like the idea so now I use it sometimes for my breakfast.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 small yukon potatoes cut in cubes
1/4 green pepper cut in squares
1/2 jalapeño (if you like a hot flavor)
1/2 thick slice of serrano ham cut in cubes
1 slice rustic bread
1 egg
salt and pepper

My husband and daughter like to add sriracha sauce. It goes really well with eggs.

In a pan, place about 1/3 cup olive oil, the potatoes, peppers and jalapeño. Start with low heat and when they are cooked raise to high heat to give some color but do not burn the mixture. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel.

Make a circle in the middle of the bread with a wine glass. Put the bread one side down in the pan to toast it first. Then turn the bread to toast the other side, add the egg, cover with a lid and check for doneness.

Serve the potatoes on a plate, top with the egg in bread, and add the serrano ham.  

Onion Filled with Orange Lentils (Cebollas rellenas de lentejas)

This is the vegetarian version of "cebollas rellenas." For many families in Spain, during and after the  Civil War, onions were one of the few foods they had to eat. I remember watching a movie of the period where the children would eat raw onions as snacks. Even the great poet Miguel Hernandez has a poem about the onion, "Nanas de la cebolla." It is a nursery rhyme for his son that he wrote in jail after learning from his wife that onions were the only food that she had at home to feed their son. The poem includes the words "cebolla y hambre" (onion and hunger.) It is interesting that the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda also dedicated a poem to tho onion: "Oda a la cebolla." In hard times filling it was better than just a bare onion. Now, like "shepherds crumbs," such onions have become a fancy dish on many menus.

Ingredients:

1 onion per person
1/4 onion chopped 
1 garlic clove chopped
1/4 green pepper chopped
2 mushrooms chopped
1/3 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 cups orange lentils (also known as Turkish)
1 cup chicken bouillon
1 cup of the liquid used to boil the onions

Boil the onions in a pan with water until tender. Make the "sofrito" in another pan by cooking the chopped onion, green pepper, garlic and mushrooms until everything is tender Add the paprika and stir, then add the tomatoes and about 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon. Let everything simmer for about 5  minutes, then add the lentils, stir, and add the rest of the cup of bouillon. Simmer for about 40 minutes adding the water from the onions as needed.

Remove the inside of the boiled onions until you only have two outside layers. Fill the onions with the lentils and broil them until they get a light brown color. If you don't have a broiler, just put them in the oven on high heat for a few minutes.

Beans with Clams (Alubias con almejas)

This is a typical dish of northern Spain, especially Asturias and Galicia. My mom also makes it the Mediterranean way, being from Catalonia, with artichokes. The cooking is a little bit different and I like both ways.

Ingredients:

16 little neck clams (in Spain they will use smaller clams)
2 cans great northern white beans 
1/2 onion
1 - 2 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 green pepper
1 ripe tomato cut and peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
a pinch of saffron
salt and pepper
1 cup water
2 parsley sprigs
the liquid of cooking the clams

In a pan put the olive oil and start making the sofrito by adding the onions, garlic, green pepper, salt and pepper. When the onions become translucent, add the tomato and cook on low heat. In the meantime, put another pan with water, salt, garlic and parsley and add the clams. Cook them until they open, then remove from the pan. Strain the liquid and reserve to add to the beans.

When the sofrito is done, add the beans and  saffron, cover with the liquid of the clams, and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the beans to the clams. Serve in a bowl.

Clams in Green Sauce (Almejas en salsa verde)

This dish is a modified version of the typical Basque dish "almejas en salsa verde" or clams in green sauce. I used the same ingredients but instead created a pesto-like sauce, concentrating the flavor in the green sauce.

Ingredients for the sauce:

1 bunch of parsley

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt

Other ingredients:

4 to 5 littleneck clams per person

lemon wedges

water to cover the bottom of the pan

liquid of cooking the clams

lemon juice

In a blender put all the ingredients for the sauce, blend, and set aside. To make the clams just cover the bottom of a pan with water and season with salt. Boil, and remove the clams as soon as they open.  Take them out of the shell and set aside. When all the clams are ready add a bit of the boiling liquid and lemon juice to the sauce, stir. On a platter put the sauce and the the clams and add lemon wedges.

Squid in its Own Ink (Txipirones en su tinta)

This dish is a gift from the Gods! Txipirones, chipirones, jibiones, calamares - whatever they are called is ok! I am going to say “txipirones en su tinta,” or squid in its own ink. This dish, along with bacalo al pil-pil and bacalao a la vizcaina, among others, are probably the greatest contributions to the culinary world from the Basque Country. They don’t come from the kitchen of a fancy chef but rather from the wives and fishermen of the Basque country. It is exotic, sophisticated and, yes, delicate. There are many other dishes but this one is really special.

It is laborious if you have to clean the squid but it is worth every second you spend on it. Today you can buy the squid already cleaned but if you cannot I will explain the cleaning procedure to you. The squid is covered by a membrane. It has wings, stomach, tentacles, eyes, beak and ink. I don’t use this ink because I buy the ink in small plastic bags. The ink is used by the squid to camouflage and escape from other predators.

From left to right: The squid as it is caught. Secondly, the squid's body when it is cleaned and turned outside in and ready to be stuffed. In the top right, the parts to discard (eyes, ink and digestive system).  Lastly, the clean tentacles to be stuffed in the squid body. Don't forget to remove the beak in the center of the tentacles.

First, pull out the tentacles and stomach and remove the membrane (it is like skin) from the outside of the squid until they are all white.  Inside you will find what is like a plastic. This is the equivalent of the human spine. Remove it, turn the squid outside in, and remove and discard everything else. Clean the squid under running water. Then clean the tentacles, keeping them, but discard the beak in the center of the tentacles. Then stuff the squid with the clean tentacles.

Squid cleaned and stuffed

Ingredients:

2 pounds cleaned squid with tentacles

2 red onions finely chopped

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1/4 green pepper

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons brandy

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

2 packages squid ink (It is sold in all Spanish stores)

1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a pan put 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper and cook slowly on low heat. When the onion turns translucent add the bread crumbs and brandy and raise the heat to let the alcohol burn. Add the tomato sauce and the ink previously dissolved with flour and warm water to the mix. Then add about 2 cups water, season with salt and let the sauce simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Place this mix in a blender and blend until you have a smooth and velvety sauce.

In another pan put about a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the squid on low heat until tender or pink. If they pass the point of tenderness and you find they are tough, you can rectify this by cooking them longer with the sauce.

Add the squid with a spoon of the liquid to the sauce and cook them until tender (to the point when you can cut them with a fork). If the sauce gets too thick, add water and stir it. Serve with bread and a lot of sauce.

Pintxo de txipiron

Pork loin with Apples and Dried Fruits (Lomo de cerdo con frutas y frutos secos)

This recipe features a technique I learned from my father-in-law on Christmas day:  Cooking meat in a special oven bag that is available in many supermarkets.  The preparation is simple and the result is a juicy and delicious dish for family and friends.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. flour
2 pound pork tenderloin or roast
garlic salt
pepper
1 onion cut in eight pieces
1 sprig rosemary
1 1/2 cups dried apricots
1 1/2 cup prunes
2 apples, peeled and cut in large cubes
1 pear, peeled and cut in large cubes
1 cup white wine

Soak the dried fruits in water for one hour and season the meat with garlic salt and pepper  Put the flour in the oven bag, close, and shake well. Center the bag in a roasting pan and then place the pork in the bag, followed by the other ingredients.. Close the bag with a plastic tie and then use a knife to cut six small slits in the top of the bag. Place the pan in the oven, making sure that the bag does not touch the heating elements, walls or racks. Bake at 350˚, 30 minutes per pound.  Then carefully remove everything from the bag to a serving platter. Discard the rosemary, slice the pork and serve. 

Fresh Cod Fish with Sherry Tomato Sauce (Bacalao fresco con salsa de tomate al jerez)

This is another wonderful recipe for fish - our kids absolutely love it.  I usually use cod but it works well with Icelandic haddock or other white fish because the key is the sauce which is accentuated with a touch of sherry.

Ingredients:


two pounds cod fillets
salt and pepper
flour for dusting
olive oil
3 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons parsley
1 small onion
3/4 cup fish broth
1/2 cup dry sherry 
1 bay leaf
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounces)
flour


Cut the fish in serving-size pieces. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and then dust with flour. Sauté the fish in olive oil on both sides and set aside.  Then sauté the garlic, parsley and onion in the oil until the onion is translucent. Add the fish broth, sherry, bay leaf and tomatoes. Let this mixture simmer a few minutes and then add a bit of flour to thicken the sauce. Return the fish to the pan with the sauce and cook for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to mix.

Ham Sandwich Bar EME style (Triangulos estilo Bar EME)

To go to Bilbao and not try a sandwich at the bar EME is like going to New Orleans and not trying gumbo. This bar/restaurant has been in business for more than 50 years and is known for its triangle sandwiches made with homemade bread, homemade mayonnaise, and a secret red sauce. People have been trying to duplicate their sauce and in their pursuit they have created great sauces but not like the bar EME.

The name of the bar comes from its founder Emeterio and has been run by the same family for more than 50 years. When I was studying in Bilbao I would have lunch there at least twice a week and on Fridays after class I would stop by and buy a couple of sandwiches before catching the train back to my hometown. Today, without any intention of finding the secret recipe, I experimented making a sandwich that looks and tastes a bit like the original. In spite of not being the original it tastes great and is a delicious sandwich -  quick to prepare and a good addition to your lunch bag.

Ingredients:

red sauce
light mayonnaise 
thick slices of ham
rustic fresh bread
lettuce (Boston or Romaine hearts)

Red Sauce:

1 roasted red pepper if done at home or 1/2 jar roasted red peppers
2 anchovies
1 hard boiled egg
1 cup homemade or 1 small can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon siracha sauce

Put all the ingredients in a blender and purée.

To assemble the sandwich, put the red sauce on one slice of bread until it is well soaked, add a slice of ham to cover the bread, add the lettuce and then the other slice soaked in mayonnaise that has been mixed with a bit of  warm water to make it lighter.

Let's see if you like the results.

If you ever go to Bilbao you have to try these sandwiches. The Bar EME is located at  C/ General Concha #5.

Moorish Style Kebabs (Pinchitos Morunos)

This is a great example of the Moorish influence in Spanish cooking. We cannot forget that Andalusia, whose name comes from the Arabic Al-Andalus, was under Arabic influence for almost 800 years. Spices and citrus were, and continue to be, a great part of their cuisine. This recipe is part of that heritage and it has a blend of spices. You can buy them already mixed or make your own blend.

Ingredients:


spices (your own blend or already mixed)
3-4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
skewers
basmati rice (we like basmati or jasmine rice because of the taste and aroma)


A blend of spices. If you don't use it all keep it in a can to use later:


1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon tumeric (it will give the yellow color)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1-2 cloves
1/2 tablespoon salt


Mix all the spices in a grinder. 


Cut the chicken in small cubes. Put them in a deep bowl and add the olive oil and the spice blend. Mix everything well and let it rest in the refrigerator for 5 hours. When ready, put the skewers in water, making sure that they are soaked really well so they don't burn. Put the chicken cubes on the skewers and then grill the kebabs on an outdoor grill. If you don't have one, then use an indoor grill or griddle. If you use a coal or wood grill, put the chicken skewers when the coals or wood are red. When done, remove them and serve on the skewers over rice. This dish can be served as a tapa with bread or as a main course.

Mussels Marinera Style (Mejillones a la Marinera)

There are many ways to cook mussels. We often  cook them in green sauce and this is another typical way that tapas bars have on their menus: "marinera style," made with a sofrito.

Ingredientes:

1 onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/4 green pepper finely chopped 
4 ripe tomatoes peeled and cut in quarters
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 bay leaf (optional)
a pinch of salt 
a pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound mussels
1 cup water
salt

In a pan on low heat place the onion, garlic, green pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the tomatoes and bay leaf and and keep cooking on low heat until everything is done. Remove the bay leaf and purée to make a sauce.
To cook the mussels, put water and salt in a pan and when the water starts boiling add the mussels and cover with a lid. When they open, remove the mussels from the pan, add some of the boiling liquid to the sauce, spoon the mussels to  platter and top them with the sauce.

Salmon Canapé (Canapé de salmón)

In Spain when people have birthdays/Baptisms/ First Communions one of the alternatives to restaurants is trays of canapés. This is one of many of my favorites. They are sandwiches cut in quarters.

Ingredients:

lox
1 box Cream Cheese
1 lemon zest
4 dill sprigs
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
bread slices

In a blender mix the cream cheese, lemon zest, dill and lemon juice. Spread the bread slices with the mix and add the salmon, making small sandwiches. Then cut the crust off the bread carefully with a serrated knife and cut the sandwiches in quarters for the canapés.

Portabella Sandwich (Bocata de Hongo Potabello)

Portabella mushrooms are like all mushrooms - a type of fungi. The "aficionados," the people who spend their time studying mushrooms, are called mycologists. In the Basque country there are many of them. As a young kid I loved to go mushroom hunting but I only knew a couple of species. One day I wanted to impress my uncle so I picked every single mushroom that I saw. I put them carefully in a basket and showed them to him. He looked at me in awe. I smiled with pride looking at the basket and he started separating mushrooms by groups. When he was done he said: "Dead." What? "All these are poisonous and if you eat them they might kill you, and all of these that are not, you could have eaten them but by now they are contaminated by the bad ones, so go and throw them away." Since them I only picked the couple of types I knew and now I only buy mushrooms from the store.

The portabella in this sandwich is a good substitute for a good piece of meat and it is very safe.


Ingredients:

1 large portabella mushroom per sandwich
2 roasted red peppers
1 onion caramelized
cream cheese spread with garlic and cilantro or parley or white bean spread. (In this sandwich I used cream cheese.)
Arugula
Ciabatta, baguette, or rustic bread - any of them will work (I used ciabatta because that is what I had)


Roast the peppers in the oven or on a grill until they get brown, put them in a plastic bag and let them cool, peel in the same bag and reserve the juices to add to the spread. Grill the portabella, removing the black of the inside. Then caramelize the onions. Make the spread in a blender, adding the juice of the roasted peppers. Cut the ciabata bread in half and grill the inside. When you have all the ingredients ready, start to assemble. Spread both insides of the bread. Add the peppers, the arugula, the onions and then the portabella, top with the other side of the ciabatta bread and put it on a grill. Use something heavy to weigh the bread down (I use a brick wrapped in foil), turn the sandwich and weigh it down again. Serve on a platter with homemade chips.