Seafood Salad (Salpicón de marisco)

"Salpicón de marisco" is a cold salad from Andalusia and there are as many recipes as cooks. However, the main ingredients are always green pepper, red pepper, tomato, onion, octopus, and prawns. Other people add cucumbers, mussels, shrimp, etc. and a simple vinaigrette of sherry or red wine and Spanish extra virgin olive oil. It is not a ceviche because the seafood is boiled, instead of cooked in lime juice. The "salpicón" is one more addition to the cold and refreshing summer dishes of Andalusian gastronomy, like gazpacho, garlic soup, salmorejo, and picadillo. In taverns and bars, salpicón de marisco is served in small dishes as a complementary tapa and in restaurants it is served as a salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped

1/2 red pepper finely chopped

1 ripe tomato finely chopped

1/2 red or white onion finely chopped

1 octopus leg cooked (see entry on how to cook octopus "Pulpo a Feira")

12 prawns, boiled (add the prawns to boiling water and remove them 5 minutes after the water starts boiling again)

1 part sherry or  red wine vinegar to 3 parts extra virgin olive oil.

Salt

Cross cut the octopus and prawns in slices of 1/4 inch. and mix well with the rest of the ingredients. Make a vinaigrette with extra olive oil and vinegar and add to the mix 30 minutes before serving. To finish sprinkle with salt.

Picadillo Andaluz

El picadillo Andaluz has its origins in Seville, Spain. Unlike other picadillos that have ground beef, this one is made of vegetables soaked in a vinaigrette of Sherry vinegar and good Andalusian olive oil. My aunt, Lolita, always claimed that it should be eaten with a spoon, as she was told by people from Andalusia. It should be served cold as to become a very refreshing salad or to accompany meat or fish. 

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
1 onion finely sliced or finely chopped
1 green pepper
2 parts olive oil
1 part Sherry vinegar
salt to your liking 

An hour before serving, finely chop the cucumber, tomatoes, onion and green pepper, then mix them in a bowl. Add the olive oil, sherry vinegar, and salt. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour. However if the ingredients have been kept in the refrigerator and are cold it can be made just before serving.

Serve in individual bowls. Everybody will like this dish. It is perfect for a summer lunch or dinner.

Mixed Salad (Ensalada mixta)

This is a salad that we'll find on most menus in Spanish restaurants and in most households because it is quick and refreshing on these hot, lazy summer days. It is dressed with a simple vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil and sherry or wine vinegar and salt.

Ingredients:


butter lettuce
white onion cut very thin
tomato
black olives
green olives
white asparagus
beets cut in julienne
bonito (albacore)
anchovies (optional)
hard boiled eggs
extra virgin olive oil
vinegar
salt


Mix all the ingredients. Then drizzle vinegar, olive oil and salt.

Cold White Garlic Soup (Ajoblanco)

The name white garlic soup is misleading because the base of the soup is almonds with 1 or 2 garlic cloves. This is a typical creamy cold soup from Córdoba in Andalusia. Like Gazpacho, it is a summer soup and has similar ingredients like bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and grapes or hardboiled eggs to garnish. As I mentioned before, the base of this cold soup is almonds while in gazpacho we use tomatoes, cucumber and green pepper and in salmorejo just tomatoes.

Ingredients:


1/2 pound almonds
1 slice of bread, soaked in water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sherry vinegar (or any other vinegar will work as well)
1 or 2 garlic cloves
7 to 8 cups water, depending on how creamy you want the soup 
salt to taste
grapes to garnish
1 hardboiled egg to garnish (optional)

Start preparing the dish the day before by soaking the almonds in water overnight. In the morning, put the almonds in a blender with the bread (also previously soaked in water), add the garlic, water, oil, vinegar and salt. Blend everything very well. If it is grainy pass the mix thru a strainer or chinoise, helping with a pestle or wooden spoon. Add ice and let the soup cool in a refrigerator until serving. Put some grapes at the bottom of the bowl, pour the soup and add more grapes to garnish. If you prefer, garnish with strawberries or boiled eggs and Spanish ham shavings.

Tomato and Cheese Brochette with Pedro Ximenez Vinegar (Brocheta de tomato y queso con reducción de vinagre de Pedro Ximenez)

Pedro Ximenez is a sweet, thick Spanish wine great for pairing with desserts. Today I made brochettes of cheese curds, tomatoes and herb crostini with a reduced Pedro Ximenez vinegar.

Ingredients:


micro greens
grape tomatoes
Wisconsin cheese curds or tofu
herb crostini bread
Pedro Ximenez vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt


Make the crostini ahead of time as follows: cut the bread in squares, toast it, rub with garlic and the herbs of your choice, and drizzle it with olive oil. Lay them in a pepper towel. 


In the meantime combine a cup of Pedro Ximenez vinegar and  1 tablespoon sugar and let it reduce. Remove from the heat and let it rest in the refrigerator.


Assemble the brochettes with tomato, cheese, crostini, cheese, and tomato. Lay them on a plate, add the micro greens, drizzle with some of the reduced vinegar, olive oil and salt. This is nice appetizer, tapa or little salad on a stick.

Watercres Salad with Blood Orange and Candied Pine Nuts (Ensalada de berros con naranja y piñones)

I made another visit to the local organic store and left with a lot of ideas. Today I just went to get some fiddlehead ferns. I like the earthy flavor, the feeling of country, of the nature of the ferns, that with the ramps and morels are flavors of spring. Well, I ended up buying the ferns but Bob insisted on giving me two blood oranges. I couldn't even wait to get home to try those oranges so I started peeling one as I was driving. Not a good idea, but I managed to finish it between red street lights. What a flavor! It was sweet and tangy, but mostly sweet. Since I only had one orange left, I made a salad.

This is the result but if I had extra orange, I would have used it for the salad dressing for color and flavor.

Ingredients (per person)

1 small blood orange

1 handful watercress

1/2 ounce pine nuts

1 tablespoon sugar 

water

olive oil

sherry or you favorite vinegar

Maldon salt

Cut the top of the orange. With a knife cut the peel in the way you see the orange and then between the membranes. Put 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon water and the pine nuts in a pan and let them toast a little bit but do not let them caramelize (they get hard and tough for your teeth). The pine nuts should have some sugar attached. In a bowl, mix the vinegar and oil, whisk until you get a nice emulsion, and wet the watercress in it. On a plate place and arrange the watercress, blood orange, pine nuts, and add Maldon salt at the end.

Watercress Salad over a Bed of Tomato and Garlic (Ensalada de berros sobre una cama de tomate con ajos)

Spring also is the time of the year for watercress, a perennial plant. This year spring  arrived in our area earlier than usual.  Watercress is considered a semiaquatic plant that grows in creeks and streams. It is very healthy,  containing iron, folic acid, fiber and vitamin A. For some people it has become a favorite in healthy juices. Most people, however, eat it in salads.

Ingredients:


1 grated tomato per person
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt


1 bag of watercress
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 ripe avocados

Grate the tomatoes and put in a bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and salt. In  another bowl add the  tablespoon olive oil and vinegar. Whisk and then wet the watercress in the mix. Check for seasoning.

Serve on individual salad plates or in bowls by putting first the tomato and then topping it with the watercress and slices of avocado.

Salad with Romesco Sauce (Xató de Sitges)

The Xató de Sitges is a romesco sauce typical of Sitges, a coastal town twenty minutes South of Barcelona by train. Xató is mostly used in an escarole salad, omelets, and fish. In Sitges you can find all the ingredients to assemble the salad at home: escarole (curly lettuce), red roasted peppers, arbequina olives, desalted codfish, anchovies and, of course, the xató sauce. Every year Sitges has a contest to see who can make the best Xató.

Ingredients:

escarole (if you find it) or mixed greens
2 anchovies
3 pieces of desalted cod fish
black olives
extra virgin olive oil
xató  

For the Xató:

12 toasted almonds

6 toasted hazalnuts

6 toasted pinenuts

1 walnut

1 small grilled onion

4 grilled tomatoes, peeled

1 small grilled garlic head (remove the skin after grilling)

1 garlic clove

the meat of 3 ñoras or the meat of a dried pepper. The pepper has to be rehydrated, or you can buy the meat of the peppers in a jar (1 tablespoon)

1 anchovy (optional)

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

salt to taste

Put all the xató ingredients in a blender and purée. Then ensemble the salad starting with a layer of xató and a layer mixed greens or escarole. Then add the cod, red pepper and olives, drizzle some olive oil, and add more xató on the side.

Lime Soup (Sopa de lima)

We love to travel and two of our favorite destinations are Guatemala and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. A year ago we discovered the beautiful Mexican state of Campeche and enjoyed this soup, very similar to one we had as we traveled from Guatemala City to Lake Atitlán.

Ingredients:

4 corn tortillas
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-4 fresh serrano or jalapeño peppers, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 bay leaf
juice of 3-4 limes, fresh squezzed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Toast the tortillas in the oven until crisp. Then cut in slices and set aside. Sauté the tomatoes, onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil until done.  Add the broth, chicken and bay leaf. As the soup heats, add the lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Then add the tortilla slices and stir well. Remove the bay leaf and serve with additional lime wedges.

Leek Cake (Pastel de puerros)

Leeks are a very popular vegetable in the Basque Country. There are great dishes like "leeks and potatoes." They are used as part of many sauces, soups, blood sausage with leeks, or simply steamed. In today's dish we are going to make a leek cake with puff pastry.

Ingredients:

puff pastry (from the store)

4 large leeks or 6 medium leeks ( I bought mine organic at Just Local)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup whipping cream

2 egg yolks

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg whisked (to brush the top of the pastry)

Because leeks grow underground (they belong to the family of the onion), the first thing to do is clean them. To clean the leeks, cut between the green and white (as in the above picture), and then cut the white in the form of a cross and clean them, making sure to remove any dirt. Then cut in julienne and boil the leeks until tender. Strain them, sauté with the butter, add the flour, stir, and add the cream mixed with the egg yolks. Then season with salt and pepper.

Put the puff pastry in a mold, add the leek mixture and cover with another layer of pastry. Brush the top pastry with the egg and put the cake in the oven at 400˚F for about 30 minutes or until the pastry gets a golden brown color.

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.

Onion Soup (Sopa de Cebolla)

Onion soup is a great addition to the list of winter dishes. It is believed that the Egyptians started cultivating the onion. Most of us think of it as a very ordinary ingredient but it has been in many cases the base for sauces and dishes. In this wonderful soup it takes center stage.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
3 red onions
4 garlic cloves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup brandy or 1 cup red or white wine
2 quarts beef broth
1 to 2 toasts per person from a baguette rubbed with garlic
swiss or gruyere cheese (your favorite)
salt and pepper

In a pan put the butter and then add the onions, garlic and thyme. Let it simmer until translucent. Add the brandy and cook to reduce the alcohol. Then raise the heat to lightly brown the onions. Add the 2 quarts beef broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme and add salt and fresh pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot in  soup bowls, adding the cheese and toast. If you like the soup thicker, add two tablespoons flour after the brandy is reduce. 

Carrot with Orange and Mint Soup (Sopa de zanahoria)

The origins of carrots are from Afghanistan and Persia. There are many species that still grow wild, even though now they are mostly domesticated. There are more than 2,500 species of carrots. The Dutch picked up the orange carrot because of the color of the royal house, and they were the ones that expanded it through the world. The word carrot comes from the Latin "carota" and it is rich in carotene. It is a very versatile vegetable and can be cooked in many ways and as part of sauces. Originally, though, it was used for its seeds and leafs. The carrot is very good for your eyes. Since we were little we were told to eat our carrots - they produce retinol and also are an antioxidant.

Ingredients:

1/2 Onion Finely Chopped

1 Pound Carrots

The Juice from 2 Oranges

1 Orange Zest

Chicken Stock to cover

3 Mint Sprigs

1 Ginger Sliver

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a pan cook the olive oil, onions and carrots and let them get a little color. Add the chicken stock just to cover, then the mint, orange zest, orange juice and a sliver of ginger. When everything is tender put it in a blender and pureé until it becomes a velvety mix.

Serve in a bowl with mint leaves.

Oyster Soup (Sopa de Ostras)

This is a very typical Christmas or New Year's soup in this area of the world. You find oysters in most supermarkets, they come without the shells and in their liquid. The price is the best during this season. This is a dish that can be done whenever the oysters are at an affordable price.

Delicious!

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons Butter
2 Small Potatoes cut in very small cubes
1 Leek
The liquid of the oysters
1 Quart Half and Half (la mitad leche y la mitad crema)
1/2 to 1 Pound Oysters (without the shells)

In a pan, add the butter, the potatoes, and the leeks. Let them cook until tender. Add the liquid of the oysters and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the half and half, let it simmer for about 10 minutes. When done, add the mix to the blender and purée, put it back in a pan and add the oysters, do not overcook them. Serve in a bowl with lemon wedges.

Garlic Soup with Wrinkled Eggs (Sopa de ajo con huevos arrugados)

This dish has been one of the most humble and rustic soups since it beginnings but it is amazingly delicious and a proof that you don't need a lot of ingredients to make something great. Garlic soup came from the lack of or the inability to get meats or vegetables but people needed to eat something of substance in the morning before going to work in their trades, in the fields or taking care of their animals long hours until lunch. They had in the pantry garlic, dry bread from the previous days, water and maybe some eggs. Today it is the typical soup after the processions during Easter time. For the rest of us it is one heart warming soup.

The soup can be served with or without the egg.

Ingredients:

10 Garlic Cloves
1 Piece of Dry Bread Per Person
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika from "La Vera Region" (Denomination of Origin)
4 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Egg per person (cook in the pot, hard boil or wrinkled)

In an earthenware pot put the olive oil. Add the garlic and the bread and cook until golden brown. Then add the smoked paprika, stirring for a couple of minutes. Do not burn it. Add the chicken stock and let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. To make a wrinkled egg, get a cup and put a plastic wrap loosely on top of the cup.  Add a little oil and the egg bringing all the corners of the plastic wrap together and twist. Then tie with a cooking string and add the plastic to boiling water, cooking the egg until the desired doneness. Then add the egg to the soup.



Sometimes I have blend everything, but I like this way.

Leftovers Soup with Mushrooms and Cauliflower

As usual, we get to the end of the week with leftovers - a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I just had some cauliflower and some mushrooms but I also had other staples that are always in the fridge.

Ingredients: 

4 or 5 Cauliflower Florets 
4 or 5 Mushrooms 
1 Medium Red Potato (the potato is a natural thickener because of the starch)
1/4 Small Onion 
1 Garlic Clove 
1/4 Green Pepper 
3-4 Cups Chicken Bouillon 
1 Sliver Ginger 
Salt 
Pepper 

In a pot put all the ingredients, add the bouillon and let it simmer. Once everything is tender, put it in a blender or use a hand blender until it is creamy and that's all. Add homemade garlic rubbed French bread toast.

Endives with Blue Cheese Sauce, Apples and Walnuts

Many people don't know what to do with endives when they see a couple of trays sitting in the produce section of a supermarket, and that is if you find them. Maybe it's because they are a little bit bitter, or their pale color. The color is because they grow underground and they are not exposed to sun light, they are pick up by hand. it is the same process as with the white asparagus. In Spain, endives with rockefort or cabrales sauce are very common in any menu in restaurants and at home.

The sweetness of the apple balances the bitterness of the endives.

Ingredients:


1/4 Pint Cream 
2 Ounces of Blue Cheese, Rockefort or Cabrales
Apples
Walnuts


In a sauce pan put the cream and cheese, then let the mixture reduce until it thickens. In the meantime, cut the endives in half and use two or three leaves to form a little boat. Place on a plate, add the sauce, the apples, and the walnuts and you have a great salad.

Pumpkin Soup with Curry and Ginger

I can never leave a recipe alone and since I like to play with other ingredients I added ginger to this one.
This is the season for squash. They come in all colors and sizes and pumpkins are especially popular on Halloween. It is fun and pretty time of the year but also a time when it can get really cold and there is nothing better to warm you up than a soup. Plus, do not forget that ginger has medicinal properties.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Chopped Onion
1 Garlic Clove minced
3 Cups Pumpkin puree freshly made
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Bay Leaf
1 Generous Pinch of Sugar
1/3 Teaspoon Curry
1 Teaspoon Ginger
Pinch Nutmeg
Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Cups Cream
1/3 Cup Coconut Toasted to garnish

In a medium saucepan cook the onions and garlic in olive oil until the onions get translucent. Add the pumpkin puree and the chicken broth, stir well to mix. Add the bay leaf, sugar, curry, ginger and nutmeg. Bring it to boil and then simmer for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream. Heat again only until the soup is hot. Don not boil.

Serve in bowls and garnish with the toasted coconut.

Black Bean Soup ( Sopa de Alubias/Frijoles Negros)

The fríjol is another product of Mexico and Guatemala, Phaseolus Vulgaris and it was spread quickly through Europe by Spanish soldiers and merchants. It belongs to the family of legumes and  its name comes from the language of Asturias and León (Asturleonés), Fréxol, that was adapted in the Americas as frijól. In Spain is called alubia from the Arabic Al-lubiia. This is a  great substitute for other proteins if you are a vegetarian.

Ingredients:


1 lb Dry Black Beans
2 Quarts Water
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Medium Size Onions finely chopped
2 Green Peppers finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon Oregano
Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper


To Garnish:


Sour Cream with lemon Zest
Avocado


Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts of water. Boil beans in the soaking water and add 10 more cups of water, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat with one green pepper until beans are tender.


In a pan, sauté onions, the remaining pepper, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, and oregano until the onion and peppers are translucent. Add this mixture to the beans and continue cooking partially covered over low heat for another hour. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.


Serve in a bowl and top with sour cream and lemon zest. Add avocado.

Russian Salad (Ensaladilla Rusa)

They called this salad ensaladilla rusa. Legend says that a French cook, Chef Olivier, who worked for the restaurant "Hermitage" in Moscow, created a salad with different meats, mostly game and vegetables, but his was special because of the dressing (a kind of a vinaigrette.) Many other chefs tried to copy the recipe, but nobody could figure out the ingredients or the dressing so the salad went to the tombstone with Monsieur Olivier. This salad crossed countries and got into Spain, South America and the Mediterranean. This is the Spanish version.

I have to credit this photo to my friend Jon Thorpe.

Ingredients:


1 Small Potato cut in a small cubes and boiled until tender
2 Carrots cut in fourths and cut again to make little cubes and boiled until tender
1/2 Cup Peas boiled until tender
2 Red Roasted Peppers cut in small squares
6 Black Olives chopped finely
1 Egg hard boiled (just the white) cut into small cubes (we'll use the yolk to decorate)
1 Can of Albacore Tuna
2 Tablespoons Mayonaise (if you don't like mayo, substitute a light vinaigrette)
Slices of Baguette Bread


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. The portions of the ingredients have to be even -  you don't want to taste one more than the others. Mix them with mayonnaise but do not drown the salad with the mayo.
Cut the bread in slices and spoon the mix on top of each slice.


Ingredients to decorate:


2 egg yolks
Parsley
Cherry tomatoes
The peel of an orange to form a flower with chives
Anything you like 


Before you place the bread slices on a tray, put the yolks in a small colander and push them down to top the ensaladilla mix with the yellow of the yolk. This should be done at the last minute.


Place the slices on a nice tray, use a doily if you want it to look fancy, and there you go... a delicious, elegant and fresh salad/appetizer. Serve cold.