Munchy Monday #50: Col de la Iaia Sofia

O.K. folks. I'm sorry to say that this is my 50th and last Munchy Monday post. It's not that I have run out of recipes, it's just that it ties me down too much.

This Munchy is different in another way, too. I am directing you straight over to my eldest daughter's blog for a recipe that my grandson called "Granny Sofia's cabbage".

Why? Because it's purple!

Note: If you can't make head ner tail because it's in Catalan, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out :)

Munchy Monday #49: No-cook chocolate squares

Very simply delicious!

You will need:
275 dark chocolate
175 butter
4 tblsp. golden syrup
175 Maria biscuits
25 g Rice Krispies
50 g walnuts, chopped
100 g red glacé cherries, chopped

Method:
Place the chocolate with the butter and syrup in a bowl over hot water. Place on a low heat and stir frequently until all ingredients have melted.
Break up the biscuits and add them to the syrup mixture together with the cereal, nuts and cherries. Stir well.
Line an 18 cm squared mold with parchment paper and fill with the chocolate mixture.
Smooth the mixture evenly and leave in fridge for at least two hours.

Munchy Monday #48: Yogurt sponge cake

This is the first 'foreign' cake I learnt to make after I was married and moved to Catalonia. The ingredients are very basic, the recipe simple and the results are guaranteed. It is also done in a jiffy, so if you have nothing for breakfast tomorrow, pop one of these in the oven whilst making supper and you have yet another problem solved. I serve this for breakfast on a Sunday morning with a fresh fruit salad or an orange juice each and squares of chocolate. Everybody eats breakfast on a Sunday morning!

Instructions:
1 plain or lemon yogurt. Empty yogurt into a mixing bowl and wash container.

Then measure and add to the yogurt, 1 container of white sugar, 1/2 container of sunflower oil and 2 eggs. Mix with a hand blender. Add 3 containers of plain flour and 1 sachet of baking powder (approx. 15 g).

Blend until smooth and pour batter into a 30 cm x 15 cm cake mold (or equivalent). Bake in a medium oven for 20 - 25 minutes. When golden in colour and cooked right through, remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with white sugar. Hide cake and leave to cool.

A variation of the original recipe - apple yogurt cake

Because this recipe is so basic it allows for many variations. Here are a few suggestions which have been tried and tested over the years:

# Just add slices of apple to the top of the cake
# Use a coconut yogurt and add a container of desiccated coconut to the recipe, before adding the flour
# Sprinkle pine nuts over the top
# Pour most of batter into cake mold, add a level tablespoon full of sifted cocoa powder to remaining batter, stir well then pour over original batter to give a marbling effect

Enjoy!

Munchy Monday 46: Coconut snowballs

These are delicious and ideal if you have a sweet tooth. It's also an interesting way to get non-carrot lovers to eat carrots, as they don't taste like carrot at all!

You will need:
Equal quantities of:
     Cold, boiled (no salt) mushed carrot
     Granulated or caster sugar
     Coconut
Extra coconut to roll balls in

Method:
Squeeze as much liquid from your carrot as you possibly can (very important.) Discard juice. Add carrot to sugar and coconut and mix well. Make small balls, about the size of an unshelled hazelnut and then roll them in the extra coconut. Keep snowballs in fridge and serve chilled.

 

NOTE: I used an American cup as a measure and made about 40 snowballs.

(Maybe I should have taken the photo using a banana for scale! It seems it's the fashion these days.)

Munchy Monday #43: Clear green veggie soup

This is a very delicious starter for any meal. I haven't indicated any quantities so that you can adapt it to your own needs, whether you are four to eat, or fourteen.

You will need:

Clear chicken stock, ideally, with the grease removed
Frozen green beans, cut into small pieces once slightly thawed
Fresh leek, finely sliced
Pieces of frozen broccoli, cut small
Potato, cut into small cubes
Rice or very fine noodles, a handful for every 3 or 4 people
Salt to taste

Method:

Bring stock to boil in a pan, add all other ingredients and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes.

Munchy Monday #42: Choc chip cookies

This is a recipe which was passed on to me by my half Canadian niece. It has been tried and tested many, many times and is very quick and simple to mix up. Done in a jiffy, you might say.

You will need:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use margarine)
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
Few drops vanilla essence
1 tblsp creamy peanut butter
Chocolate chips

Method:
Mix all ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Make ping-pong ball sized balls and flatten them down on a greased oven tray. Bake in a medium oven (175º C) for 10 - 12 minutes. If you like them slightly crispier, leave them a couple minutes more. Leave for 2 minutes on the baking tray then remove to a clean tea towel or cooling rack.

Munchy Monday #41: Meat or fish croquettes

This is a very efficient and tasty way to finish up any leftover meat. You can use ham, turkey, codfish, tuna, salmon... I remember once making rabbit and lentil croquettes. They were delicious. I normally serve them as an accompaniment to a salad for a first course, as a second course after vegetables or lentils or at suppertime with say, a mushroom omelette, salad and tomato bread. This is a basic recipe which you can adapt according to your menu.

You will need:
All purpose flour
Sunflower oil 
Crumbled fish or finely minced meat
Water
Salt
Breadcrumbs
Oil to deep fry

Method:
In a frying pan, gently heat enough oil to cover the base of the pan. Add enough flour to make a stiff paste and toast for half a minute or so. Add your meat or fish, stir and season with a good shake of salt. Fry gently for a minute, stirring all the time. Add just enough water, little by little, to make a thick dough. Turn out onto a plate to cool. When manageable, take tablespoon sized quantities and mould into a mini frankfurter shape. Roll each croquette in breadcrumbs and deep fry small quantities in hot oil.

They should look something like this!

Note: If you are making codfish croquettes, add a little garlic and some finely chopped parsley to the mixture. If the croquettes are made with plain chicken or turkey breast, coat them with a mixture of plain bread crumbs and garlic and parsley breadcrumbs.

Munchy Monday #40: Macaroni with tuna and bacon

This is so simple to prepare and so delicious to eat... The quantities given are enough for 4 - 6 adult servings. I vary the pasta and often use lumaconi, penne, rotini, macaroni, etc.

You will need:
400 g pasta
100 g smokey bacon rashers, cut into fine strips
A small amount of onion, grated
Juice and flesh of beefsteak tomato or similar
A fair squirt of your usual tomato puree or sauce
150 g tuna in vegetable oil, drained
Oil for frying
Salt
Water for cooking pasta

Method:
Bring water to boil, add salt and throw in pasta, following cooking instructions on the packet. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, pour a little oil and add bacon pieces. Fry gently until slightly crispy then add onion. Stir and fry for a couple more minutes, add tuna, both of the tomato sauces and a little salt. Stir and cook for some minutes. Drain up and rinse the pasta, add to the tuna and bacon sauce. Stir and gently simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot with grated cheese sprinkled over the top.*

 

*To make this dish extra special and professional, transfer the pasta to an oven dish, sprinkle pasta cheese over the top and grill until crisp and toasted.

Munchy Monday #39: Haricot beans with herbs

This is an easy dish to prepare, ideal alone as a first course or, as we ate it today, an accompaniment to red meat, chicken or fish. I opened a pot of ready cooked beans but you can also prepare your own from scratch - just leave the dry beans to soak for about 8 hours and then cook them the way you always do. (I use a pressure cooker and they're done in 10 minutes or so.) The quantities in this recipe are initially for four adult servings.

You will need:
A pot of cooked white haricot beans (drained weight 400g)
The juice and flesh of one ripe tomato*
2 tblsp. olive oil
A pinch of salt
A shake of each of the following herbs: thyme, rosemary, basil and oregano

Method:
Gently heat the tomato in a saucepan and add salt, olive oil, and herbs. Add the beans and stir. Heat through for a few minutes.

* To prepare the flesh and juice of a tomato, just take the tomato and cut it in half, horizontally. Grater each half, flesh side down, into a bowl. This way you leave only the skin behind. It's heaps easier than the boiling/cooling/skinning method : )

Munchy Monday #38: French bread pizza

This is what we had for supper last night. It is very easy and quick to prepare  and the ingredients are basic items which we always have in store.

You will need:
French stick loaves (half per person)
Fried tomato sauce
Tin thickly pureed tomato
Pkt. grated pizza cheese
Dried oregano

Toppings can include ham, pineapple, cooked bacon pieces, mushrooms, prawns, olives, artichoke, peppers, left over fried mince, chicken, corn... whatever you have available.

Method:
Cut the stick loaf into four equal pieces. Cut each quarter in half lengthways and spread a small amount of fried tomato sauce over each one. Then do the same with the other, thicker sauce. Shake a little oregano over the tomato and then sprinkle on some cheese. Add your chosen topping. Lay the mini pizzas on an oven tray. Grill for just a few minutes until the cheese has softened and browned slightly.

Cheese and bacon

Ham and mushroom

Eat hot, or take out for a picnic lunch with a difference. Delicious either way!

This is a fun recipe for small ones to lend a hand in preparing. Just be careful when grilling!
 

Munchy Monday #37: Marinated strawberries

I imagine that for many of you the strawberry season is yet to be enjoyed, but for us, it is almost over. From late February through to about the middle of May we can buy a variety which is BIG and not quite so sweet as the typical summer kind. Therefore, most people prepare them somehow. This is my favourite way of serving them.

You will need:
1 kg strawberries
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of red wine (optional, if no small children will be eating them)

Method:
Wash and hull the strawberries. Chop them into pieces and place them in a serving bowl. Add all the sugar (and wine, if you are using it) and stir well. Leave to marinate for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally. (The longer the strawberries are marinating, the more syrup will be produced.)

Munchy Monday #36: Rock buns

This is one of those recipes which has been passed down through the ages. My Mum used to make them, so did her Mum and most likely Great Grandma, too. The ingredients are simple and few and the quantities given will make 24 little buns (I usually make two batches because they don't last five minutes!)

You will need:
300 g self-raising flour (OR 300 g plain flour + 15 g baking powder)
100 g margarine
100 g sugar
100 g chocolate chips*
2 medium eggs, beaten
1/3 water or milk

Two 3 x 4 patty/cupcake tins, greased

Method:
Rub the margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add sugar and chocolate chips and stir. Add beaten egg and enough water or milk to make a stiff batter.

A stiff batter - a spoon can stand in it

Spoon the batter into greased patty tins. Cook in a medium oven (170º C) for 20 minutes or until buns are slightly golden in colour. (Check after 15 minutes, as each oven cooks differently).

Chocolate chip and candied orange buns

Cherry and walnut buns

* As you can see, 100 g of just about anything that reasonably enters your head can be added to the recipe. The other day I made some with candied lemon and lime peel (new product from Lidl) and they disappeared in a moment. My Mum made them with raisins... I wonder if they would be nice with unsalted peanuts? Maybe add a small spoonful of creamy peanut butter? Hmmmm...

Munchy Monday #35: My favourite meal

This week, instead of a recipe because I'm running out of Monday, I am just going to post a photo of my favourite meal and tell you what it is comprised of. For years this has been the only thing I choose when I go out for a bar meal (as opposed to a restaurant) and I still find it the most delicious thing since sliced bread!

Here you see griddled cuttlefish, chopped and tossed in garlic, parsley and olive oil, chips and a four seasons salad. As simple as that, and oh, soooo yummy.

The other day I made it at home and enjoyed it so much I even took a picture of it. lol

And this, dear bloggy friends, just in case you're wondering, is a griddle. It keeps the fat to a minimum and is ideal for weight-watchers or those of you with cholesterol problems, to cook any type of food, from steaks, chicken or prawns to asparagus, tomatoes, courgette... The fat simply runs away, leaving the meat or veg. as tender and tasty as can be.

 

And, no, I am not being paid to say this ; )

Munchy Monday #34: Green beans and bacon

This dish is nice to serve as a first course, an optional side dish or as a garnish to fish, meat, pie or practically anything else you can think of. The quantities stated here are for it to be served as a first course by itself for six people who like it very much!

You will need:
1 1/2 kilos of fresh or frozen green beans
120 g smokey bacon pieces
1/2 onion, grated
Salt
Water to boil
Oil to fry + big frying pan

Method:
Put to boil a pan of water. When ready, throw in the beans, bring back to the boil, add salt and cook until the beans are just tender. Drain and cool.
Meanwhile, gently fry the bacon until just turning crispy, add the grated onion and fry together with bacon for a further two minutes. Add the beans, sprinkle a little salt and stir well. Fry on a low heat for ten minutes or so, stirring often.

Voila!

 

As for many dishes, this is much tastier if left a few hours before consuming, so I normally prepare this right after breakfast if we are to eat it for lunch.

Munchy Monday #33: Oven baked panga filets

Quick and easy and soooo delicious.

You will need:
As many filets as you have people to eat them (I use frozen filets)
A thin slice of lemon for each filet
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method:
Drizzle olive oil over the base of an oven tray and lay the filets of fish on top. Season each filet with salt and a shake of pepper. Cut each lemon slice in half and lay one piece at each end of the fish filets. Drizzle olive oil over the top and bake in a moderate oven for 15 - 18 minutes.

Ready for the oven

Serve with one of the following:
Mushrooms fried in garlic and parsley
Green beans, asparagus, broccoli, red stalk chard or spinach
White haricot beans fried with herbs or in tomato sauce
Poor man's potatoes...

Note: Although I haven't actually tried, I imagine that this recipe can be applied  to any white fish filet.

Munchy Monday #32: Oven baked chicken with potatoes, onion and tomato

This dish is very easy to prepare for plenty of people. I will not give any specific quantities. What you see in the photos is a 2 kilo chicken cut into 10 pieces + sternum (my favourite). This made for 8 ample servings.

You will need:

1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Juicy tomatoes
Salt and olive oil
Small glass white wine (optional)

Method:

Dribble a small quantity of olive oil on the base of an oven tray and then evenly distribute the chicken.

 

Peel potatoes. Cut them up into small cubes and fill up the spaces between the chicken pieces. Sprinkle salt over both ingredients

Peel white skin from garlic cloves and place them strategically over the tray (leave them whole and in their pink skins). I used seven or eight cloves here. Peel and finely slice onion and place over potato and chicken.

Thinly slice the tomato and distribute it over the top of the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle a little more salt over all the ingredients.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and place in a warming oven to cook at 200º C. for about 1 hour 15 minutes.

 

After about 45 minutes you can throw the white wine over the top of the chicken if you are including it. At the end of the cooking time you can place the tray under the grill for a couple of minutes if you prefer the chicken skin to be crispy.

Silly me, I forgot to take a photo of the end result! I guess I was too hungry to think about it...

Serving suggestion

For the first course we had a clear, green vegetable soup. (Recipe coming soon)

I served this chicken dish as a second course. 

For dessert we had orange sorbet and I forgot the chocolate/hazelnut wafers : (

Munchy Monday #31: Rice Krispie cake

This neat little tart/cake is made in a jiffy. You could say it's "easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!" Can serve up to ten people, but this is not the case in our family!

You will need:

50 g margarine or butter
50 g sugar
2 tblsp. golden syrup
15 to 18 tblsp. Kellogg's rice krispies
Chocolate vermicelli, shavings or similar, to decorate

Method:

Slowly melt margarine, sugar and golden syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then remove from heat. Quickly stir in the krispies making sure that all of them are covered in "goo". Transfer to a pie plate or similar flat dish and even over using the back of a metal spoon.  Decorate with the chocolate vermicelli or shavings. Leave to cool in fridge until needed. Cut as for a cake and eat.

Note: I have tried using store brand krispies but the result was a little mushy, so I would recommend Kellogg's.

Munchy Monday #30: Orange cinnamon biscuits

This biscuit recipe is one of our favourites, especially in winter. I have just made a batch and four disappeared whilst I was putting them on the cooling rack! The self-appointed taster at large!

You will need:

6 oz plain flour (all purpose)
3 oz sugar
1 oz ground almonds
1 orange, grated rind of whole and juice of half
4 oz margarine

Method:

Mix together flour, cinnamon, sugar, almonds and orange rind. Rub in margarine. Add enough orange juice to make a soft, pliable dough. (Too much will make it tacky, so be careful here!) Grease an oven tray, and start warming oven to 180º C. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and roll out to just under 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place shapes on oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to make sure that the biscuits are not toasting too much around the edges. Remove from oven, leave to cool for two minutes and then transfer biscuits to a clean cloth or cooling rack.

Mouth sized munchies!

Munchy Monday #29: Haricot bean omelette

Back in the good old days, when I could eat everything, this was one of my favourites. Maybe it isn't the first item which might occur to you use when you decide on omelettes for supper, but I can guarantee that you will enjoy it and that you will feel full having eaten it. I serve it with a light soup, salad and tomato bread. Serves 1 or 2, depending on individual appetites!

You will need:

2 medium sized eggs
3/4 cup cooked haricot beans
Salt
A little oil to fry

Method:

Warm the beans in a non-stick frying pan using a little oil.

Warming...

Lightly beat the two eggs together, adding a little salt. Add a little more oil to the pan, turn the heat up and when hot throw the egg over the beans, making sure that both egg and beans stay evenly distributed over the whole pan base.

Ready to be covered...

Almost immediately, turn the heat to low, cover the pan and let the egg gently solidify, about 2 minutes. Loosen the omelette from the sides of the pan and carefully flip it over using a flat saucepan lid or a plate. Gently brown the other side for a minute or so.

Flipped!

I like to serve it beans side up.

Ready to eat!

This is a typical supper from the past, when the farmers of Catalonia came in tired and hungry from the wintry fields, they needed something warm and filling to satisfy their appetites! It also had to be easy to eat and economical and this omelette was everything in one! Enjoy!

Munchy Monday #28: Lemon cherry rice cake

Now the lemons are abundant and not too expensive, what better way than to use them in a delicious and very filling cake. So as not to alter the measures I will write them down in ounces as specified in the recipe. I took this recipe years ago from a weekly magazine my mum used to get.

You will need:

6 oz margarine (milk free)
9 oz caster sugar
Grated rind of 3 lemons
4 eggs, size 3, beaten
6 oz glacé cherries, halved
9 oz rice flour
3 oz self - raising flour
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons

Method:

Cream margarine with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon rind. Gradually add eggs, beating well after every addition. Stir in cherries. Sift ground rice and flour together and fold them into the cream mixture, adding a little lemon juice at the same time. Add more lemon juice, if required, to give the batter a dropping consistency. Set oven to warm, gas mark 3 or 160º C (375º F). Grease a 20 cm diameter tin and spoon in the batter. Bake for an hour or so, until the cake is firm and springy to the touch. Leave the cake in the tin to cool.