Yums!

Been doing some baking...

Banana and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

Anzacs

Rainy day biscuits*

*Yes, we do have a legitimate excuse to make them as it rained a little during the night, for the first time in three months. The last time it rained was during the first week in November, last year!

Ooh, yummo!

I was alone for lunch today so I made one of my favourite dishes! Prepared in less than 10 minutes, I enjoyed it so much I thought I would share a photo with my fellow bloggers!

If you ever come this way this is something you just have to try. Calamars a la Romana amb patates fregides - or battered squid rings with chips. Just some fruit for a dessert and Bob's yer uncle, as they say.

Have a good weekend everyone :)

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 #47: Individual pork roasts

Well, we call them this way, anyway! They are really roasted pork cheeks, but we have found over the years that if we said what they really were our visitors were less eager to eat them! It's a good meal to prepare if there are many mouths to feed. Small children can share one because there is a lot of meat on these things.

You will need:
One pork cheek per adult, one between two for those with a smaller appetite.
Small roasting onions
Frozen garlic
Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Oil to coat each cheek

Method:
Coat each cheek with oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the cheeks out on a roasting tray and shake frozen garlic chips over them. Place the bay leaves and onions between the cheeks and place tray in a slightly pre - heated oven on high to roast the usual way. (These cheeks took about 1 hour 20 minutes to cook till tender, in a hot fan oven, top and bottom oven on)

We had a light soup as a starter and I served the roasts with green beans and a few oven chips each (plus the onions for those who wanted them). Yum!

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 #45: Garlic and parsley fried rice

This is a yummy accompaniment to many meals. I serve it with red meat, chicken and fish but also on its own. It's just so simple to prepare...

You will need:
Any type of white rice, boiled in salted water and allowed to cool.
Fresh or dried parsley, chopped.*
Fresh or frozen garlic, chopped or crushed*
Salt
Oil to fry

Method:
Pour oil into a frying pan (enough to almost cover the bottom of the pan) and place on a medium heat. Add garlic and parsley and fry very carefully for a few seconds. Add rice and gently stir fry for 5 to 7 minutes, adding a sprinkling of salt a couple of times during this process. Leave rice in pan until needed and re-heat if necessary.

This is a tasty way to serve leftover white rice from a previous meal.

*For every 500 g of rice I use 1 clove of garlic (or equivalent if using frozen garlic) and a heaped teaspoon of parsley. Bear in mind that fresh parsley has a stronger taste and therefore you might need a little less. I always use dried parsley.

Munchy Monday #44: Haricot beans with xistorra (pressure cooker method)

As you might have already realized we are fans of pulses. I love beans. In fact, a friend of my family in England who knew me very well, once said that when he came to our house he almost expected to see three taps in the kitchen: one for the hot water, one for the cold and one for the baked beans!

This is a very economic dish made a little more special (and tasty) by the addition of the xistorra sausage. Mmmm, my mouth is watering already...

You will need:
100 g dried haricot beans per person
1 piece of xistorra sausage of about 10 cm, per person
1 medium sized potato between two people, peeled and chopped big (see photo)
Oil for frying
Salt
Pressure cooker

Method:
Rinse dried beans under the tap and leave them to soak in a bowl of water over night (at least 12 hours)
Gently fry xistorra sausage in your pressure cooker till slightly browned on all sides. Add potato and fry a little more. Drain beans and rinse. Add beans to potato and xistorra, cover with fresh water, stir and seal your cooker. Bring up to pressure and cook gently for 5 - 6 minutes. Turn off heat and leave beans in pan till pressure is completely reduced. Open cooker and salt. Leave until needed. Warm gently, if necessary.

Yummo!

Some people prefer not to eat the pulses because of the rather uncomfortable side effects which can occur. I was reading about this in internet not so long ago and I found a couple of very interesting facts. The first, that you should never cook pulses in salted water because it hardens the skins, therefore making them more indigestable.  Add the salt after cooking. Secondly, pulses cooked in a pressure cooker are far less likely to give problems as the skin fibre has been broken up by the high pressure as they cook.

What is a xistorra sausage? What does it look like? See here for more details.

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 #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 #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.)

Spring bucket update and the BBQ

This is a list of the things we have already achieved from this year's spring bucket list:

# Field trip - The Glass Museum, Vimbodí
# We have been asparagus hunting, we found 12!
# We have had the BBQ (see below)
# We have walked in the rain and splashed in the puddles
# I have completed another but it is a surprise for the moment for a certain person very close to me so I cannot publish it yet...

Yes, the BBQ. We had it last Saturday and here are a few photos to prove it. This time we had a new cook as my youngest daughter, who usually likes to do it, was away at a friend's house.

I must say my dear hubby did a fine job. Bravo and omnomnom...

A mixed salad which I threw together*

BBQ in the making

The end result - well, what hasn't been eaten up already!*

* The salad consisted of: mixed green and purple lettuce leaves, salad tomato, sweet onion (given to us by the neighbour that very morning), grated carrot, thinly sliced, raw purple cabbage and green and black olives, all garnished with olive oil and a shake of salt.

* The meat was: slices of pork belly rashers, pork ribs, lamb cutlets and chops and some prawns.

* The veggies this time were: potatoes, artichoke halves and small courgette cut into three or four blocks each.

For dessert: strawberries marinated in sugar and red wine.

Does anyone else have a spring bucket which they are working on? How are you doing? I'd love to know.

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 #27: Fruit puree

Now there is not such a variety of fruit on the shop shelves there is nothing nicer than combining the three most basic fruits together, just to make a change. The quantities given will serve 4 to 6 people, but you can vary them depending on what you have at home and how many mouths you have to feed. I usually allow 1 piece of fruit per adult + 1.

You will need:

2 Apples
2 Bananas
Juice of 2 oranges*
2 Maria type biscuits (optional)

Method:

Peel, core and quarter the apples. Peel the bananas and chop into pieces. Puree all ingredients in a tall jug or deep sided bowl.

If you are not going to serve immediately, you will need to add a squirt of lemon juice so that the fruit doesn't oxidize.

* We can buy a special variety of orange that has very thin skin and very fine pith. One orange will sometimes make a glass full of juice. You will have to arrange the recipe according to what is available where you live.

Note: This puree is baby's first weaning food here in Catalonia. Of course, what baby leaves is good for Mum to finish off!   Omnomnom ; )

Another not: to make this wheat free, just omit the biscuits!