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 #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.)

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 #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 #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!

Munchy Monday #26: Meat loaf

This is my version of a very well known recipe that my Canadian sister-in-law gave me quite some years ago. The original recipe calls for eggs and cream of mushroom soup and, as I can't eat this, I have changed the recipe a little to maintain the meat moist and tender.

The quantities used are for 8 - 10 servings.

You will need:

1/2 kilo minced beef
1/2 kilo minced pork
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp. tomato puree
1 level tblsp. dried parsley
1 level tblsp. salt
Shake of black pepper
Tomato ketchup

Method:

Mix all ingredients but ketchup together in a bowl. Place meat mixture onto an oven dish and spread evenly, using a fork. When this is done, squirt a small quantity of ketchup over the top of the meat and spread into the grooves of the fork. Place in a medium oven and cook for around an hour.

Serve with spuds and two veg!

Munchy Monday #23: Turkey and lentil curry

I understand this is by no means a real Indian curry, how it might be served in India or in a specialized restaurant. It is a recipe which I have invented for our family. We just love it and it can be made tasty or hot or anything in between, just by adding more or less curry powder. I  serve it with Basmati or long grain rice, "tortes" or pita bread, heaped on a jacket potato or even (horror of all horrors) served with chips, like I used to eat it in the college canteen! Serves 6 - 8 adults.

You will need:

1/2 kilo turkey or chicken pieces
Grated flesh of one big tomato
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium courgettes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 kilo green beans
150 g peeled orange lentils
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, grated
1 heaped tsp. Sharwood's hot curry powder
Flour for frying
Salt
1/2 glass sunflower oil or similar
Water

Method:

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, coat the meat in flour and gently fry for a few minutes. Add garlic, onion, curry powder and salt and stir fry another couple of minutes. Add tomato, carrot, courgette, green beans and lentils and stir fry again for another couple of minutes. Add enough water to almost cover the ingredients, cover and bring up to pressure. Simmer in pressure cooker for 12 minutes.

Note: Curry is much tastier if prepared some hours in advance or even one day for the next.

Another note: this can be adapted and made wheat free just by frying the meat directly without flouring.

Munchy Monday #22: Cabbage and potato stir fry

I post this particular "munchy" out of popular request from the family. The other day I made it for supper and they enjoyed it soooo much.

You will need:

Smokey bacon pieces
Cooked boiled potato, chopped small
Cooked boiled cabbage, chopped small
Small clove garlic, crushed (or equivalent)*
Salt and pepper
Oil to fry

Method:

Gently fry the bacon pieces until they are beginning to crisp. Add crushed garlic, stir and then add the cabbage and potato. Gently fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning regularly. Season to taste.

Serve on it's own as a starter or accompanied by meat or fish as a complete meal.
 

When I was small my Mum used to prepare something similar. It was called "bubble and squeak" for some reason, but it did not have the bacon or garlic. This dish should also include white haricot beans, but as we eat plenty of pulses already I did not include them in this recipe.

* I buy garlic in trays of frozen cubes, each cube represents one clove. You can also use garlic powder but this hardens very quickly here and so I tend to stay away from it.

Munchy Monday #18: Pumpkin and potato puree

I thought I would dedicate most of the October "munchies" to the pumpkin, a member of the gourd family. It is classified as both a fruit and a vegetable, and can be used as a sweet or savoury. We eat it both ways.

You will need:

Equal quantities of raw pumpkin and potato, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium sized onion, roughly chopped (for every 4 medium sized potatoes)
Salt and pepper
Water to cover
2 or 3 knobs of margarine (optional)

Method:

Gently fry the onion until soft. Do not brown. Add potato and pumpkin cubes and fry for another minute or so. Add enough water to cover, add salt and bring to boil. Gently simmer for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the potato and pumpkin cubes are just soft. Remove from heat, add margarine and blend until smooth. Once served, shake a little black pepper over each dish of puree.

We have just eaten this for supper and it is so filling. To follow we had "picanton" with a sauce made of mushrooms, young fresh garlic pieces, asparagus and baby prawns.

"Picanton" is a small chicken which is only 20 days old or so. What is it called in English? Can anyone enlighten me, as I couldn't find it on internet.

Munchy Monday #16: Summer fruit salad

This is so refreshing, and a good way to use up fruit which is ripening too quickly. It makes a pretty dessert, too. As for quantities, the choice is yours.

You will need:

Slices of water melon
Nectarines or peaches
Melon
Apples
Pears
Seedless red and white grapes
Orange juice
A small squirt of lemon or lime juice

Method:

Peel and chop the pear and apple. Toss the pieces in the lemon or lime juice in a serving bowl. Peel and chop the water melon, nectarine and melon into small pieces. Add to other fruit. Add the grapes and pour orange juice over all the fruit. Stir well. Keep in the fridge until required.

 

Note: I know that orange juice cannot really be considered a summer thing but it does add a special, refreshing flavour to this fruit salad.