RUSSIAN SALAD

This is a Spanish dish, despite its name. I do not think that Russians know this salad but who knows!
You can find Russian Salad in every Spanish bar. It is one of those everyday tapas. When I talk about Spanish bars I should make clear that they are different from what, for example, an American bar is. Spanish bars, the bars I am talking about, are tapas bars. Places where you can drink some beer or some wine and eat some delicious tapas.
And one of those tapas is Russian Salad. The typical Spanish bar is not one of those pretentious Tapas Bars you find outside Spain. Anyway, let us prepare some Russian Salad.

Ingredients:

Basically a Russian Salad is sort of an American Potato Salad but with more ingredients. You can use fresh vegetables or frozen ones. The frozen vegetable bags you can buy at supermarkets are quite good to start with. None the less I will tell you the ingredients for a fresh Russian Salad.

1 cubed boiled potato
1 cubed boiled carrot
¼ cup cooked corn
¼ cup cooked green beans
¼ cup cooked butter beans
¼ cup green onions
¼ cup chopped lettuce
2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon chopped tomato
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 chopped hard-boiled egg
1 3-ounce tuna can
Some salt
Some mayonnaise sauce


Those are some ingredients you can use in your Russian Salad. In Spain people always use green peas but I do not use them because my wife does not like them much. In fact I should say that she hates green peas. What a pity! Tomato and beans are not used either. You can add some green olives, celery… You know you are the boss in the kitchen.Preparing Russian Salad is very easy. You just have to boil the vegetables that need to be boiled, that is to say, potatoes, carrots, corn and beans. Of course, if your vegetables are fresh and not frozen, it will take longer. Bear that in mind. The important thing is that all those vegetables are well boiled. Once you have your vegetables ready, drain them and then mix them with the tuna, the egg, the pickle, the red pepper, the green onions, the garlic and the lettuce. Mix well, add some salt to taste and finally mix with some mayonnaise sauce. Do not put too much sauce. We do not want it to be too oily so if this is your first Russian salad, add the mayonnaise little by little. Cool your Russian Salad for some time in the fridge and then it will be ready to eat.

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TIRAMISU

A delicious dessert. I admit I have not tasted Tiramisu in Italy. I have done it in several countries. They were different but, most of them delicious. You can find Tiramisu turned into cakes or even ice cream. Again, I will show you how to make my Tiramisu. Remember, there are many ways of cooking something. Discover yours.

Ingredients:

8 oz mascarpone cheese (or regular cream cheese)
3 oz ladyfingers
Some espresso coffee
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Tiramisu should be done with mascarpone cheese but if you cannot find it, regular cream cheese will do, although it will not be same, of course.
First, we will take the eggs and separate the white from the yolk. Then, in a bowl we will mix cheese, sugar and yolks. It has to be really creamy. In another bowl we will beat the whites till they are stiff. We will mix then these two bowls. But it is important to try to get a fluffy mixture, so do not mix too much. We will have some coffee ready. I prefer some really strong espresso coffee. Then we will start layering the Tiramisu. We will use a container in which we will put a layer of ladyfingers. Then we will wet the ladyfingers with some coffee. And now a layer of the mixture. Then more ladyfingers and more coffee. Cover with another layer of mixture and finally sprinkle with the cocoa powder. Cover the container and put it in the fridge. It is better to let it cool and it tastes better if you eat your Tiramisu the following day.
There is a “but” though. Raw eggs. You have to bear in mind that using raw eggs has a risk. You can use pasteurized eggs if you want. But I am sure of something, you will love Tiramisu. And you can also put some liquor in the coffee. Some rum or whisky, for example. That will give a different touch to your Tiramisu. I also put some chocolate chips along with the cocoa powder. Enjoy.

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ROAST STUFFED CHICKEN

Stuffed Chicken. A classic. I am sure you will know many ways of stuffing a chicken. In this recipe I will use a small chicken, a sort of gallinita or picantón but, of course, you can use a regular chicken or even a turkey. As for the stuffing, what can I say? I will only give you an idea of what you can do. You can stuff your chicken the way you want. Let’s start.

Ingredients:

1 clean chicken

Marinade:

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder

Stuffing:

A jar of assorted mushrooms
Some Greek baby eggplants
Bread crumbs

First we will prepare a marinade. For that, we will mix all the marinade ingredients. We will rub the chicken with part of that marinade and will put it on a greased tray. We will let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes. Then we will stuff the chicken with the mixture we have prepared, in my case, assorted mushrooms, Greek baby eggplants and some bread crumbs. You can also try with artichoke hearts and green and red pepper relish. You know, use the stuffing you wish. Now we will pour the rest of the marinade on the chicken. If you want, you can also put some potato wedges on the tray, rubbed with the same marinade. It is a good idea to cover the chicken legs with foil, so that they do not get cooked too much. Put the tray on a preheated oven to 375ºF for about 60 minutes. If the chicken gets too dry, you can sprinkle some water on the tray, but do not open the oven too often. And when it is ready, serve and enjoy.

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GOULASH

I discovered Goulash when I visited Hungary some years ago. I had heard about it but I had never tasted it. And it was such a discovery for me. I have developed my own Goulash recipe… by now I am sure you will know I am so brave to do this. I just hope Hungarians do not think I am too brave. Let’s cross fingers!
My Goulash is a pressure cooker Goulash. It is fast but delicious.

Ingredients:

1 pound beef chuck
1 small chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
8 black peppercorns, some whole, some split
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 large peeled diced potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 chopped carrot
½ cup chopped squash
½ chopped green pepper
1 chopped seeded red chilli
1 teaspoon mixed herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
Some water

First we will cut the beef in cubes. They must not be too large. Then we get all the rest of the ingredients ready. Peel and cut the potatoes, chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, squash, carrot and red chilli. Once you have everything ready, put the oil in the pressure cooker and let it heat a bit. Then season the meat with salt and put it in the cooker. Seal the meat for some minutes stirring the beef. Now you only have to add the rest of the ingredients. Add water so that all the ingredients are covered by it. And then follow the instructions of your cooker. Close the pressure cooker and proceed according to the instructions. Once it is done, open the cooker.What I do now is to remove some liquid and prepare with that a noodle soup in another pan. You just have to add some noodles and let them cook. In this way you will have two dishes, the Goulash noodle soup and the Goulash itself. Maybe it is not too proper for a Goulash but, why not trying? Another option is to prepare some dumplings. For this you will need all the Goulash broth, so you will not be able to make the Goulash noodle soup. You will need one egg, five tablespoons of flour and a bit of salt. Mix this and let it stand for 30 minutes. Then, with the help of a spoon drop the dumplings into the cooker. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes when the dumplings come up to the top. And then, serve it. Close your eyes and imagine being in Hungary on a cold evening enjoying your Goulash.

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CHICKEN IN PUFF PASTRY

I remember that when I was a kid I didn’t like puff pastry. That changed when I started using it to cook stuffing it with different ingredients. This recipe is very easy to make. In this recipe I stuff the puff pastry with chicken but you can do it with all kind of meat. I also do it with ground beef, and it is delicious. And, of course, you can use just vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 small chicken breast
1 ready-to-bake puff pastry sheet
1 small chopped tomato
1 small chopped carrot
½ chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped frozen spinach
1 cup cubed yellow squash
½ cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper
¾ cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
Some spices (thyme, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, salt)
Some vegetable oil
Some flour
Some milk or one beaten egg

Thaw the puff pastry sheet following the instructions of the package. Prepare the vegetables and heat a frying-pan with some oil. First put the carrots and the onion in the pan. A bit later add the garlic, the ginger and the chicken, cut in small pieces. Later add the squash, tomato, spinach, corn, red pepper, tomato sauce and spices. When everything is ready, specially the chicken, add the ricotta cheese and mix well. Set aside.
We will prepare the puff pastry now. With the help of a rolling pin we will extend the puff pastry on a floury surface, just to make it a bit thinner and softer. Then we will stuff it. Put the pastry on a greased tray and stuff it with the mixture. Close the pastry and brush it with some milk or some beaten egg. Put the tray on a preheated oven to 400ºF for 30 minutes. While the pastry is in the oven, shake the tray a couple of times so that it does not stick to the tray, but do not open the oven much. The pastry will be done when it has a wonderful golden brown colour. Let it cool for some minutes and serve.

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COCONUT AND GINGER SOUP

Don’t you like soup? Healthy stuff not only for the cold winter. I come from a country where soups are very important. We Spaniards normally take two courses in each meal and many times you will find a soup as the first course. Not this soup though.
This is one of my favourite soups. Coconut milk and ginger give this soup with a Thai touch its special character. Chicken, some noodles and a bit of cilantro complete the dish.

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped chicken
1 liter water or 1 liter chicken stock, but not too strong
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons thin noodles
2 tablespoons flake unsweetened coconut
1 chopped seeded red chilli

You can make the soup with chicken stock or just with water but I do not like a strong stock that could disguise the flavour. Coconut milk and ginger are essential in this recipe. First heat the water or stock in a pan. When it is a bit warm, you can add the chicken and a bit later the coconut milk, the oil, the ginger, the garlic, the mushrooms, the coriander and the salt. Let it cook at a moderate heat and then add the noodles, the dry coconut flakes and the red chilli. When the soup is almost ready, add the chopped cilantro and serve hot. And enjoy the flavour of the coconut milk, the ginger and the garlic. I think I will make it now!

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CHICKEN BASIL

My favourite. A dish with a Thai touch that is delicious and that it is very easy to make. It does not matter if you cannot find Thai basil, the regular one will do. You can use dried basil but it will be better if you can find fresh basil. The fish sauce will be easy to find in any Asian store, even in some regular supermarkets. I use lemon grass from a tube; fresh lemon grass is difficult to find. I use ginger but, of course, if you can find Thai galangal, it will be great. First, I will give you the plain recipe. There are some interesting variations, though.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
½ onion
1 green pepper
½ red pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon grass
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Some vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 chopped seeded red chilli
1 tablespoon basil

First, we will prepare the onion and the peppers. We will cut them in not too small pieces. Then, we will do the same with the chicken. We will heat some oil in a wok and put onions and peppers first. When they are a bit done, but not much, we will put the chicken, the red chilli, the garlic and the ginger in the wok. We will cook it for two minutes and then we will add the fish sauce, the salt, the sugar and the lemon grass, stirring continuously until the chicken is golden brown. And the last touch is the basil. We will add it after turning off the fire, mixing it evenly with the chicken and vegetables. Serve hot and enjoy. As I said before, you can also use some variations. You can drop some sesame oil, just a few drops. Or a spoonful of peanuts. It will give the dish a different touch.

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