CUMIN CHICKEN

We will cook an Indian recipe today. Cumin Chicken. Simple but delicious. Cumin gives the chicken its special flavor. Let’s cook!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 green chili
1 chicken breast, cubed
4 green cardamom pods
3 black peppercorns
Some vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Some salt to taste
1 teaspoon garam masala

First we will heat a frying pan or wok. When it is hot, put the cumin seeds in it and heat them for about two minutes. Be careful so that they do not get burned. Remove then from the pan or wok and reserve them.
Prepare the garlic, the ginger and the chili.
Heat some oil in the fan or work. When it is hot, add the cumin, the cardamom seeds and the peppercorns. Just for a minute. Then add the chili, the garlic and the ginger. Cook for one minute and then add the ground cumin and the ground coriander. Cook for another minute. Add then add the chicken. Stir well. Cover the pan, turn the fire low and let it cook for 15 minutes.
Finally, add the garam masala and some salt to taste if necessary. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then you will have the chicken ready.
Serve it hot. You can serve it with some basmati rice, cucumber raita or chapatis.
Enjoy!

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CHICKEN CURRY PIZZA

We will cook a different pizza today. Pizza made from scratch but with a chicken curry flavor. Italian and Indian together. Let’s cook it!

Ingredients:

Dough,

1 cup and 1 tablespoon water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon salt
3 ¼ cups flour
½ tablespoon yeast

For the curry,

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
A little piece of star aniseed
½ ground cinnamon
3 cloves
½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
½ teaspoon ground garlic
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ chopped onion
1 chopped shallot
½ chopped green pepper
½ chopped red pepper
½ chopped squash
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 chopped tomato
Some extra virgin olive oil
½ chopped chicken breast
Some salt to taste
Some freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup coconut milk
Some shredded cheese

First we will make the pizza base. I use a bread machine to make my pizza but, of course, you can knead your dough by hand. Using my bread machine, I put the ingredients in this order: water, oil, sugar, salt, flour and yeast. I select the program just to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. The machine will do its job and then it will let the dough grow. If you want to make your dough by hand, you can do it placing the flour on a table making a well with the water inside. Add the rest of the ingredients and make the dough. And then you will have to knead the dough properly. Knead and knead till the dough is elastic. Let it rise in a bowl covered by a wet cloth.
Once we have kneaded the dough, either by hand or with a machine, we will shape the pizza with a rolling pin. Remember that a floured work surface is always important. With that amount of ingredients you can make two pizzas.
Using a pizza stone will make your pizza crispier because these stones distribute the heat evenly. Nonetheless you will have to preheat the oven earlier and maybe use a pizza peel to transfer your pizza to and from the oven. Anyway, if your oven is powerful, your pizza will be good.
In the meantime, we will have prepared our curry. To do that, we will start preparing the spices. In a mortar we will grind the coriander seeds, the cumin seeds, the black peppercorns, the star aniseed, the cinnamon, the cloves, the cardamom seeds and the fennel seeds. Add to that the ground garlic and the turmeric. Reserve the spices.
Heat some olive oil in a wok and when it is hot, add the green and red pepper, the onion and the shallot. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic, the ginger, the squash and the chicken. Then we will add the spices. Mix well and keep on cooking. Then we will add the coconut milk. Add some salt and black pepper to taste. Let it cook for some minutes and reserve.
Then we will go to the oven. Preheat it to 450ºF. With the help of a rolling pin, shape the dough into a pizza on a greased tray. Then we will paint the pizza with a little olive oil. Then spread the chopped tomato on top of the though. Add the curry to the pizza. Do this so that the curry is well spread in all the pizza. Add the cheese evenly.
And your pizza is almost ready. You will only have to put it in your oven. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Let it cool for a minute and serve. A good and original Chicken Curry Pizza. Enjoy!

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FLOUNDER BALLS

Fish for today. We will cook fish in a different way. They are delicious and easy to make. I will serve them with a tomato sauce but you can do it with the sauce you want. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

2 fillets of flounder (or a similar fish)
1 boiled potato and then mashed
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 chopped shallots
1 teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste
Some freshly ground pepper to taste
½ dry chili (optional)
Some flour
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some tomato sauce

The first thing we will do is blending the fish in a food processor. We have to get like a fish paste. Then, we will put the fish in a bowl and will add the mashed potato, the egg, the garlic, the ginger, the shallots, the parsley and the turmeric. Mix well all this. Then we will add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the dry chili too, seeded and cut in little pieces.
The next step will be to shape the fish balls. We will do this with the help of some flour. Once they are made, we will fry them in a frying pan with hot oil. When the fish balls are brown, we will leave them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil. You can serve them with the sauce you prefer. This time I will serve them with tomato sauce. Put the fish balls in a frying pan with the tomato sauce and let them simmer for some minutes.
Serve hot. Enjoy!

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BABA GANOUSH

A delicacy from the Middle East. Aubergines or eggplants. Easy and delicious. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1 teaspoon parsley
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some drops of sesame oil
Some salt to taste

First we will have to roast the eggplant in the oven. Slice the eggplant and take it to a preheated oven. The temperature should be around 400ºF. Roast the eggplant for about 40 minutes. When it is done, remove the skin of the eggplant. You can remove the seeds too. Now put it in a processor along with the garlic, the lemon juice, the onion powder, the cumin and the parsley. Blend for a while and then add some olive oil. Not too much at the beginning. I prefer to use olive oil instead of tahini. It gives it a softer flavor. I prefer it like that, but you can use tahini instead of olive oil. It is up to you. Keep on blending till you get the texture you want. Add more olive oil if necessary. Finally add some drops of sesame oil. Add some salt to taste.
A perfect dip. Enjoy!

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DRIED SHRIMP CURRY

A different curry for today. Dried Shrimp Curry. Made with my own green curry paste. Rewarding. Delicious. Let’s make this curry.

Ingredients:

1 potato
5 mushrooms
½ squash
½ onion
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
¼ pound dried shrimp
Some vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon lemon grass
1 can coconut milk

Thai Green Paste:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
12 black peppercorns
12 small dried shrimp or 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
20 Thai green chillies
2 shallots
1 lemon grass stalk
3 kaffir lime leaves
Some grated kaffir rind
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal (or ginger, if you cannot get galangal)
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

First we will make our green paste. We will take the cumin and the coriander seeds and we will dry-roast them in a pan. Be careful, do not burn the seeds. Once this is done, put them in a mortar and grind them along with the peppercorns and the dried shrimp.
Prepare the green chillies. You will have to remove the seeds and chop them a bit. Now we will start mixing all the green paste ingredients in a blender. We will chop the shallots and lemon grass and then we will put them in the blender. We will do the same with the kaffir lime leaves, the galangal and the garlic. We will add the grated kaffir rind. Now we can blend a little. After this, we will add the rest of the ingredients for our paste: the green chillies, the mix with cumin, coriander, dried shrimp and peppercorns. We will blend again and then we will add some sugar, some salt to taste and some vegetable oil. We have to use the oil to get a delicious green paste, so use it to get the paste to your taste. And with this we will have our green paste.
Then we will prepare the potato. Peel it and cut it in pieces. Boil it and when it is ready, reserve it. Now cut the vegetables. Not in very big pieces. Chop the garlic and the ginger.
Once the vegetables are ready, we will start by heating two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Then we will sauté the onion and the green pepper. Two minutes later, add the squash, the mushrooms, the red pepper, the garlic and the ginger. Then we will add the shrimp and two or three tablespoons of the curry paste. The rest of the paste you can freeze for the future. Add the fish sauce and the lemon grass, fresh or packaged, as it is more conveniente for you. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the coconut milk and keep on cooking for two more minutes. Add the boiled potatoes now. Cook for five more minutes. You can add some fresh cilantro if you want.
Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!

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GOAN CROQUETTES

Let’s go back to Goa today. Goan Croquettes. So delicious. Let’s cook them.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
½ onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 dried red chili
1 jalapeno
7 cloves
Some vegetable oil for sautéing
½ pound ground beef
1 slice of bread
Some breadcrumbs
Some vegetable oil for frying the croquettes

First we will prepare the vegetables. Peel the onion, the garlic and the ginger. Remove the seeds of the chili. Cut the jalapeno, the garlic, the ginger and the chili.
The next step will be to sauté the onion, the jalapeno, the garlic, the ginger and the chili. After a couple of minutes, we will add the meat. Cook for a while so that the meat loses all their liquid.
Blend that preparation but make sure it is not too much.
Soak the slice of bread for ten minutes and after that, try to get rid of all the water from the bread. Beat one egg. Mix the egg with the bread and then with the blended meat and vegetables.
Prepare some breadcrumbs and beat the other egg.
Now we will start frying our croquettes. First heat some oil in a frying pan. Make the croquettes with the blended mixture. Soak them in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs and then put them in the frying pan with the hot oil. Make some at at time but not too many at the same time. Get them brown in both sides and when they are done, let them get rid of some oil on kitchen paper towel. Serve hot.
A perfect appetizer. Enjoy!

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ARAGONESE SALAD

A salad for today. A salad from my land. A salad from Aragón. Especially good for the summer. But good for all seasons too. Let’s make it.

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 potato
1 tomato
1 clove of garlic
Some fresh lettuce
2 green onions
2 tablespoons chopped pickles
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup bonito del norte (high quality tuna from Spain, from a can) or albacore tuna
½ cup Spanish olives
Some freshly ground black pepper
Some Spanish extra virgin olive oil
Some red wine vinegar
Some salt to taste

First we will have to boil the egg and the potato. Once they are done, let them cool.
Then prepare the vegetables. Cut the tomato, the green onions, the lettuce the pickles and the garlic. Instead of pickles you can use regular cucumbers, of course.
Season your salad with the olive oil and the vinegar. Add some salt and pepper.
Mix everything well with the bonito del norte. I am normally careful when I do this because I do not want to break those beautiful pieces of bonito.
Taste it and if you do not have to add more salt, your salad will be ready. Really good for the summer. Fresh and delicious. Enjoy!

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ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND PEPPERS

Roasted chicken. A classic in many places. At least it is in Spain. With potatoes and pepper it is wonderful. I am already salivating. To the kitchen we go!

Ingredients:

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
3 potatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 chicken
Some extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
Some salt to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Some lemon juice

First we will prepare the vegetables. Cut the peppers in strips and slice the potatoes. Chop half the cloves of garlic. If the chicken is not clean, clean it.
Mix some oil with the thyme, the oregano, some lemon juice, some salt and some black pepper. Brush the chicken with that oil, spices and lemon marinade and let it rest for a while.
Then take the chicken in a greased tray to the oven. This must be preheated to 375ºF. Cook it for 20 minutes.
After those minutes, add the vegetables and let it cool till the chicken is done inside and the potatoes are tender. It will be around 40 more minutes. But check it so that our dish is tender enough. It is a good idea to check if the chicken needs some liquid. We do not want our chicken to be too dry. Add some water or even more lemon juice.
And then the chicken will be ready. Something really good and easy to make. Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Peppers. Carve and enjoy!

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GAZPACHO

A fresh and cold recipe for the summer. But not only for the summer. A delicacy from Spain. Tomatoes and vegetables for a delicious sort of cold soup. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 clove of garlic (optional)
Some pickle or cucumbers to taste
A small loaf of bread
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some vinegar
Some salt to taste
Some cold water

It is very easy to make. It is important that the ingredients are really fresh. Except the bread. You can use bread made the day before. In fact, it is better like that.
First we will prepare the vegetables. To do this, cut them a bit so that the blender can work better. If you want, and if you have time, you can keep all the cut vegetables in the fridge for one night. That would be good. Add part of the oil and the vinegar and let it rest in the fridge. The next day, put them in the blender. And then blend. Little by little. Add more oil and vinegar to make the gazpacho to your taste. The secret is adding the exact amount of water to your taste. And some salt, of course. When you find your Gazpacho perfect for you, store it in the fridge.
It is a good idea to reserve some of the vegetables without blending them. When you serve your Gazpacho, add some of those vegetables. The moment you serve it, add some extra virgin olive oil.
And then, just enjoy!

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DRIED ANCHOVIES

A Korean recipe for today. Anchovies. It can be a perfect and different appetizer. You must use dried anchovies that can be found in Asian stores. They are very small but really good. Let’s go to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 dried chili
Some dried anchovies
Some vegetable oil (I will use extra virgin olive oil)
Some brown sugar
Some water
Some paprika or Spanish pimentón
Some sesame seeds
Some drops of sesame oil

My adaptation of this Korean recipe. I love it.
First we will prepare the garlic and the dried chili. Then we will heat the anchovies in a pan or wok for a couple of minutes. Do not use too much oil. Reserve them.
In the same pan or wok, heat the garlic and the dried chili. Add some brown sugar, a little of water and a bit of paprika. Cook for a minute and then add the anchovies. One more minute and then add some sesame seeds and some drops of sesame oil. Stir well and serve. Enjoy!

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THAI EGG NOODLES WITH CHICKEN

Today noodles. A very rewarding dish. Easy to make and easy to eat. A good option. I like to use lots of vegetables. They are always good. In that way you can get a complete meal. Let’s go to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 packet of egg noodles
Some extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt
½ chopped onion
1 chopped carrot
½ chopped green pepper
½ cup diced squash
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
½ chicken breast, cubed
5 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1 dried chili
A pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
Some drops of sesame oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

First we will have to prepare the pasta. Follow the instructions of the pasta package. You normally will have to heat quite a lot of water in a pan, adding some drops of oil and some salt. Once it is boiling, add the pasta and cook it following the instructions. But do not overcook. In fact it is better to let the pasta be not completely cooked at this stage. When the pasta is ready, drain tha pasta and reserve it.
We will have to prepare the spices. Do this grinding them in a mortar. Grind the peppercorns, the cumin, the coriander seeds, the cardamom and the dried chili. Once it is ground, reserve it.
The next step is to put some oil in a wok or big frying pan. Then heat it and sauté the onion, the carrot, the pepper, the squash, the garlic and the ginger. Do this at high heat. But be careful because we do not want our vegetables to get burned.
Now we will add the chicken and we will sauté it. Then add the spices from the mortar, the sugar, the fish sauce and some drops of sesame oil. Cook for some minutes and add the lime juice and the cilantro.
Finally, add the pasta. Mix well and keep on cooking for a couple of minutes. Then we will have our dish ready. The secret is cooking fast and at high heat. But being careful so that our food does not get burned. Delicious.
Enjoy!

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LENTILS WITH CHORIZO

Pulses. I love lentils. And I love chorizo. So let’s make Lentils with Chorizo today. We should be eating beans and pulses at least once a week. Or even more. And there are very good ways of cooking them. To the kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils
2 bay leaves
Some extra virgin olive oil
½ chopped onion
½ chopped green pepper
1 chopped carrot
½ cup chopped squash
1 chopped chorizo
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sweet Spanish pimentón (or paprika)
1 chopped tomato

Depending on the kind of lentils you use you will have to soak them overnight. Check the package of the lentils you use.
If you have soaked them, discard the water. Then put the lentils in a pan with enough water. Add some salt and some drops of olive oil. Cook the lentils. It is better if the heat is low. When they are almost done, we will remove the liquid from the lentils but we will reserve it.
While we are cooking the lentils, we can cook the vegetables. Put some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and heat it. Once it is hot, add the onion, the pepper, the carrot, the squash and the chorizo. Cook for some minutes and then add the garlic and the herbs and spices. Salt to taste and add some pepper. When the vegetables are almost ready, not too well done, though, we will add them to the pan with the lentils. Then it is up to you. You can add as much of the liquid we have reserved, depending on the way you like your lentils.
We only have to add the tomato. Keep on cooking for some minutes. The heat low, remember. And your lentils will be ready. Serve them hot. Enjoy!

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CILANTRO AND COCONUT CHUTNEY

A delicious chutney from India. Cilantro and coconut. And spices, of course. Perfect to go with Indian curries. And very easy to prepare. Let’s make it.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 inch cinnamon stick
8 black peppercorns
1 dried chili (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 coconut
Some water
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
Some vegetable oil
Some salt
Some sugar
A bit of butter

First we will prepare some spices. To do this, in a mortar grind the cumin, the fennel, the cloves, the turmeric, the pepper corns and the cinnamon stick. If you want, you can add a dried chili. I do not like my chutney to be hot, but some people love it like that. It is up to you.
The next thing is preparing the coconut and the cilantro. As for the coconut, you will have to open it, remove the liquid, and keep the pulp. Break it in little pieces and reserve. I know, I know. Sometimes it is hard to do this. If you want, you can also buy frozen coconut. It is very convenient because you can find it frozen in little pieces.
Preparing the cilantro is the next thing. You have to discard the stems and keep the leaves.
Once you have the coconut and the cilantro ready, put them in a food processor. Blend it properly. Add the garlic and ginger too. If you need it, add some water. But do this little by little. Too much water is not good for our chutney. Add the spices at the last moment and blend well.
The next step is heating some vegetable oil in a pan. Use very little. Then, heat the black mustard seeds. Do not let them burn. Add the blender contents and cook slowly for some minutes. If you need it, add some water little by little. At the last moment add the butter. When everything is well mixed, add some sugar and/or salt to your taste.
And then you will have your chutney ready. It is better to let it cold and serve it with your favorite food. Enjoy!

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PORK VINDALOO

Let’s come back to Goa! We will make a delicious vindaloo today. Vindaloos are dishes with meat, some vegetables and vinegar. Yes. Vinegar. It gives the flavor to this dish. A dish with influences from Portugal. A mixture of Portuguese and Indian cooking. Let’s cook!

Ingredients:

10 Kashmiri red chilies
1 pound pork, cubed
4 green cardamom pods (without the pods)
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
8 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground Kashmiri red chillies
3 cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
Some salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 potatoes
Some vegetable oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 bay leaves
Some red wine vinegar
Some basmati rice

To make our Pork Vindaloo first we will have to prepare our vindaloo paste. To do this, soak the Kashmiri red chilies in warm water for about half an hour. The next step is grinding the spices. Grind the cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, ground Kashmiri red chillies, cloves, turmeric and black mustard seeds in a mortar.
Then we will put the soaked Kashmiri red chilies, garlic, ginger, vinegar and the mix of the mortar in a blender. Blend everything well to get the vindaloo paste, adding some water if necessary.
Once we have the vindaloo paste, we will have to mix it with the meat. Mix well and let it marinate for some hours. Doing it overnight it is a good idea.
When ready to start cooking, first we will peel and cut the potatoes in little pieces. We will bring to a boil but do not cook them completely. Reserve them.
Next we will put some oil in a wok. Once is hot, add the chopped onion. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the bay leaves. Then add the pork with the marinade. Cook for some minutes and if we see we need to add more liquid, add some vinegar or a little water, depending if the acidity you want for your vindaloo. But just do this, if it is necessary. We do not want too much liquid.
When the meat is almost ready, add the potatoes and mix well. Let it cook for a while so that the potatoes get the vindaloo flavor. Serve with cooked basmati.
A very delicious dish. Indeed. Enjoy!

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TUNA STUFFED RED PEPPERS

A delicacy from my childhood. I remember these red peppers from an eatery in my home city. There were delicious. Today I will cook them.

Ingredients:

Some roasted red peppers (from a jar or can)
Some bonito del norte (high quality tuna from Spain, from a can) or albacore tuna
1 beaten egg
Some flour
Some beer
Some extra virgin olive oil

To start with our recipe, take some roasted red peppers and remove as much water from them as possible. Do this carefully so that they do not break. Then, fill them with pieces of high quality bonito. If we need it, we can use some toothpicks to help hold the peppers. If you do that, remember to remove the toothpicks before eating.
The next step is to coat the peppers in batter. We will have prepared this batter before. To prepare it, mix the beaten egg, some flour and a little beer. What you have to do is try to get a quite sticky and thick batter. Peppers and bonito are already salted so I do not add any salt but you can add some if you want.
Once the peppers are well battered, put them in a frying pan with some very hot extra virgin olive oil. Fry the peppers till they are brown. Make sure that the peppers are well fried in a uniform way. When we can see that that they are brown, remove the peppers from the pan and put them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil.
You can serve them hot or cold. Perfect for an entrée, perfect as a tapa or appetizer, perfect as a side. I can’t wait to make them.
Enjoy!

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GARLIC AND PARSLEY COD

Fish today. My beloved cod. Cooked in a very simple way but so delicious. Cod, garlic, parsley and olive oil. Let’s cook!

Ingredients:

Some cod fillets
Some flour
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some salt to taste, if necessary
Some parsley
Some chopped garlic.

If we use salt cod, first we will have to soak it for about 48 hours, changing the water several times. You can also use fresh cod. Frozen cod is another option, too.
We have to make sure that the pieces of cod are dry. If they are wet, we can dry them with some kitchen paper towel. When we have our cod ready to start cooking, we will coat it with flour, lightly. Then we will fry it in a frying pan with hot extra virgin olive oil. Not much oil and not for long. Do it in both sides. When the fish is ready, reserve it.
Then we will have to make a little sauce. Mix some extra virgin olive oil, some salt, some parsley and some chopped garlic.
To serve, spread some of the sauce on the fish and keep some aside to add more sauce if needed.
Ready to eat. Enjoy!

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GREEN ASPARAGUS AND SHRIMP SOUP

Some soup for today. Soup with shrimp and asparagus. Something different. Soups are always regarding and this one will not be different. Let’s go to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

Some vegetable or chicken stock
Some green asparagus
½ chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
Some peeled shrimp
Some vegetable oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Salt to taste, if needed
Some freshly ground black pepper
Some cilantro

First we will heat the stock. Cut the asparagus in pieces. When it is boiling, we will add the asparagus. We will cook them for some minutes and then we will reserve them. If you use the whole asparagus, including the hard ends, you will have to cook them for a longer time. Bear that in mind.
The next thing will be to heat some oil in a wok. When it is hot, add the onion and the ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then we will add the asparagus and the shrimp. One minute later, add the stock. Let it cook for five minutes.
In the meantime we will mix the corn starch with some water. Mix well and add to the wok. Stir well.
We will go on cooking for some minutes. Finally, add the fish sauce and pepper. Add some salt to taste and add the last touch, the cilantro.
Serve hot. Enjoy!

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FRIED EGGS AND CHORIZO

I am just salivating. I cannot avoid it. One of the easiest recipes for today. Fried Eggs and Chorizo. Not for every day but let’t make it today.

Ingredients:

Fresh eggs
Some extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Some freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Some good Spanish chorizo
A pinch of dried parsley (optional)
Some good bread

It is not difficult to fry eggs. The eggs must be really fresh. That is very important.
First, heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Once it is hot, quite hot, cook the eggs one at a time. Crack an egg and add it to the frying pan. Let it cook for a while. From time to time take some oil from the frying pan and pour it over the egg. That will make our fried eggs fantastic. Add some salt to taste. And some pepper and parsley if you want.
At the same time we can prepare the chorizo. Just slice it and heat a bit in a pan.
We only have to serve our eggs. Pour some of the chorizo oil over the eggs if you want. Serve the eggs with the chorizo and some bread. Enjoy!

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SALT COD IN TOMATO SAUCE

We will cook some fish today. Cod, one of my favourite. Cod in Tomato Sauce. I will use salt cod. I prefer it to fresh cod. In Spain salt cod is very common. It has been used for centuries as a perfect way of preserving cod. Really delicious.

Ingredients:

½ pound salt cod
Some extra virgin olive oil
1 can crushed tomato
Some fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
Some salt to taste
Some freshly ground black pepper

First we will have to prepare the fish. And to do that, we will have to start by soaking the cod in water overnight. We should change the water every three hours. It is important to be careful when you change the water so that the cod does not break. In general, depending of the salt water, you should soak the water from 12 to 24 hours. Nonetheless it is better to soak it for 24 hours. If you do that, you can always add some salt while cooking if necessary.
Once the cod is desalted, we will have to cook it. We will put some olive oil in a frying pan and when it is hot enough, we will cook the cod for some minutes. Not too much. When the cod is ready, we will reserve it.
Then we will start preparing the tomato sauce. We will heat some oil in a frying pan. When it is hot, we will add the garlic and half a minute later we will add the crushed tomato. Cook the sauce gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. At the last moment we will add the spices: thyme and parsley.
Finally, when the sauce is almost ready, we will add the cod to the sauce.
And in a couple of minutes we will have our Salt Cod in Tomato Sauce.
Serve hot and enjoy!

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STRAWBERRIES WITH LEMON

Today dessert. A pretty simple preparation. But really delicious. And healthy. Strawberries with Lemon. Let’s make it.

Ingredients:

Some fresh strawberries
Some lemon juice
Some sugar

First we will wash and clean the strawberries very carefully. Once they are clean, cut them in pieces. Then we will prepare the lemon. We will squeeze it and get its juice.
We only have to mix the pieces of strawberries with some sugar and the lemon juice. Use the sugar that you want. But I would not suggest using too much. Let it cool for some minutes in the fridge.
You can use orange juice instead of lemon juice. Use the one you prefer. The juice gives the strawberries a touch of acidity that is really good.
Serve and enjoy.

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STUFFED POTATOES

Today potatoes. This is a dish that you can find in some places in Spain. They are made in different ways depending on the places. But the recipes are similar. Something very good as a tapa or appetizer. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

Some potatoes, washed and peeled
Some ground beef
Some ground pork
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ squash, finely diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon oregano
Some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 beaten egg
Some extra virgin olive oil
Some tomato sauce

The first thing that we will do is washing and peeling the potatoes. Then we will put them in a pan with water. We will have to boil them but it is important that they are not too done. After cooking them, when they are a bit cold, we will remove the inside of the potatoes with the help of a teaspoon. You have to empty the potatoes and do it carefully so that in the end we have whole potatoes with a big hole inside. Reserve.
In a frying pan with some extra virgin olive oil, not much, we will sauté the onion, the squash, the garlic, the meat and the spices. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. When this is ready, we will have to stuff the potatoes. Do this carefully. Stuff the potatoes with the meat and vegetables and cover the hole with a piece of potato as if it were a lid. Then we will paint the potatoes with the beaten egg. Sauté the potatoes lightly.
Now we will have to prepare the tomato sauce, in case you do not use already made tomato sauce. To make our tomato sauce you can sauté onion, tomato and garlic. Cook it gently. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add some herbs if you want too. Once the tomato sauce is ready, add the potatoes to the sauce. Simmer the potatoes in the tomato sauce for a while and serve.
Something good and rewarding. Enjoy!

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