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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