The classic Catalan invention known as pa amb tomàquet consists of toasted slices of bread that are sprinkled with salt, rubbed with tomatoes, and drizzled with olive oil (purists insist on rubbing both sides of the bread with tomatoes). The first recipe for this dish dates back to 1884, when stale bread was rubbed …
Category: Recipes
Natillas
Natillas is a traditional dessert made by boiling a combination of milk, egg yolks, sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla. Although the vanilla-flavored variety is the most popular one, natillas can also be flavored with chocolate or turrón. The dessert is often sprinkled with cinnamon on top before serving in order to improve its flavors even further. …
Pisto
Pisto is a traditional dish from La Mancha, consisting of a variety of cooked and fried vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and courgettes. It is very similar to the famous ratatouille. The dish can be served cold as a starter, or warm as a side dish. It is believed that pisto was introduced to …
Bocadillo de jamón
Bocadillo de jamón is a sandwich that is made with Spanish bread and slices of Spanish ham such as jamón Serrano (Serrano ham) or jamón Iberico (Iberian ham). It usually consists of a Spanish-style baguette (barra de pan) that’s been cut in half along the middle and layered with the ham. The cut side of the bread is …
Magdalenas
Magdalenas are sweet, light, and fluffy Spanish cakes that are typically made with a combination of eggs, sugar, butter, flour, baking powder, milk, and lemon zest or vanilla essence for flavoring. Visually, magdalenas are quite similar to muffins. In Spain, they are most commonly consumed for breakfast with a cup of coffee. In the past, …
Romesco
Romesco is a savory Spanish sauce consisting of red peppers, tomatoes, onions, and a variety of roasted or raw nuts such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds. The sauce is extremely versatile, so it can be served with fish, seafood, salads, vegetables, and meat dishes, although it can also be used in stews, giving them a …
Pain au chocolat
Pain au chocolat is a French viennoiserie roll made with a combination of rectangular, yeast-leavened dough and a few chocolate sticks or chocolate ganache. The filled dough is rolled, baked, then served, ideally while still hot or warm. This flaky pastry can be bought at numerous French bakeries and supermarkets. Interestingly, another name for …
Summer egg salad with basil & peas
ingredients 150g new potatoes thickly sliced 160g French beans trimmed 160g frozen peas 3 eggs 160g romaine lettuce roughly torn into pieces For the dressing 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp cider vinegar ½ tsp English mustard powder 2 tbsp chopped mint 3 tbsp chopped basil 1 garlic clove finely grated 1 tbsp …
Pepper & lemon spaghetti with basil & pine nuts
ingredients 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 red pepper deseeded and diced 150g wholemeal spaghetti 2 courgettes (250g), grated 2 garlic cloves finely grated 1 lemon zested and juiced 15g basil finely chopped 25g pine nuts toasted 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative (optional) Method step 1 Heat the oil in a large non-stick …
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Charred broccoli, lemon & walnut pasta
ingredients 1 head broccoli cut into small florets and stalk cut into small pieces 3 tsp olive oil 150g penne or fusilli 2 garlic cloves crushed 1 tbsp roughly chopped walnuts pinch of chilli flakes ½ lemon zested and juiced Method step 1 Heat the grill to high. Put the broccoli on a baking tray …
Chicken piccata with garlicky greens & new potatoes
ingredients 200g new potatoes halved or quartered 300g green beans trimmed 200g spring greens shredded 2 skinless chicken breasts 3 tsp olive oil 100ml chicken stock or water 1 tbsp drained capers 1 lemon zested and juiced 2 small garlic cloves sliced 1 tbsp grated parmesan Method step 1 Cook the new potatoes in a …
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Roasted cauliflower steaks
ingredients 1 cauliflower ½ tsp smoked paprika 2 tbsp olive oil 1 roasted red pepper 4 black olives pitted small handful parsley 1 tsp capers ½ tbsp red wine vinegar 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds Method step 1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Slice the cauliflower …
Chicken waldorf
ingredients 170g wholemeal penne 2 x 120g pots bio yogurt 4 tsp sherry vinegar 2 tsp English mustard powder 4 spring onions finely chopped 6 celery sticks (320g), finely chopped 4 cooked chicken breasts (600g), cut into bite-sized chunks 8 walnut halves (22g), broken into pieces 150g black seedless grapes halved 8 crisp lettuce leaves …
Sweetcorn fritters with eggs & black bean salsa
ingredients For the fritters & eggs 1 tsp rapeseed oil 1 small red onion (85g), finely chopped 1 red pepper deseeded and finely diced 100g wholemeal self-raising flour 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp baking powder 325g can sweetcorn drained 6 large eggs For the salsa 1 small red onion (85g), …
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Mint & basil griddled peach salad
ingredients 1 lime zested and juiced 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 tbsp finely chopped mint plus a few whole leaves to serve 2 tbsp basil chopped 2 peaches (300g), quartered 75g quinoa 160g fine beans trimmed and halved 1 small red onion very finely chopped 1 large Little Gem lettuce (165g), roughly chopped ½ x …
Strawberry, tomato & watercress salad with honey & pink pepper dressing
ingredients 300g strawberries 250g mixed tomatoes 100g watercress woody stalks discarded For the dressing 1 tbsp pink peppercorns 2 strawberries (about 40g), chopped ½ tbsp honey ½ lemon juiced 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Method step 1 For the dressing, toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan for 1-2 mins until fragrant, then …
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Garden salmon salad
ingredients 2 courgettes 100g fresh shelled peas 8 radishes halved 3 tbsp avocado oil 1 large lemon zested and juiced 2 tbsp natural yogurt 75g pea shoots 4 poached salmon fillets, skin removed and flaked into large chunks 2 tbsp mixed seeds 1⁄2 small bunch dill fronds picked Method step 1 Cut the courgettes into …
Swedish meatballs with beetroot & apple salad
ingredients For the meatballs 500g lean pork mince (5% fat) 100g coarsely grated courgette squeezed of excess juice 1 onion grated 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill 2 garlic cloves finely grated 1 egg 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 tsp thyme leaves 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder made up to 300ml with boiling water 2 tbsp …
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Crab & lemon spaghetti with peas
ingredients 150g wholemeal spaghetti 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 leeks (220g), cut into lengths then long thin strips 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped 1 garlic clove finely grated 160g frozen peas 1 lemon zested and 1/2 juiced 100g fresh white and brown crabmeat (not dressed) Method step 1 Cook the spaghetti for 12 …
Arroz con huevo
Arroz con huevo is a popular lazy lunch throughout Latin America, consisting of rice that’s topped with a fried egg. This humble dish used to be called comida de pobre (poor people food), but today it is enjoyed by people of all socio-economic classes. The dish has numerous variations, so in the Caribbean it is commonly accompanied …
Pinchitos
Pinchitos is an Andalusian dish with Moorish influences, consisting of marinated chicken, lamb, or pork pieces that are skewered and grilled over charcoals. The meat is usually seasoned with spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, saffron, and paprika, or simply with a spice blend known as ras el hanout. This flavorful dish is especially popular during summertime …
Chistorra
Chistorra is a fast-cured sausage made from pork, either from the belly or the jowl. Minced pork is sometimes combined with minced beef, and the sausage is traditionally flavored with garlic, salt, and paprika, which gives the sausage its characteristical red color. This versatile sausage can be fried, grilled, or baked, and it is often …
Paella Catalana
According to chef Quim Marqués who created and patented this somewhat controversial dish, paella Catalana represents the perfect combination of land and sea. The dish consists of an extensive list of ingredients such as traditional saffron-flavored rice, chicken, longaniza sausage, crayfish, prunes, and depending on the season, either artichokes or peas. Ever since it started appearing on the …
Marmitako
Marmitako is an excellent representative of the Basque Country cuisine, a tuna stew made in a pot with various other ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes, chili, and onions. The name of the dish is derived from the Basque word marmita, denoting a pot or a casserole. When combined with the suffix –ko, it can be literally translated as from the …
Ajoblanco
This Andalusian cold almond soup is known as the precursor of gazpacho; it originated during the Moorish middle ages, predating the arrival of tomatoes and peppers by several centuries. Ajoblanco traditionally consisted of a puréed mixture of stale bread that was moistened with vinegar and water, a hefty amount of fresh garlic, and almonds — the …