Pa amb tomàquet

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …