030: salmorejo

hello there!  sorry for my absence--i had reconstructive bone surgery on both feet a few weeks ago and have only recently been able to stand for any length of time.  so!  what do i do when i can stand again?  get back in my kitchen, of course!  in order to celebrate the world cup and my LOVE for spain (and fernando torres!) and all things spanish, i decided to make some salmorejo (sal-more-AY-hoe)--a tomato and garlic spanish soup that is served cold.  it's great for summer, and it's so easy!

equipment:
chef's knife
measuring cups and spoons
serrated knife
food processor or blender

ingredients:
1 lb. ripe tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic, or to taste (i used about 3)
1/4 c. olive oil (spanish if you can get it)
1 T. + 1 t. vinegar
french bread baguette
salt to taste
hard boiled eggs for garnish
iberian ham or bacon bits for garnish
cilantro for garnish

steps:
1.) cut about half of the french bread baguette into slices and leave out to stale a bit (an hour or two will be fine).

2.) cut the tomatoes into chunks and put them into food processor or blender.  then add garlic, olive oil, and vinegar and blend until smooth.

3.) peel the bread part of the french bread baguette away from the crusts.   add it to the tomato mixture one piece at a time and blend (also one piece at a time).  continue adding pieces of bread until the mixture has about the same viscosity as pudding (or a little thinner).

4.) chill for a half an hour or more.  as the soup chills, hard boil about 1 egg for every 2 people being served.  put eggs into a saucepan and cover in cold water.  add about 1 T. of vinegar and 1 t. of salt to the water.  bring to a rolling boil, and as soon as it boils, turn the heat down and simmer for about 1 minute.  then take it off the heat and cover and let stand for about 10 minutes.  the eggs are done when you spin them on the counter and they stay upright.  cool them down by putting them in cold water or ice, depending on how quickly you need to serve them.  peel and chop into small pieces.

5.) ladle or spoon into bowls, and garnish with cut up hard boiled eggs, iberian ham/bacon bits, and/or cilantro.  add salt to taste.  serve with slices of the rest of the baguette of french bread (i even like to use these as edible spoons and never actually touch a real utensil!).


time: 1-2 hours for bread to stale, 30 minutes to prepare, 30+ minutes to chill
difficulty: 1.5 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2◊ (4.5 out of 5 stars)
suggestions for variation: play around with the proportions of everything until you find the combination that works best for you.


enjoy :o)
-kl

004: plátanos fritos (fried bananas)

this is another popular spanish dish, and is typically served as a dessert, though it could also be a snack or side as well. it is super easy, and pretty darn scrumptious. *NOTE: i have this recipe set up on a per banana basis, though you could feasibly expand it to pretty much any number of bananas you want. a note, though: only prepare as many as you can eat, as they do not store well.* prep time is about 5 minutes, and cook time is less than 10.



equipment:
skillet
knife
1/4 c. measuring cup
small bowl
spatula


ingredients:
1 T. margarine or butter
banana (still slightly green--barely ripe)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. orange juice


steps:
1.) melt margarine or butter in skillet while cutting banana into 1/3" chip like pieces.

2.) add banana chips to melted margarine or butter.

3.) let simmer for 3 minutes, flipping once. mix brown sugar and orange juice in separate bowl and add to banana in skillet.

4.) let simmer 5-10 minutes or until mixture is caramelized. serve hot.


time: 15 minutes
difficulty: 1 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦♦ (5 stars out of 5)
serving suggestions: serve with any or all of the following: drizzled in honey; sprinkled with cinnamon; sprinkled with nutmeg
suggestions for variations: try with pears, pineapple, even oranges. be creative!


enjoy!
-kl

003: tortilla española

this is an incredibly popular spanish dish. and for those of you not in the know, i have a freakish obsession with all things spain- and spanish-related, including living in spain this past summer. this dish, kind of a cross between a quiche and an omelet, was served on many occasions in my time there. usually, it was served as a tapa, or appetizer dish, but it can definitely be served as an entree as well. prep time is about 20 minutes, and bake time is a half an hour.



equipment:
paring knife
12" skillet
measuring cups
slotted spoon
medium bowl
colander
pie pan (at least 9" x 1 1/2")


ingredients:
1/2 c. olive oil (i recommend spanish olive oil, as opposed to italian, but any kind would work)
1 clove minced garlic
2 c. potatoes (this took me one large baking potato)
1/2 red onion
1/3 red pepper
1/2 c. diced ham (this took me 3 slices of thickly sliced deli ham)
6 eggs
salt


steps:
1.) preheat oven to 350 degrees. pour olive oil and minced garlic into skillet over medium heat.

2.) cut peeled potato into 1/4" slices, and cut into quarters or sixths from there (bite sized pieces).

3.) when sizzling, add potatoes to olive oil and garlic, and let cook for 5 minutes, turning once.

4.) as the potatoes begin cooking, dice the ham, red onion, and red pepper. add these to the mix 5 minutes after the potatoes have begun. let simmer until onions are transparent, being sure to stir frequently. salt to taste.

5.) in the mean time, beat the 6 eggs together.

6.) when onions are transparent, pour onion and potato mixture into a colander to get rid of excess oil.

7.) pour enough of the beaten eggs into greased pie pan to cover the bottom. add about half the onion and potato mixture to pie pan. add about half of the remaining eggs, followed by the rest of the onion and potato mixture, and finished with the rest of the eggs.

8.) bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

serve either hot or cold, keep refrigerated.


time: 50 minutes
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦◊ (4 stars out of 5)
serving suggestions: typically, this dish is served with either mayonnaise (sounds weird, but tastes wonderful!) or ketchup, but i would also suggest salsa or tabasco.


enjoy!
-kl