Spinach and cheese parcels (empanada de espinacas y queso)

Posted: April 22, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Pastry and Baking, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Once I got the empanada de atun [savoury tuna parcels] properly tested and under control, I decided to expand to other combinations. Not knowing where to start, I turned to Carlos Horrillo and Patrick Morcas, whom seemed to favor  spinach, cream cheese and spinach. If it is good enough for Patrick and Carlos, it is also good enough for me…. I am actually quite fond of spinach, which helped a bit my decision. Of course, living in Switzerland, the Cheddar in the original recipe had to be replaced by Emmentaler. No one noticed seemed to complain – if anything it conformed better to the taste of hardened expats living in Switzerland for longer than they want to admit. All in all, a great dish to serve when the occasion requires food easy to eat or informal gatherings. For bonus, it is vegetarian and all the greenies make it look a bit more healthy than its tuna fish counterpart. Eat warm or cold, with a beer or a glass of red wine.

Spinach and cheese parcels (empanada de espinacas y queso, adapted from Carlos Horrillo and Patrick Morcas’ Tapas: Simple Flavours, Striking Combinations)

Ingredients

  • 2 packets ready of read-rolled puff pastry (one for the bottom, the other to cover it)
  • 800g of fresh spinach, washed
  • 100g of full fat creamy cheese, like Philadelphia 
  • 100g of grated Emmentaler cheese 
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1 slightly beaten egg

Method

1. Coat the bottom of a heavy bottom non sticky pan with olive oil and put it on high heat, until the olive oil is smoking hot.

2. Drop the the spinach leaves inside, season whit salt and turn the leaves until they start to wilt.

3. Transfer the leaves to  sieve lined with kitchen paper, so it absorbs the bitter liquids.

4. Allow to cool, and put them in a large mixing bowl.

5. Add both cheeses to the spinach and mix everything together until it is homogenous.

6. Allow to cool overnight in the fridge

7. Heat the oven to 200 oC

8. Line the bottom and walls of the rectangular baking tray previously buttered. Pinch it with a fork and fold in the e spinach and cheese mixture.

9. Put the second sheet of puff pastry on top, and close the edges trimming the excess pastry. Seal with the beaten egg. You can brush the whole surface to look shiny.

10. Leave in the stove for about 20m (or according to the  instructions), until the pastry is done.

 

Chicken wings with mushrooms

Posted: April 14, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Chicken | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

It seemed like a good idea to cook this dish for the 10th anniversary of my doctoral exam. It is almost finger food, it is somehow Spanish and its recipe seemed straightforward enough. For an extra touch of nerdiness, I could even use the same species of mushrooms I used for my PhD (Pleurotus eryingii, if you really must know).

Then, I realized the recipe called for 30 (thirty) garlic cloves for 6 persons. Cook for twelve, and you’ll end up with 60 (sixty) of them to peel and slice. I.e. at an average of 10 cloves per head, 6 garlic bulbs. Or, if you want to be very precise, at an average of 90g per bulb, about 540g of garlic to slice. In total, it was a 1h long operation that left me with tears in the eyes, redness in the fingers and the taste of garlic in the back of my throat. Needless is to say that after that I just had to had a shower before I find myself ready to face the company of civilized people. It took a good couple of weeks until I felt the need of using garlic, either in major or minor proportions.

At some point, I was getting concerned this dish would actually work. For more drama, after having seen a big bowl of garlic being poured into the concoction, my suffering testers dinner guests were showing an increasing preoccupation about its palatability. It was a wasted worry. It was indeed a delicious dish.  A bit garlicky, but far to be the garlic overdose some catastrophists had anticipated. The white wine just cuts the grease, the thyme added some freshness to it, the chicken wings get soft and tender… Perfection on a small dish cooked with humble ingredients.

Chicken wings with mushrooms (adapted from  Ferran Adrià’s The Family Meal)

Ingredients (for 6)

  • 18 chicken wings, tips removed and cut in half through the joint
  • 100mL olive oil
  • 360g of mushrooms, sliced (it can be button mushrooms, chanterelles, shitake, Pleurotus, all the above, other that is on season. On this occasion, I just got a mixed bag from my local supermarket).
  • 30 (thirty) garlic cloves roughly sliced
  • 3 dried bay leaves
  • 3 fresh thyme springs, leaves pulled out
  • 180mL white wine
  • 150mL water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Season the half chicken wings with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan until it is hot and add the chicken wings. Cook them gently for about 30min, turning regularly.

3. When the chicken wings are evenly browned, drop in the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Add the bay leaves and the thyme and mix.

5. Poor in the white wine, and turn up the heat and let it simmer until the wine has reduced a little.

6. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes until they are well incorporated with the meat, garlic and herbs.

7. Poor in the water and let it simmer until it has evaporated and the mushrooms are soft.

Meatballs in rich tomato sauce

Posted: April 9, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Beef, Pork, Vegetables | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I posted the watered down light version of this dish. A dinner party loosely inspired in Spanish cuisine prompted me to do the actual thing, with all its condiments, red wine and olive oil. Mind you, for extra slow-home-made-cooking points, the meatballs were rolled by hand with all love and care by T. and myself. It seemed like a lot of food, but at the end all it was left was the meatballs used for this snapshot. And, I had to hide it in a dark corner of my fridge.

Meatballs in rich tomato sauce (adapted from Carlos Horrillo and Patrick Morcas’ Tapas: Simple Flavours, Striking Combinations)

Ingredients 

For the meatballs

  • 650g of minced pork and beef
  • 2 pinches of very finely chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, tarragon, coriander and oregano.
  • 1large egg
  • small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 red chili, finely chopped (or to taste)
  • 300g fresh breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Enough olive oil to coat the baking tray

For the tomato sauce

  • Olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 70mL ruby Port
  • 250mL red wine
  • 3 cans of 400g-chopped plum tomatoes
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 bay leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 oC.

2. Put all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, and season all the salt and pepper. Combine with your hands until you have a consistent mixture which allows you to form the meatball.

3. Start rolling the meatballs with your hands.

4. Put a generous amount of olive oil in baking tray

5. Drop in the meatball, stirring them to coat them evenly.

6. Put the tray in the oven for 30min, or until the meatballs are all golden brown. Do not forget to stir them occasionally to cook them in all directions.

7.While waiting for the meatball, start the tomato sauce. Place a large, deep sided saucepan on a low heat and pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the  sliced vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Fry gently until they are soft and start to color.

8. Poor in both wines, and bring to boil.

9.When the wine is boiling and has reduced to half the volume, drop in the tomatoes. Season again, and bring to boil, stirring at all times.

10. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for about 15min.

11. Once the meatballs are cooked, fold them in the tomato sauce. Let it simmer for 10min more. (in reality, what I did was to do the tomato sauce and the meatballs  in advance. On the day of the party, I combined them both while cold. Then, I slowly warm them. It actually tastes better, as the flavors combine and develop).