Saint Blaise cookies

Ingredients:

• 300g flour
• 125g  sugar
• 125g butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 beaten yolk egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1 toothpick, or cookie cutter, or Saint Blaise cookie stamp.

Directions:

1.      Start by creaming the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes, until everything is light and fluffy.

2.      Then add the beaten eggs and beat it for a minute longer.

3.      Add the flour, vanilla sugar and yeast, mix well that mixture until the dough is firm and hard.

4.      Roll out dough to desired thickness.

5.      Cut with shaped cutters and write with the toothpick Saint blaise or stamp with the saint image.

6.      Paint with beaten egg and place them in a baking dish.

7.      The oven will be preheat ar 160ºC.

8.      Bake until the cookies are golden brown.

And enjoy!

Spanish potatoe salad

Ingredients:

• 450g potatoes 
• 4 medium carrots
• 2 eggs
• 200g tuna with olive oil
• 500ml mayonnaise
• Salt
• Bread

Directions:

1. Wash the potatoes. Clean and with the peel, boil with cool water.
2. Peel and chop the carrots and add them to the pot.
3. Let boil for 25 minutes. 
4. Add the eggs and a tablespoon of salt. Let boil another 10 minutes.
5. Drain and let cold.
6. Peel the potatoes and the eggs.
7. Chop the potatoes, the carrots and the eggs. Add to a big bowl.
8. Add the tuna and the mayonnaise too. 
9. Mix gentle. Salt to taste.

Serve with a piece of bread.

And enjoy!!

Homemade bread

Ingredients:

• 1kg flour
• 15g fresh baker's yeast
• 20g salt
• 600ml cold water from the fridge

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix the flour, the salt and the water.
3. When it is mixed, pour on the desk, and mix well all the ingredients.
4. Cover with the previous bowl and let rest 10 minutes.
5. Knead (working- bending  and twisting) for few minutes, cover again and let rest another 10 minutes.
6. Add the yeast with a bit of water, mix well (bending and twisting), cover and let rest another 10 minutes.
7. Back to knead a few minutes, cover with wet cotton cloth and let rest 1 hour.
8. Cut into wedges or give the desired shape.
9. Roll each portion to grab surface tension.
10. And cover with the previous wet cloth , and let rest between 3-5hours in a place without temperature changes.

 

     10. Preheat the oven to 230ºC and bake 40-50 minutes.

     11. Let cold for 45 minutes on a oven rack.

I followed this recipe from Xavi Barriga.

And enjoy a piece of real bread!!

Mayonnaise sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 l. de sunflower oil. 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
• 1 teaspoon de vinager o juice of 1/2 lemon. 

Preparación:
By hand: put in a bowl the yolks without the whites. Whisk constantly with a fork until the sauce get flirting. Get some rest and continue adding oil very slowly until all of the oil is incorporated.
Add, always beating, salt and vinegar or lemon juice. The holder can be replaced with a wooden spoon.
Blender: Place the egg yolks, salt and vinegar. Beat half a minute. Add the oil slowly without lifting the blender up. When the mayo is stabilized enough, continue incorporating oil to finish moving the blender up and down until you have consistency.

The secret is to thicken mayo at first when you take about 3 tablespoons of oil. Getting it right now, certainly not set up.
Never pour large amounts of oil.

Sauteed onion pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• Spaguetti o any pasta (100g per person)
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Water

Directions:

1. Peel and chop the onion.
2. Heat a pan with oil and add the onion.
3. Cook it until soft and golden brown.
4. Mienwhile, heat a pot with water and pinch of salt.
5. When it boils, add the pasta and cooked according to package directions
6. Drain and put in a bowl.
7. Add oil, the sauteed onion and mix well.
8. If you want, sprinkle with grated cheese.

And enjoy!!

Clams à la Marinière

Ingredients:

• Clams
• Garlic
• Parsley
• White wine
• Salt
• 1 onion
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Put the clams in a big pot with cold salt-water. Let rest 1 hour.
2. Change the water and let rest another hour.
3. Peel and chop the onion.
4. Heat a saucepan with oil and sauté until the onion is tender. 
5. Then, drain and add the clams.
6. Also, add the chooped garlic, chopped parsley and the wine.
7. Mix well and cover for 2 minutes (until the clams open).

And enjoy!!

Apple cake

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 125g sugar
• 20g vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 75ml milk
• 85g flour
• 3g dry yeast
• 3 apples
• Sugar with cinnamon to sprakle

Directions:

2. Grease and flour a round mold.
3. Beat the egg, sugar, oil, vanilla and cinnamon until a creamy texture.
4. Mix flour with dry yeast and sift it.
5. Add this mixture and milk to the cream.
6. Stir until a homogeneous mixture.
7. Pour into the mold.
8. Let stand a few minutes (the result will be more fluffy). While the oven is preheated to 180 ° C.
9. Peel apples, cut into half moon, take away the court.
10. Place them on top of the dough around.
11. Sprankle with sugar and cinnamon.
12. Bake 40 minutes, until it's golden brown.

And enjoy!!

Baked hake with red shrimps

Ingredientes:

• Hake
• 2 Red shrimp
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato
• 2 clove garlic
• 200 ml white wine
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Preparación:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Slide the onion and the peppers into thin strips.
3. Chop the galic and cut the tomato in half.
4. Place the onion on an oiled baking sheet and then sit the hake with the skin down.
5. Cover it with the peppers and the tomato.
6. Sprinkle with the garlic.
7. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
8. Bake it for 20-30 minutes.
9. Pour the white wine on the fish, then return to the oven for 10 minutes more.
10. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
11. Add the red shrimps and cook them until they are pink and opaque. Stirring frequently.
12. And serve.

Y a disfrutar!!

Baked apples

Ingredients:

• 6 reinette apples
• 100g sugar
• 150g raisins
• 100g of butter
• 125ml water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 ° C.
2. Wash the apples and scoop out their cores from top of the apples.
3. Give a horizontal cut in the center and around the apple with a sharp knife, without elaborating, only the skin. This is necessary before grilling to prevent bursting and spoil the presentation.
4. Mix raisins with sugar.
5. Grease a baking dish with a little butter and place the apples.
6. Fill in the gaps of hearts with the mixture of raisins to overflowing.
7. Add in 125ml water in a bowl on the baking dish.
8. Sprinkle apples with the remaining butter in small portions.
9. Introduce them in the oven for 40-55 minutes, depending on the size of apples.
10. Serve hot or slightly warm.

And enjoy!!

Tiramisu... Improved!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 500g mascarpone cheese
• 100g sugar
• 1 cup Cacaolat
• Cocoa powder
• 200g ladyfinger cookies

Directions:

1. Separate the whites from the yolks, and reserve the whites in the fridge.
2. Soak the ladyfingers into cacaolat and arrange half of them in bottom of a dish.
3. Whisk the yolks, the cheese and the sugar until smooth.
4. Beat the egg whites until snow.
5. Slowly whisk the yolk mixture into the egg whites snow.
6. Spread half of this last mixture over the ladyfingers, another soaked ladyfingers layer and another mixture layer.
7. Sprinkle a lot with the cocoa powder in the top.
8. Cover and refrigerate around 5 hours.

And enjoy!!

Pastry cream in the microwave

Ingredients:

• 500ml milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tbspoon cinnamon
• 50g cornstarch

Directions:

1. Add the milk, the egg yolks, cinnamon and cornstarch in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Stir well until no lumps.
3. Cook it on maximum power microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. If not, it will burn.

And it's done!

Cherry coca (Catalan cherry brioche)

Ingredients:

• 500g flour
• 25g fresh baker's yeast
• 150 ml milk
• 50g butter (room temperature)
• 4 eggs
• Sugar
• Salt
• 500g cherries aprox.

Preparación:

1. Warm the milk and disolve the yeast.
2. Add flour, 80g of sugar, 3 eggs and a pinch of salt.
3. Mix well until it is a dough based. You can use a electric mixer.
4. Roll out the dough (1 cm thick) with rounded shape top of vellum on the baking sheet. You decide if you want individual coques or a large one.
5. Place cherries, washed and dried, on the top. Put them very close next to each other and press them well . Remove the bone or not is up to you. The traditional recipe doesn't pit the bone and then eat carefully! hehehehe.
6. Cover with a cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour. It will double its size.
7. Whisk and paint the surface with the remaining egg.
8. Sprinkle liberally with sugar
9. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cocque is golden brown. 
10. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

And enjoy!!

Puff pastry

Ingredients:

• 250 gr. flour 
• 75g. lard 
• 75g. butter 
• 90 ml of ice water. 
• l0 ml lemon juice 
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Break the lard and butter into small pieces and reserve in the fridge. 
2. Sift the flour with the salt and put in a cold bowl, add the butter, lard, water and lemon juice. 
3. Work the ingredients with fingertips until a you have a firm rough dough.
4. Stretch with the roller onto a lightly floured board to forming a rectangle.
5. Fold the dough into three parts, helping with both hands; joining the edges slightly pressing with a finger. 
6. Give the dough a back turn and stretch the dough again forming another rectangle, folded into three parts and join the edges as before. 
7. Place dough in a bowl and introduce in a plastic bag. 
8. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Stretching, folding and joining the edges twice. 
9. Chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes before rolling to use.

                                                                                 

Chocolate syrup

Ingredients:

• 250g cocoa powder
• 375ml water
• 375g sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor.

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients (less the vanilla) together in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer. 
3. Remove from heat and stir the vanilla into the sauce. 
4. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate until serving.

And enjoy!!

Gazpacho

Ingredientes:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 italian green pepper 
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 medium cucumber
• 4 very ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 day-old white baguette
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Wine vinegar to taste
• Cold water

(To 4 serves)

Preparación:

1. Soak break for 30 minuts in a bowl with water to cover. Squeeze out moisture with your hands. Remove all the water you can.
2. Peel the garlic.
3. Remove the seeds in the pepper.
4. Peel the red pepper and the tomatoes with a vegetable peeler.
5. In a large bowl, chop and add the garlic, peppers, 2/3 cucumber, tomatoes, bread, olive, salt and vinegar.
6. Purée all in a food processor until very smooth.
7. Add the cold water until it has the desired consistency.
8. Season to taste with sal and vinegar.
9. Chop the cucumber very tiny and add like a topping.
10. Chill gazpacho in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Cover with cling film.

And enjoy!!

Gazpacho

Ingredientes:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 italian green pepper 
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 medium cucumber
• 4 very ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 day-old white baguette
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Wine vinegar to taste
• Cold water

(To 4 serves)

Preparación:

1. Soak break for 30 minuts in a bowl with water to cover. Squeeze out moisture with your hands. Remove all the water you can.
2. Peel the garlic.
3. Remove the seeds in the pepper.
4. Peel the red pepper and the tomatoes with a vegetable peeler.
5. In a large bowl, chop and add the garlic, peppers, 2/3 cucumber, tomatoes, bread, olive, salt and vinegar.
6. Purée all in a food processor until very smooth.
7. Add the cold water until it has the desired consistency.
8. Season to taste with sal and vinegar.
9. Chop the cucumber very tiny and add like a topping.
10. Chill gazpacho in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Cover with cling film.

And enjoy!!

Soja bechamel

Ingredients:

• 750gr soja milk room temperature, never cold from the refrigerator.
• 50g butter/margarine
• 100g wheat flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Nutmeg

Preparation:

1. First sift the flour, to remove lumps and impurities that may have.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter until completely melted.
3. Add flour gradually, and with the help of a whisk, stir until completely blended.
4. It should be a yellowish creamy mass, keep a few minutes over medium heat without stirring, so that the flour is cooked through (if the flour is well cooked, will be the most savory bechamel).
5. Pour the milk slowly and keep on low heat for several minutes, stirring continuously, until the bechamel acquire the desired texture. Add a pinch of salt, a little nutmeg and a little ground pepper.

If too liquid, keep longer simmering, and if too thick, add a little milk and stir until it is perfect.

And to enrich your recipes !!

Limoncello

Ingredients:

• 500g de lemons 
• 500ml alcohol to make liqueur
• 775ml still water
• 400g de sugar

( 1,2 litre of Limoncello)

Directions:

1. Clean and zest the lemons with a vegetable peer. So there is no white pith on the peel, it is too bitter
2. Fill a glass bottle with the alcohol and the lemon zest.
3. Seal each bottle with a cork and let it sit for 21 days in a cool dark place.
4. After that, combine the sugar and the water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. 
5. Let boil for 15 minuts without stir it, to get the sugar syrup.
6. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool completly.
7. Strain the liqueur through a mesh strainer (coffee filters or cheesecloth) into the sugar syrup.
8. Transfer the limoncello to glass bottles and place the bottle into the freezer.

And enjoy!!

Sauteed cabbage

I love cabbage! Why you should too?
It’s rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and other essential vitamins. And at only 22 calories per cup!!

Ingredients:

• 1 small head white cabbage
• 2 tablespoons salted butter 
• Pepper

       If your butter is unsalted. Add 1 and half teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Slide the cabbage as thinly as you can.
2. Melt the butter ir a large pot over medium-low heat.
3. Add the cabbage and pepper and stir well. 
4. Serve when the cabbage is tender (10-15 minuts).

And enjoy!!

Chapati Bread with garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup hot water or as needed
• 
  
• 
  

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky. 
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. 
3. Divide into 10 parts, or less if you want bigger breads. 
4. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few minutes.
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot, and grease lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough until very thin like a tortilla. 
6. When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds.
7. Then flip and cook on the other side. Continue with remaining dough.

And enjoy!!

Source: Epicurious