EMPANADA DE CARNE - SUMMER MEAT PIE

Summer is just round the corner and this week we want to share with you a very simple recipe to prepare, a delicious meat pie, ideal to enjoy this summer on the beach, in the countryside, with friends, family,... you will love it!.! We will explain to you how to prepare the dough, but if you don't have time, you can use two sheets of puff pastry (hojaldre) from the supermarket and your meat pie will still turn out very rich and very yummy. The filling is exquisite :-) you will succeed for sure !!

We want to dedicate this yummy recipe to our friend Rosa and her students at the ICR programme, who came to visit the Castle this morning for the very first time :-) Welcome to Rota and we really hope you follow us and learn to cook all these delicous local recipes :-) 

We’ll now share the recipe, hoping that you like it and wishing you are having a great month of July :-) 

INGREDIENTS:

* 2/3 lbs (300 Gr.) of dice-sized cubed pork

* 1 onion

* 1 red bell pepper

* 2 eggs

* 1 egg yolk

* 1/3 cup (50 Gr.) of raisins

* 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp (200 Gr.) Flour

* 1 oz or 1 3/4 Tbsp (15 Gr.) of Baker’s yeast

* Olive oil

* Salt

HOW TO PREPARE:

* To begin we will prepare our pie dough. We mix 1 1/2 cups plus two tablespoons (200 gr.) of flour with a pinch of salt. 

* We incorporate the yeast diluted in 1/4 cup (50 ml) of warm water. Then add 1/4 cup (50 ml) of olive oil and knead. We will make a ball and let it rest in a bowl, covered with a cloth, until it doubles in volume.

* We will now immerse the raisins in warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes.

* Now we boil the eggs in salted water for 10 minutes. We will cool them in cold water, peel them and slice them.

* We will clean the red bell pepper, wash and dry it. Peel the onion too and finely dice both of them. 

* Then we will sauté them for 5 minutes in a pan with the bottom covered in oil.

* We add the cubed pork and sauté it as well. Then add the drained raisins and stir everything well.

* We preheat the oven to 356 ºF (180 ºC).  Spread the dough on a floured table surface and flatten with a rolling pin.   Cut the pie crust in half.  Cut the edges square and keep the edges for later use.  Place one piece on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.  We then spread the meat and raisin filling in the middle and cover this with hard boiled egg slices.  Then cover with the second piece of dough and seal the edges.

* We cut the dough we trimmed from the sides into strips, and interlace these strips over the top of the pie to form a lattice.  We then brush the surface with beaten egg yolk and bake the pie for 25 minutes.

* And our exquisite “Empanada de Carne” summer meat pie is ready to serve at table ;-) The pie will look great and you will see how tasty it is.

Happy Week to you all and enjoy it very much :-)

TUNA CONFIT (ATUN EN MANTECA)

We want to share with you a recipe from Andalusia and particularly from Cadiz, cooked mainly in the area of La Janda, a county within the Province of Cadiz, and in Gibraltar, “Atun en Manteca”  :-) We are now in the middle of the tuna season and we want to take advantage of it and prepare rich tuna recipes, as is this one :-)

In the old days, cooking both meat and fish in lard, served to lengthen the preservation of these foods and nowadays we cook it this way because it gives a very delicious taste to the recipes :-)

But before we share our recipe we are going to find out some information about this tasty fish, the blue fin tuna.

Tuna fish are a very diverse family of fish that have become one of the most valued and desirable fish on the market. Their delicious taste, global availability, and healthy components make it an ideal replacement for red meat or for those who like to add some healthy variety to their diets.

Amongst the many benefits, includes its ability to reduce cardiovascular conditions, stimulate growth and development, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, help in weight loss efforts, boost the immune system, increase energy, maintain the health of the skin, increase red blood cell count, prevent cancer, protect against various kidney diseases, reduce general inflammation, and inhibit cell membrane damage.

These benefits can be attributed to the impressive content of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and other organic compounds found in this delicious fish. These include antioxidants and protein, without much saturated fat or sodium. Tuna also has impressive levels of selenium, and good amounts of phosphorous, iron, magnesium, and potassium.  In terms of vitamins, there is a wealth of vitamin B12 and niacin, as well as a good amount of vitamin B6 and riboflavin.

Source: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/animal-product/tuna-fish.html

We are ready to share the recipe today; we hope you enjoy it, as much as we do :-)

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 lb 2 oz (1/2 kilo)  Almadraba blue fin tuna loin

* 8-9 oz (250 grams) of white pig lard

* 1 1/16 cup (250 ml) of olive oil

* 1/2 head of garlic

* A little bit of parsley

* 10 black peppercorns

* 1 clove

* Salt

* 1 glass (5 oz) of local white wine, in our case we have used the “Gran Mayeto” from El Gato Winery in Rota

* 1/2 cup (125 ml) water

HOW TO PREPARE:

* To begin with we will cut the tuna into approximately 3/4 inch (2 cm) slices. We’ll also cut the garlic cloves into slices.

* In a pot on medium heat, add the lard and the olive oil. When the lard is melted, we will add the sliced garlic, peppercorns and clove.

* Then we add the chopped parsley and the white wine.

* When the alcohol in the wine has evaporated, it is time to add a little water. The amount of liquid you will need should cover the tuna entirely.

* Season the tuna as desired with salt, and then brown both sides of the tuna slices on a grill, just a few moments per side.

* When the liquid in the pot boils we will add the tuna, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 20 minutes, until the tuna gets tender.

* Once cooked, and before it cools, we are going to take the tuna slices and place them in a suitable sized ovenproof dish.

* We will pour the sauce made of oil, wine and lard through a strainer.  And now we will pour the liquid over the tuna slices until all slices of tuna are submerged.

* Now we are going to wait until the lard sets and our Tuna Confit is ready to enjoy :-)

You will see how rich and tasty :-) You can serve it on toast or accompanied by some French fries,...! Either way it will be delicious :-)

Happy Sunday to you all and enjoy it very much :-)

MARINATED FISH (PESCADO ADOBADO)

Marinade was historically used as a method of food preservation, but little by little over time, with the arrival of refrigerators to preserve food, marinades became used only as a method of imparting flavor to food before it was cooked.

This recipe is typical throughout the province of Cádiz, but it is eaten in Seville everywhere you go, so much so that there is not a single bar in Seville that doesn’t have this dish on its menu.  There they call it "Pescaito en adobo” or “Fish in marinade".  It is a very easy recipe to prepare and is very delicious.  Let’s get to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1lb 2oz (1/2 kilo) of Dogfish or Soupfin Shark fillets

* Dried Oregano

* Ground Cumin

* 1/2 Cup Sherry wine vinegar

* 1/2 Cup Water

* 4 cloves of garlic

* Flour 

HOW TO PREPARE:

* First season the slices of fish with salt and pepper.

* Arrange fish fillets on the bottom of a dish and season with 1 Tbsp oregano and 1 Tbsp cumin.  

* Repeat, adding another layer of fish slices on top and again season them with oregano and cumin.  Use 1 Tbsp oregano and 1 Tbsp cumin per layer.

* Now we are going to prepare a marinade mixture in the mortar with the cloves of garlic, the wine vinegar and water.  Then we pour this over the fish and ensure you cover everything.

* We will cover now the dish with plastic wrap and let it marinate in a fridge for about three hours.

* After this time, we are going to drain fish fillets, then coat them well in flour and fry them in a frying pan.  They are ready to eat.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to enjoy :-) 

STUFFED POTATOES WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON #englishrecipes

As we promised you in our last published recipe, Salmon and Shrimp meatballs in Homemade Tomato sauce, this week we are cooking and sharing with you “Stuffed Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon”. This dish is very tasty and yummy and is really easy to prepare as you will now find out.  These are great to serve as an appetizer or to accompany meat, fish or fowl :-)

But before we share our recipe, we’d like to recognize some of the benefits of including potatoes, today’s protagonist, in our diet.

One medium-size potato has just 110 calories and is absolutely fat-, sodium and cholesterol free, making them downright essential for any diet.  But the power of the potato doesn’t stop there. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), which is more vitamin C than one medium tomato (40% DV) or sweet potato (30% DV). 

Besides, potatoes are a good source of potassium…more potassium than a banana.

One medium potato with the skin contributes 2 grams of fiber or 8% DV per serving. 

Potatoes are also a good source of vitamin B6, with one medium potato providing 10% of the recommended DV.

Additionally, one medium potato provides 6% of the recommended daily value of iron.

And now it is time to show you our recipe. We really hope you enjoy it:

INGREDIENTS:

* 6 Potatoes

* 2½-3 oz. (75 grs.) Blue Cheese, crumbled

* 3½ oz. (100 grs.) Bacon, roughly 3-4 slices uncooked bacon, chopped

* 1 Leek

* 1/2 of a Zucchini

* 2 Eggs

* 2 Tbls. Whole Milk

* 2 Tbls. Olive Oil 

* Ground Black pepper

* Salt

PREPARATION:

* We are going to start by washing the potatoes and then we are going to bake them, unpeeled, in an oven preheated to 355 ºF (180ºC), for 45 minutes until they get fork tender.

* Remove from the oven and let them cool down.  Carefully cut the tops off of the potatoes.  Carefully spoon out a nest for the filling, taking care that our potatoes don’t break apart, and then we cut up the removed potato pulp into small dices.

* We are now going to prepare the stir fried filling. We crack the eggs and separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.  Retain both.

* We peel the 1/2 zucchini, wash it, dry it and then we are going to grate it.

* We then clean the leek, wash it and dice it too.

* In a frying pan we are going to add some olive oil, place on med-high heat, then begin by sautéing the diced leek, then add the diced bacon.  Stir often and sauté for 8 minutes.

* We add the zucchini and continue sautéing for 3 more minutes.

* Remove from the burner, and then we add the potato pulp, the crumbled blue cheese, the milk, the egg yolks and some salt and black pepper.  Stir.

* We whip the egg whites until firm peaks form and stir into the mix.

* We then fill the potatoes with this stuffing mixture and then we are going to grill them in the oven until the tops are golden brown. 

And they are ready to serve at the table as starter or as side dish for meat or fish dishes. Enjoy your meal and have a great week.

MILHOJAS DE PULPO A LA GALLEGA – OCTOPUS MILLE-FEUILLE, GALICIAN STYLE

Did you enjoy the Potato Salad ? One of our American friends cooked it and shared it on Facebook and he did really well and enjoyed it very much :-) We are very happy for that.

This week we are preparing a nice starter to enjoy, Milhojas de Pulpo a la Gallega - Octopus Mille-Feuille, cooked Galician Style. You will love it :-) It is very tasty and delicious :-) Once you start eating it you cannot stop.  And besides, it is very easy to make.

We have boiled the Octopus but you can also buy it already cooked at the local stores :-) Both ways are good, depending on the free time you have.

It would be great to have your opinions about this and the previous recipes published already :-)

Please feel free to contact us via email: 

pilaraprendiendoacocinar@gmail.com and let us know about your impressions.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Octopus (we are going to boil it but you can also get it precooked)

* 4 large potatoes, peeled

* Sweet or hot red paprika (Spanish Pimentón, dulce or picante), depending on your taste

* Olive oil

* Salt

WAY OF COOKING:

* We start heating a large pot on the stove top on Medium High heat, without any water. After a little while, we add some water drops to check the pot is already hot.  You’ll know it is hot enough if the water drops quickly splatter and evaporate.

* Then, we are going to put the Octopus in the pot, spreading the tentacles and then we are going to place the washed potatoes between them to intermingle the ingredients.  We add some salt.

* We are going to stir everything for a few minutes, cover the pot with its lid and let it cook on Medium heat for 40 minutes. In this way, it will be steam-cooked with the water and juices that release from the potato and the octopus, resulting in a very tender and tasty dish.

* Once both are cooked, we let both ingredients cool down, then we cut the octopus and potatoes in slices to be able to make our Cake or Mille-Feuille.

 * We are going to place the (square or round) food ring mold on the serving plate at the table, putting a layer of potatoes first, then we sprinkle some paprika and add a little bit of oil; then a layer of Octopus, another potato layer and we end with an Octopus layer, adding on each layer some paprika and olive oil.

* To serve at the table, we just have to remove the ring mold and enjoy :-)

Enjoy with a chilled white “Albariño” wine from Galicia or a local Andalucian specialty white “Barbadillo” wine from Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Have a very nice week and what do you think we will Cook next week ? Guess… !

“ENSALADILLA RUSA” – POTATO SALAD WITH MIXED VEGETABLES, SEAFOOD AND HOMEMADE GARLIC MAYONNAISE

Today we are going to start sharing our recipes in English for our English speaking friends and for everyone around the world who would love to learn to cook good recipes from our area, Andalusia, Spain, ... ! Today we are sharing "Ensaladilla Rusa" - Potato Salad with mixed vegetables, seafood and home made garlic mayonaisse :-) 

It’s one of the most common dishes in many Spanish tapas bars. Here in the province of Cadiz and also in Seville, we add boiled shrimp and hard boiled eggs to it and we eat it with crunchy little breadsticks called “picos”.

Ensaladilla Rusa has its roots in Moscow, Russia. It was there that Belgian chef Lucien Olivier invented this classy version of a potato salad, while working in the exclusive Hermitage Restaurant.

In Spain, potatoes, peas, and carrots are almost always present, and it is typical to add tuna as well.

This is the recipe the way we cook it at home, really delicious :-) 

Difficulty: low
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 people

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 medium new potatoes, peeled and cut into small dices

* 1 1/4 Cups - 250 grs. homemade mayonnaise (recipe below)

* 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced

* 2 carrots cut into small dices

* 1 can cooked peas, drained (approx. 1 cup - 100 grs.)

* 1/2 pound - 1/4 kg small shrimp

* 4 large shrimp to decorate

* 2 3 oz. - 85 gram cans tuna fish in olive oil, drained

* 6 imitation crab sticks (surimi) cut into dices

* 1 small jar red sweet Peppers, drained and cut into slices

* Some green olives

WAY OF COOKING:

* First we are going to boil the eggs during 12 to 15 minutes.  Peel, rinse under cold water and set aside to cool.

* Now we are going to boil the small and large unshelled shrimp in abundant boiling water with some salt for 3 or 4 minutes.

* Remove the shrimp from the broth; retain the broth to boil the potatoes and carrots.  Set aside the small shrimp to cool, then peel and dice.  Set aside the large shrimp to garnish the salad.

* We are going to use this broth to boil the diced potatoes and carrots so that they get the taste of seafood. Boil for 15 minutes (test for doneness and cook more as needed). Once they are cooked we drain them and let them cool down.

* We are going to put the potatoes and carrots in a bowl, and then add all the following ingredients: the diced shrimp, the peas, the hard-boiled eggs chopped, four chopped crab sticks, the shredded tuna fish, the olives and half of the sweet red Peppers cut into small slices.

* We mix everything with care and then we add the homemade mayonnaise.

* You can plate the individual salads using small food ring molds.  Just put the food mold on a plate, then fill it up with the salad and then on top you decorate them with olives, the remaining crab sticks and the rest of the sweet red peppers.

* Then you remove the mold and you will see how nice the salad looks, like in the picture.

* Don’t forget to add the Large Shrimp on the side of the Ensaladilla Rusa, when served at the table.

MAYONNAISE SAUCE WITH GARLIC

This is the recipe for the homemade mayonnaise sauce, and we have added some garlic to it, delicious :-) It is very easy to make so once you make it and the most important, you try it, you will never ever buy it from the shop.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 egg

* 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (250 ml) olive oil

* The juice of half lemon

* Salt

* Half a clove of garlic, minced

WAY OF COOKING:

* In the electric hand blender container we are going to add the egg.

* Then we add the oil, the half a clove of garlic, some salt and the lemon juice.

* We insert the hand blender to the bottom and begin to blend; slowly lifting the blender and you will see how the mayonnaise emulsifies and thickens. If you see it is very liquid you should add some more oil.

* And what happens if the mayonnaise goes wrong? Easy solution, we put another yolk into a different container, blend it and then we add gradually and slowly the mayonnaise batch from before, taking care to stir whenever you add another bit. If it is a bit thick, you can lighten it by adding a few drops of lemon juice.

We would love to have your opinions about this and the previous recipes published already :-)

Please feel free to contact us via email: pilaraprendiendoacocinar@gmail.com and let us know about your impressions.

Good night and this will be the first one of many good homemade recipes in English, just for you :-)