Category Archives: Foodie

Feb12

#cookfromthebooks week 6 (Weather week & TV gone)

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What a week, crazy weather all mixed up, days of warm sunshine, lashing rain and then winds to make Kansas look positively calm.  Battening down the hatches and waiting for weather to arrive, can seem quite exciting.  Mountain living is a guarantee that we receive extremes of all weathers and seasons, and within the ‘Expat online’ community always a great talking point, well we are British after all 😉

Number 1 daughter returned home from a very wet Herefordshire for her half term break, hoping for her cockles to be warmed and her pale skin to be rosied but we can’t always provide !! So it’s home fires burning, hot bots in  bed and 2 pairs of socks to keep her tootsies warm.  Candles are always at the ready at La Rosilla , baskets filled with tee-lights to be lit  in every room, normally to create a cosy ambiance but at this time of year for necessity too. With wind and rain comes the power-cuts, all part of the adventure of our lifestyle.

Food for family and friends we can provide, nothing beats gathering around the dining table when there has been a week of conversation topic making. So I set the table, invited friends for supper, scoured my cook books for my week 6 #cookfromthebooks  challenge, for family friendly recipes, ( our guests not quite so adventurous as us in food tastes 😉 A homely Chicken, Bacon and pea pie would see fit, chosen from Rachel Allens ‘favourite food at  home’ Rachel Allen Favourite food at home

I find this cook book, uplifting, clear and easy to follow.  Good hearty recipes, beautifully captured in photos.  Family favourites, dishes for occasions and basic must know tips for all cooks.

The Chicken pie with bacon and peas wasn’t a fast throw it all together affair, but worth the time and effort.  Like normal I adapted it to suit our tastes and and what I had in the fridge.  The pie in the recipe can be topped with mash or puff pastry, I used a filo topping, to add a slightly more sophisticated pie, to serve for supper guests.  I also used pancetta, instead of ham, which added an extra richness.   I served this with roasted butternut squash cubes, in caraway , not all guests were willing to try ‘Can’t do orange veg’ they said !!! and for  green, french beans sauteed in butter & garlic.

No photos this week of my ‘Pie’, with power on & off, candles lit and my wine glass full, this rare I know, slipped my mind 😉

Pud was a comforting cherry crumble or La Rosilla chocolate Brownies, La Rosilla Browniesthe children all bagsied the Brownies so I sneakily hid a butternut squash cube in them, but the devils caught me out 😉 – The crumble topping was unusually made I thought.  I always rub my flour and butter together to make bread crumbs then add sugar , oats and cinnamon – but in Rachel Allen’s recipe for Rhubarb, plum & cardamon crumble, she prepares her dry ingredients then pours on melted butter and quickly mixes – It did provide a dense crumble topping but I found quite clumpy – I think in future I’ll stick to my usual, on saying that with the bowl placed dangerously near to my place, I did manage to secretly have a few portions 😉

 

To finish the week an event we knew was looming on the horizon, but hoping it wouldn’t and not knowing when it would, came to fruition.  For many Ex-pats living in Spain, we have a guilty pleasure, or for some of us a necessity to watch UK TV to keep us up to date of our home-land, receive world wide news in our own language, or for me the obligatory watching of the many ‘Foodie’ programmes .  Never have I watched a ‘Soap’ in 9 years but Saturday Kitchen, Masterchef & my ‘Jamie’ these are my moments of weakness and now they are GONE !! The UK have changed their satellite position, and now we can no longer tune in to our favourite channels 😦 .  There are ways and means, and options being advised, sold, hawked as days go by, but as in sit, switch on and watch NO ! I know we’ll get used to it, and maybe find that life we actually came to live on a mountain for.  I have a pile of books to get through, jigsaws to make, and DVD’s to watch, so once I’ve finished sulking and got my head around it, all will be fine….Hurry up summer, when late night terrace sitting, and the only thing we watch is the night sky for shooting stars.

Until then a plateful of home-made ‘Melting Moments’ from my treasured, well thumbed, Nan’s ‘Bero’ recipe book, will do the trick.

My well loved recipe book from my Nan.
Melting moments, yes please.
Melting Moments, with cranberries , coconut & oats.

MELTING MOMENTS RECIPE

140 g S.R Flour

80g caster sugar

120g Margarine / butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Oats, dessicated coconut & cranberries to decorate.

  • Cream togwther butter & sugar, add vanilla.
  • Stir in flour and mix well.
  • With your hands bring dough together.
  • With wet hands divide mixture into 36 balls and roll and coat with coconut or oats.
  • Place on a greased baking sheet slightly apart and flatten a little add a dried cranberry to some.
  • Bake at 160c for 12-15 mins until golden.

FAMILY RATING 10/10

EASY.

BUEN PROVECHO

If you would like to join in this years challenge of #cookfromthebooks I would be delighted :) Just add the hashtag #cookfromthebooks and add the logo below & link to this site.

#cookfromthebooks cooking challenge 2014

Feb5

Countryside cooking.

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Yesterday I was joined at La Rosilla, for the first Cooking & Culture Day of the year, by guests from America.

It was a chilly day in the mountains, but still breathtakingly beautiful with all the Almond trees in blossom,  guests were kept warm as they cooked their giant paella, whilst sipping sherries by the fire pit.

La Rosilla Cookin & Culture day.

Tapas of peppers stuffed with goats cheese, banderillas, cured chorizo, wild mushroom pate and confit cherry tomatoes and single estate olive oils were sampled and enjoyed around our country kitchen.  The groups creations of  homemade bread & chicken, chorizo and green bean paella , with garden salad were devoured.

The sun came out just in time for ‘Tarta de Santiagio’ a rich almond tart and comforting PX sherry to be savoured on the terrace and time to soak up the view.

 

Jan28

#cookfromthebooks Week 4

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Time is flying by, and after a hectic week of shuttling and collecting my OH to the airport and children to their relevant hobbies, it was lovely to be invited out to friends for a ‘Burns night‘ celebration.  Our wonderful hosts ‘Scottish Juan & Maria‘ always celebrate Burns in style.  Black ties and killer heels were worn, roaring log fire and whisky cocktails greeted us.Burns night celebrations. Thistles decorated the table, along with obligatory tartan.  Cock-a-leekie, haggis, neeps & tatties and creamy cranachan and shortbread, was a fitting feast for the occasion.  Wine and whisky flowed and flowed some more .  Poetry was recited, and our accents became more colloquial as our tongues loosened. A fabulous evening, and an even more fabulous sore head the next morn ! :/

Taking into account that most of my next day, was in a blurr…note to self *say no to whisky* , I needed to create something, comforting, easy, full of flavour and take-away stylee for this weeks #Cookfromthebooks challenge.The faithful Hairy Bikers, came up trumps with their ‘Mums know best’ cookbook, a collection of over a 100 mouthwatering, classic recipes gathered from Mums all across the UK. Family favourites, Sunday dinners, sweet treats and our chosen supper form Picnic Fayre.  The book is well photographed and recipes are easy to follow, with tips and short memoirs from the chosen mums.

Hairy Biker's Mums know best.

Our dishes this week, were Sticky ginger and soy chicken wings, spinach, carrot & potato pakoras and Chana chat.

The wings were wonderful, I used drumsticks too, a little more meat on the bone, and easier to pick-up and eat.

The Pakoras were described as some of the best they’d ever tasted, they were not wrong, delicious ! I made 12 huge pakoras and adjusted the ingredients to suit what I had, added a little more spice and could be bothered (fragile head remember) to prepare.

SPINACH, CARROT & POTATO PAKORAS

Big handful of fresh spinach chopped.

2 carrots grated.

2 large potatoes julienned, or very thinly sliced.

2 onions finely sliced.

Chick pea flour.

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried chillies

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp cumin seeds

Oil for frying

  • Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, adding enough chick pea flour to coat.  Add a little lukewarm water at a time until you create a thick paste.  You need to be able to mould the mixture together so it will hold when frying.
  • Using a deep fat fryer or carefully heat oil in a large saucepan, take a large dessert spoonful of the mixture and shape with your hands, carefully lower into the oil.  You will need to do this in batches.
  • The pakoras will take about 4-5minutes to cook, turning crispy and golden brown.
  • They can be kept warm on a plate until serving, or once cooled can be frozen and reheated when needed.

FAMILY RATING 10/10 FAIRLY EASY .

Chana Chat, Pakoras and sticky wings.

Together with the wings, we served the pakoras with a refreshing and vibrant, Chana Chat, an Indian yoghurt and chickpea salad.  To the recipe I added fresh mint and coriander and pomegranate, which gave a very fresh and zingy salad, cutting through the richness of the pakoras.

CHANA CHAT

250 g Natural or greek yoghurt

100ml milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried red chillies

1 tsp garam masala

2 tomatoes diced

1/2 cucumber diced

1 red onion chopped finely

1 jar 400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed

handful of mint & coriander chopped

Pomegranate

  • Whisk yoghurt and milk together, add salt, chillies and masala.
  • Add tomatoes, cucumber , onions and chickpeas and mix well.
  • Gently stir in fresh herbs and the pomegranate .

Family Rating 8/10 for me 10/10, but average vote bought down by the kids, they don’t rate chickpeas 😉

BUEN PROVECHO

If you would like to join in this years challenge of #cookfromthebooks I would be delighted :) Just add the hashtag #cookfromthebooks and add the logo below & link to this site.

#cookfromthebooks cooking challenge 2014

Jan5

#Cookfromthebooks Week 1

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Saturday night arrived and the familiar, family questions of ‘What’s for supper Mum’ were being heard…’Something new’ I replied.

So I begin my personal challenge for the year #cookfromthebooks.

This weeks recipe book picked, was the delightful, artistic and beautifully written Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros.

Apples for jam by Tessa Kiros

I actually picked 2 recipes this week, to make a complete family supper.  All the ingredients I had in the cupboards or fridge and both dishes could be prepared simply, which was a bonus after a hard but satisfying day, building new fencing on the mountain for our ponies new paddock.

I adapted the recipes, as I do 😉 just to add other dimensions and what I had in stock.

The first Pumpkin Pizza.

pizza

Not an ordinary pizza, by using pumpkin as the base instead of dough, you get a sweet and unctuous taste.

INGREDIENTS

1 small pumpkin – I used a butternut squash very thinly sliced lengthways. (some care needed here, use a very sharp knife)

1 onion, finely sliced.

1 jar of passata – I used ‘frito’

1 ball of buffalo mozzarella

handful of grated strong cheddar

oregano

olive oil.

Here’s how …

  • drizzle OO in base of oven proof baking dish, layer the pumpkin, seasoning as you go.
  • spread the passata over pumpkin, and bake in oven for 40 mins.
  • tear up mozzarella and sprinkle on-top of dish with cheddar
  • sprinkle over oregano and bake for 10 more mins until bubbling.

FAMILY RATING 8/10

EASY

Recipe 2, Chicken escalopes with tomatoes and capers.

Chicken escalopes with toms and capers recipe.

Fresh and vibrant tasting, with piquancy from the capers.

Ingredients

4 chicken fillets

plain flour for dusting

handful of cherry toms

glug of white wine

3 cloves of garlic peeled and bashed but left whole

tbs of capers drained & rinsed.

tbs of chopped fresh parsley

olive oil

Here’s how….

  • dust the chicken fillets with flour
  • heat a little OO in large frying pan
  • add garlic and tomatoes, saute until tomatoes start to pucker
  • remove toms to a warm plate
  • add chicken to pan and fry until golden on both sides, watch the garlic so it doesn’t burn
  • add the wine to the pan let bubble, put toms back in
  • sprinkle with parsley season and add capers
  • put a lid on and take pan off heat and let stand for a few mins, before serving.

FAMILY RATING 8/10

EASY

BUEN PROVECHO

If you would like to join in this years challenge of #cookfromthebooks I would be delighted 🙂 Just add the hashtag #cookfromthebooks and add the logo below & link to this site.

#cookfromthebooks cooking challenge 2014

Jan2

Cook from the books !

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Looking back over my year, I decided to give myself a pat on the back, I’ve finally managed to live my life surrounded by food and drink, and still loose 4 1/2 stone, thanks to the 5:2 . I know the way of eating has it’s opponents, not for everybody, but for me it’s worked and I love it. I’ve had my cake and eat it and my vino and drank it 😉

So now thinking of resolutions, things I’d like to achieve, goals for the year ahead.  As my ‘Bio’ states I am commonly known as a cook book whore, I can’t live without them, recipe books of every cuisine, gathered over the years, they are my comfort blanket.  I have a confession, I have so many I’ve never cooked from, all read many times from cover to cover but still full of dishes never created, by me that is.

My challenge to myself…..

Inspired by the film Julie & Julia, when an American journalist takes on the challenge to create the 524 dishes of the legendary Julia Childs, from Mastering the art of french cooking in 365 and blog about them.

My challenge not so extreme, but hopefully something that I will get a great deal from, the family will enjoy and I can say to my OH of course I need more cook books 😉

So I am going to choose a book a week from my collection, choose a lucky dip recipe and expand my repertoire.  I will then blog about it with my thoughts and findings and rate each dish out of 10, for taste, ease and likely hood of me creating it again.

#cookfromthebooks cooking challenge 2014

Bring on my #cookfromthebooks challenge………..watch this space.

Nov5

Ruby Pomegranates !

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As every year, I’m always delighted when the first Pomegranate is ready or ‘Granada’ as they are called in Spain.  They hang dripping from the trees on the mountains. some splitting with their over ripeness, giving a sneaky peak to their ruby-red jewel’s inside.

I use them as much as I can when in season, Pom Raita, Pom Punch, Pom Cous Cous , This year I created a lush salad with other fruit  and herbs in season, Poms, watermelon, feta, rockets, nuts and local jamon and olives delish !

Pomiliicious Salad

Pomiliicious Salad

I also went about creating my first Pomegranate Molasses, an ingredient that I use a great deal in Middle Eastern cooking, but surprisingly have never been able to find locally , the results were fabulous.  Now I have the ruby spectacular syrup to take me through the winter months.  I also jarred cute bottles for friends for ‘C’ just can’t say the word yet, I hope they’re not reading !!

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES…HERE’S HOW !

Pomegranates

Gather as many Poms as you can.

 

Slice in half.

Slice in half.

Juice the poms.

Juice the poms.

Pomegranate juice, 20 poms makes about 1.5 litres !!

Pomegranate juice, 20 poms makes about 1.5 litres !!

Put the juice in a pan, with 2 tbs of sugar and a juice of a lemon, bring to the boil and then simmer uncovered to reduce to a thick pouring consistency, then bottle.  Will keep in the fridge for several months.

Bottle of ruby nectar Pomegranate Molasses.

Bottles of ruby nectar
Pomegranate Molasses.

 

 

 

Sep30

Wedding bells.

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I was recently chosen to cater for a young Danish couple’s mountain top wedding here in Spain, a location that was close to their hearts from childhood holidays.  They picked me after reading this blog and seeing that my passion for ‘The good life and food’ suited their personalities and way of life, the Bride a top Pastry Chef and Groom Champion Triathlete.  They wanted a menu that would represent the area, the sea ,countryside and the seasons and above all be fresh and home grown. The wedding was  to be filmed (no pressure there then)  for a Danish ‘Fly on the wall’ documentary, that is following the couples life for the next 7 years.

It was an honor to create for them and the location was breathtaking, high up in Tejeda Montes of the Axarquia, with views to the sea, lakes and whitewashed villages beyond.

Vegetables and herbs were picked form the La Rosilla garden, pork was sourced from my local town of Colmenar and sea food from the abundant coast of Malaga.

A spectacular terrace, had a wedding makeover, and was the backdrop to welcome guests with Harpist and flautist, an array of cocktails were sipped with canapes of, Beetroot Gazpacho shots, Bacon wrapped almond stuffed dates and Goats cheese tostados witch caramelized onions.

brideBefore and After Wedding Planning  team fame

The Danish wedding traditions were followed throughout with Speeches and toasts a many.

The wedding supper, was enjoyed under the setting sun, and through the candlelit night.

A taste of Spain, and another memory moment made.

Sep30

A few new delicious finds.

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It’s always a delight to find somewhere new to eat, that surprises you or exceeds your expectations.  Recently we’ve been fortunate to find two delectable places, both so different to each other, but both that ticked our ‘delicious’ box.

La Maroma, is tucked up high in the mountain village of Canillas de Acietuno, we had a quick pit stop whilst waiting for a delivery driver to turn up …another story.  Thinking we’d just have the obligatory ‘Pitufu Catalana’ ( Crusty bread, serrano & tomato) and coffee , I spied another tables dishes, and had to take a look at the menu.  We were on a short time limit, but were pleasantly surprised by the innovative menu and superb friendly service. We chose a quail salad & Baked brie with figs to share.

We were treated to an amuse bouche, and homemade alioli and fresh bread while we waited.  All tastes were sublime, fresh and in season.  Sitting outside in the Autumn sunshine was beautiful, watching the local tiny market and the comings and goings .  The inside of the restaurant was magnificent too, bright and colourful and housing a gallery for local artists, a great place I can imagine for a fabulous party, or a cosy dinner in the cooler months.

La Maroma

I truly loved the way, La Maroma, with a little imagination and a flair for service offered something divine, and to top it off the bill came, with 2 glasses of cold dry Cava, to say thank-you.

Our next Gastronomic find was Gastrobar Las Perlas in Torre del Mar, searching for somewhere special to dine on my birthday, we came across the Gastrobar, review after excellent review and these were not wrong.  From the moment we booked and then arrived, the professionalism, knowledge and passion was flawless.  Dining with 2 of our children, I love them to try and sample new tastes and flavours, we chose the tasting menu and wow, mind-blowing.  Each dish was served perfectly, and cooking methods and ingredients explained.  Octopus, salmon, Foie, Ostrich,chocolate, dish after dish of impeccable presentation and  molecular inventiveness.

gastrobar las perlas torre

Fresh salmon, vegetables cream, tender mustard salsa and microsalad.

Wine was recommended and served at our chosen temperature, hand-baked tiny bread rolls, and salted butter all added to our gourmet extravaganza.

gastrobar las perlas torre

Pan Artesanal

Gastrobar will now become one of our treasured places, to take and share with family and friends. Perfecto !

Sep12

Drying out …

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No i’m not talking about giving up the vino of course, a little less I have admit now it’s back to school time, but drying out some of summers bounty to preserve its sweetness and flavours for the coming cooler months, prolonging that taste of summer just a while longer.

My grapes were picked and put out to sunbathe for tiny raisins or currants, to be used in baking over the autumn or sprinkled in salads or cereals for breakfast.  Drying grapes in our area of Spain is very local tradition, which is celebrated with the ‘Ruta de Pasa‘ a lovely drive through the mountains’,taking in scenic whitewash villages, who lay out the grapes on the mountainside to dry beautifully in the Anadalcuian sunshine.  These will then by turned into unctious sweet Malaga wine and sweet delicacies.

Drying grapes at La Rosilla

Drying grapes

Delighted this year I had a bumper crop of figs, fresh chutney was made, that will be enjoyed with strong cheeses and roasted meats, but I tried something new, I sundried my figs too .. for recipes such as ‘pan de higo’ a delcious figgy roll that is enjoyed as a tapa, or after dinner with a rich PX sherry and a slither of cured goats cheese.

Heres how to do it…

Picked, wash and halve the figs.

lay out seperately on trays lined with kichen paper.

preparing figs for drying

preparing figs for drying

Cover with fly nets and lay out in the sun to sry for a few days.  Bring in at night if where you are the morning are damp.

When the figs are dry and chewy, store in an airtight container and enjoy.

Dried figs at La Rosilla

Dried figs at La Rosilla

I also dry my tomatoes in the sun, you can read about that here.

Sep4

To have time …

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Oh my goodness, I really am sitting here with time to write .  The first time in many weeks, even months that I can think it´s now time to jot down, make note and remember why I´ve been so busy .  Not that I haven´t enjoyed the hectic, manic, crazy summer months we’ve had, but headless chicken springs to mind !

I relish the long summertime the children have off, I love being surrounded by them, grabbing the odd hour or day when we can dash off somewhere, and do Spanish summertime things, beaching, exploring, bbq´ing , entertaining, feria´ing.

Altea by bike.

Altea by bike.

This summer has seen my busiest yet at La Rosilla, I have met and cooked with people from all over the globe, I have catered for folks enjoying special occasions, family reunions, surprise parties and proposals´(she said yes), it´s so wonderful to create memory moments for us and them and learn about traditions from different places, always with one thing in

common, ´Food glorious food´.

Fine dining in Spain.

Fine dining.

 

What firsts have we done , what have we achieved ?

We met Alpacas, who took me for a walk .

I cooked for 150 people over 4 days from 4 different continents.

We went diving as a whole family, exploring the natural reefs of the Costa Blanca.

Slept on a deflating airbed for 2 weeks.

Guadalest.

Guadalest exploring

I gave cookery and culture days to travelers from Philippines, Australia, USA and Belgium.

La Rosilla Spanish Buffet

La Rosilla Spanish Buffet

Entertained like the Von´Trapp family 😉

We had guests hiring La Rosilla from Prague, Holland and England.

Flamenco La Rosilla. Homegrown entertainment.

Flamenco La Rosilla. Homegrown entertainment.

We hired bikes and explored the coastal paths.

Cooked in 11 different kitchens.

a Rosilla On location catering.

On location catering.

Lost 3 stone in weight. (5.2 Diet I thank you)

We hosted a cultural work exchange student.

La Rosilla, summertime ready . Luxury villa rental.

La Rosilla, summertime ready

We moved out, moved back in, moved out, moved back in.

To write down what we´ve done, makes me feel like a child, on my first day back at school and the teacher saying ´What did you do in the holidays´and I would often and sit and think ´oh my what did I do ?

Well I know I burned the candle at both ends, felt at times I was going mad, ate some fabulous food and quaffed some wonderful wines, laughed, cried, ranted and raved, was surrounded in organised chaos most of the time, but by gosh it´s been a gud´un.

Thanks to one and all who have been part of it …

And now to regain composure, create new recipes, organise upcoming events,  plan my new kitchen, enjoy the cooler climes, build our new fire pit and return to the domestic goddess that I am 😉