Category Archives: Recipes

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.

Dec13

What’s your tipple ?

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Being jumped on at the crack of dawn, that late if we’re lucky, by the children on Christmas Morn, the passing of the yard arm seems an age away.  A little snifter, early doors helps get the day off to fine fettle.

In passed years, we would quaff a Mimosa or Bellini, but after a stint at The Good Food Show last year, the morning tipple to get you over the day and night before was a healthy, vitamin providing, head clearing and oomph giving Bloody Mary, and know I’m hooked.  Not everyday day hooked I hasten to add ! but on special occasions, don’t mind if I do 🙂

Bloody Mary

Salud, good health and bottoms up !

Here’s how to create it !

In a large jug fill it 1/3 full of Vodka

add 2/3 of Tomato Juice

Add a good dash of Tabasco & Worcestershire Sauce

Season with pepper & celery salt

Stir well.

Pour into large glasses over ice, add a stick of celery and a slice of lemon.

After a full festive morning of activities, and whilst I happily potter in my kitchen, ‘I know my place 😉 preparing the days feast I’ll then add to my 5 a day intake with a Pom Punch or Pom Royale, both with freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.

  • For the Pom Punch – Squeeze the juice of 1 orange & one pomegranate, reserving a few seeds for decoration pour into a glass of crushed ice and top up with vodka and add a sprig of mint.
Pom Punch

Pom Punch

  • For the Pom Royale, In a champagne flute add your freshly squeezed Pom juice and top up with Cava or Champers.

Well that’s got me through to lunch time, what to sip next ?

 

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.

 

 

 

Sep12

Gluts glorious gluts..

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It was a slow start to the vegetable harvest this year’ but eventually nature got going and we have enjoyed a mountain of wonderful fruits and veggies that we are still picking daily as and when we need them, fresh green beans, courgettes, tomatoes and herbs to pep up all kinds of dishes.

The star crop this years has been our Aubergines, which we devour guilty as ‘Berenjenas fritas’ a light battered aubergine slice, drizzled with cane honey, DELISH.  Roasted and whizzed into Baba ganoush, chopped and braised for caponata, but a new dish I’ve created is a mixture of two our our family household favourites, with a few changes here and there, to make it a little healthier on the waistband .

Mousakka and Lasangne turns into LaRosaka *spin on La Rosilla, get it !!

laroska recipe

Larosaka

Ingredients are flexible and quantities adjust according to suit, serves 6 happily with yummy leftovers

  • 1kg Mince beef
  • 2 onions finely chopped
  • 5 carrots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • Olive oil

In a large pan sauté the carrots, onions and garlic until softened not browned.

Add mince and stir well until browned.

  • 2 bay leaves
  • Sprig fresh thyme
  • Dried oregano

Add herbs and stir

  • Large tin of chopped toms
  • 1 beef stock cube in 300 ml boiling water
  • 250 gramms of chopped mushrooms
  • Glass of red wine

Add Toms, stock and wine, bring up to boil and simmer gently, add lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  • 3 Aubergines sliced lengthways

Place the sliced aubergines on a grill pan and spray with olive oil, grill until browned on both sides about 5 mins.

  • 500ml of semi skimmed milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 onion chopped in quarters

Put milk, bay leaf and onion in saucepan and simmer gently, for 5 mins then take off heat to let flavours infuse.

  • 3 tbsp of corn flour
  • Milk

Mix cornflour with milk until dissolved.

Remove bay leaf and onion from milk in pan and add cornflour mix, heat gently until sauce thickens.

Set aside.

LAYERING UPTIME

In a large baking dish, put a layer of meat mix, then a layer of aubergines, season and add some more dried oregano, now a layer of white sauce…Repeat.  Finishing with a layer of white sauce.

  • Handful of freshly grated parmesan
  • 1 large tomato thinly sliced

Layer the sliced tomato on top of the white sauce, then sprinkle the whole dish with parmesan.

Bake in a hot oven for 30 mins, until bubbling and golden.  Serve with green salad, or fresh beans and hot crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

You could add, courgettes and peppers to your sauce too, and celery with you carrotts at the beginning..just experiment.

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.

Apr5

A smile in the rain.

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Apparently this is the last of it, so my own ‘Weddar‘ man my OH keeps telling me – The rain that is.  Come on sunshine pop your hat on !

Walking up our mountain track this morning we couldn’t see a hand in front of us, let alone our view to die for.  It was eerie, not raining but we were in the clouds.  Then the clouds turned to rain.  Trying to look on the bright side, and I was already damp from the mist, and went on a little jaunt around the land, to see what was enjoying the weather and soaking it up.

To my delight my beloved fig tree’s leaves as I thought on first glance were growing as I looked, but also on its old wood branches for the first time ever, it is full of ‘Brevas’ .  Brevas are the 1st crop of figs on a tree, my tree has never produced them before and after 8 years, it is now rewarding me – So I won’t have to wait until late summer for my normal fruitful crop to indulge in the food of the gods 🙂

Brevas first crop figs.

I smiled in the rain.

My favourite fig recipe.

Mar19

Teasing tasters.

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Seems the weather keeps teasing us and giving us a taste of what’s to come – A day of glorious sunshine in between the dull & rain, is enough to lift the spirits , time to fling open the windows, lunch alfresco and the drudgery of the daily homework routine somehow seems all more bearable done in the afternoon sun.

Yesterday we we’re singing with the birds, everyone was cheery, flowers were picked to add a springtime bloom and the children gathered their boots & walking sticks and returned once more to their Swallows and Amazons lifestyle, trekking and exploring their mountainside with dogs & cats in tow.

My main vegetable patch is in need of resurrection, I’m trying to build the enthusiasm to to tackle it head on, what I have done, is create a little mini herb & salad patch in the border at the back of my house, just by the kitchen door & yesterday we enjoyed our first pickings of leaves & herbs & edible flowers in a fresh green salad.

salad leaves from La rosilla

We are down to one hen at the moment 😦 but soon her new friends will be arriving, I think she is enjoying eating solo and not having to share, and bless her she lays an egg everyday for us, good job really, as I often start a recipe or dish and then think …’bloody hell’ have I got any eggs ? . Yesterday was no exception, scouring the fridge for inspiration & decided to rustle up a red cabbage slaw, Oh no no mayo,- no worries I’ll just whip some up – Oh no, no eggs – Off to Henny Penny I trudged , she hadn’t let me down.

Today we’re back to wet & grey, with even talk of a ‘Red’ alert on weather warnings !  So I’m feeling the need for comfort food and sharing.  Luckily this afternoon is my ‘Book Club’ and we going to chat about The Kasmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas , a tale of The Raj, Colonial India & Wales, so I’ve baked a spiced Tea Bread & Victoria Sponge, hopefully sweet tastes to match the beautiful tale.

The Kashmir Shawl

SPICED TEA BREAD RECIPE

250 gr of Sultanas soaked in 300ml of cold tea, leave overnight.

 I use a Moroccan tea, flavoured with cinnamon, chicory, liquorice, orange & mint.

Mix with :

2 beaten eggs

250 gr of SR flour

200 gr of Brown sugar

2 tsp of mixed spice

Stir well together – then pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin – bake at 175 c – for 1 hour until risen and dark golden.

Spiced Tea Bread recipe from La Rosilla.

Enjoy with butter and jam and of course a lovely cup of tea.

 

 

Mar4

Squash & za’atar soup

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Wet day, start of the week – something wholesome needed ….SOUP.

This must be one of the easiest soups to make…

Butternut & za’atar soup.

1 whole butternut squash – cut into chunks, do not peel.

2 x onions cut into wedges

1 ltr veg stock

Juice of an orange

sprinkle of Za’atar

sprinkle of cumin seeds

Olive oil

freshly ground salt & pepper

Roasting butternut squash

On a baking tray, put the squash & onion drizzle with Olive oil, and sprinkle with Za’atar. cumin , salt & pepper, roast for 30 – 45 mins in oven 180 c.

Once roasted, put in a saucepan add veg stock, and blend skin & all  – add orange juice, adjust seasoning, heat through gently.

To serve, I like to add a handful of rocket leaves, a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a slice of lemon to squeeze.

Squash & za'atar soup

*Za’atar is a Middle eastern spice mix – each family often have their own recipe but most include, sesame seeds, salt, oregano, thyme & sumac .

It is also lovely mixed with Olive oil & vinegar for a salad dressing, or sprinkled on hot bread drizzled with olive oil.

 

 

 

Feb11

What a difference a day makes !

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I think this must be the windiest winter on record, well it’s certainly the windiest we’ve experienced living on the mountain.  In fact in the 8 years we’ve lived here , we’ve lived through many weather records, the hottest summer, the wettest Autumn, the driest winter, Snow first time in 80 years .. we call it living in extremes, or all weathers.

The skies have been so clear and blue this winter, and on most days we can see the snow topped mountains of Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean  sea – journeys to the coast afford views of Africa, and its Moorish headlands.  The wind though has paid it’s price, this morning hiking up the mount to the meet the school bus, I had to hold on to my little daughter as she was almost blown away, we sheltered in a nook from the howling wind, olives that have not yet been picked were hurtling through the air like missiles.  As soon as it comes though it subsides, and calm prevails once more.

Yesterday we were able to to enjoy a feast with friends alfresco, with ‘Secreto Iberico‘ on the barby and a huge terracotta dish piled high with ‘patatas a lo pobre‘ , along with herb salad and the first nasturtium flowers of the season, and a giant loaf of rye soda-bread to mop up juices. A day in the fresh air, rosie cheeks, full bellies, and then a night in front of the fire, with a trifle to boot 😉

Today the wind is back, and the temperature has dropped, so the home fires are burning and warming comfort food is needed – Albondigas are bubbling away, and a tray of luscious Oatie, fruit & nut flapjacks have been made to enjoy with a little camomile & honey tea.

What a difference a day makes, but it keeps us on our toes, and makes us make the most of all weathers.

Here I share my recipe for a very large tray of Oatie, fruit & nut flapjacks.

Oaty,fruit & nut traybake

2 oranges – zested & juiced

1 lemon – zested & juiced

200 gr Sultanas

400 gr butter

200 gr Brown sugar

200 gr Golden syrup

200 gr Plain flour

500 gr Oats

200 gr pine nuts

  • Put juice, zest of fruits & sultanas in a saucepan and heat gently, for the sultanas to plum up – for about 5 mins.
  • Add butter , syrup & sugar to the pan and heat gently until all melted.
  • In large bowl put flour, oats & nuts, mix then add melted mixture, stir well until thoroughly mixed.
  • Pour mixture into a large lined baking tray and bake in oven 160 c for 25 mins until golden
  • Cut into squares whilst warm then allow cool.

 

 

 

Jan14

Daily bread.

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I don’t think I could ever give up carbs, I love my daily bread too much, and I think if it’s full of natural goodness that’s good enough for me  – and how could you eat a bowl of homemade soup, without dunking ?, I know I can’t .

For many years I have made bread, a simple act that creates one of life’s pleasures, and one of life’s coveted aromas – The scent of freshly baked bread – hhhhmmmm.  Yes some days, it doesn’t fit into the agenda, I’m not a bread maker machine kind of a gal, I like to take life’s frustrations out on my dough, it takes the knock much better than me 😉

But for those  who just can’t wait for a double rise, or who don’t have the patience for 10 – 15 mins kneading, don’t worry you can still have a loaf – and soda bread should become your friend ready in the time it takes to mix, and bake in the oven – on the table in 30 minutes.

At the week end I was eager to try some of my new products on offer from La Rosilla – Organic wholemeal flour & poppy seeds.  I had a little helper in the kitchen, who too was eager to mix, spoon & shape.

So this week-ends loaf was Carrot & Walnut soda bread with a poppy seed topping.

Kitchen helper

La Rosilla kitchen helper.

Carrot & Walnut Soda Bread with poppy seeds.

Heat oven to 175 c.

500 Grams Wholemeal organic flour

2 tsp of bircarb soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp brown sugar

Natural yoghurt approx 4 small 125g pots (enough to make a soft dough)

Mix all the above ingredients together by hand or with a mixer, to make a soft dough.

Add 2 grated carrots and a handful of walnuts, knead until all combined, if too sticky just add more flour.

Turn out onto a floured surface and shape into a round dome.

Carrot & Walnut soda bread recipe

Place on a baking sheet, and score the top with a sharp knife, into portions about 8.

Sprinkle over poppy seeds and bake in the oven until risen and golden, about 30 – 40 mins.

Eat warm straight from the oven – lovely too toasted the next day.

Carrot, walnut Soda bread recipe