Tag Archives: Sopa de picadillo

Jan8

Bursting with life – well I want to be.

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The mountain really is bursting to life, bringing in the new year with a flourish.  Blossom of the softest baby pinks and creamy whites are dressing the montes, giving the illusion of snow covered hillsides, the sweet perfumed blooms are enjoying the warmth of the sun.  The clearest and brightest blue skies allow vistas for miles, with sea and snow veiled sierras in the same view.

Daisies & passionflowers juxtaposed, but with beauty comes green in it’s masses, green in the way of weeds…and weeding I have not got around to yet.  Unlike the mountain I’m not bursting with life, I want to be, my mind is ready but waiting for the body to follow.

Unfortunately I’ve succumbed to the dreaded cold/flu virus that is stubbornly holding on to me.  Now I’ve had enough, and I’m going to follow that ancient pearl of wisdom, “Feed a cold & starve a fever“, dosing myself up as my mother would say, with comforting ,wholesome & hearty dishes, and drinks to warm and soothe.

Leftovers from the festive time, are still being put to good use, to make bowls of Sopa de picadillo & Creme of brocoli with stilton & jamon.  I’ve been and purchased some local honey, made from the bees of Colmenar, picked some lemons off my tree, & added a touch of cinnamon and topped up with hot water to soothe my throat and give me a boost of Vitamin C.

Colmenar honey

Tastes & perfume from the mountains

Tonight is a last ditch attempt to shift my bug, with a super hot curry full of vegetables, courgettes, peppers, mushrooms & butternut squash and cooked by my OH, so that makes it even better.

I hope to back on full form soon, so I can enjoy what nature has to offer, a mild winter and what I came here for, the sunshine.

Jan28

Soup for the Soul Spanish Style !

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I was totally prepared this morning, for my day at the 19th Hole, I knew it would be wet and windy, and the cold would chill me to the bone, so I packed up my healthy lunch, filled my flask with homemade soup , grabbed a mandarina from the fruit bowl and  I was off.

On arrival my other half quickly dispatched me from the van, gave me my days instructions for work, and sped off, with my knapsack and lunch in tow !

I’ve been on a healthy eating regime now for 3 weeks, and it’s going great guns, so there was no way I wanted to sabotage my attempts, by consuming the snack bars chocolates and crisps that when you pop you cant stop ! But as the day progressed the faint rumbling of my tummy was becoming louder and my will power to deny myself of tempting treats was waning,

But low and behold, a rather wet looking Golf Pro, must have read my mind, or maybe my facebook and came up trumps, and delivered unto me, a steaming most delicious bowl of ‘Sopa de Picadillo’  The Spanish version of Chicken soup for the soul.

So I hid myself awWild Mintay, in my little hidey hole of the office, with Soup in hand, a squeeze of lemon from a lemon picked from the tree outside, a sprig of mint taken wild from the flora on the golf course, and I sat and devoured the warming, comforting and filling soup.

Sopa de picadillo, like many ancient, and family recipes that are passed down, taught and shared, have many guises, but this is my favourite…I hope you enjoy it,  a squeeze of lemon for me, adds a piquant touch and a little more vitamin C.

Sop de Picadillo

Sopa de picadillo

For the stock:

1 chicken carcass (leave plenty of spare meat on the bones)
1 ham bone (leave plenty of spare meat on the bones)
4 leeks
3 celery stalks
1 medium-sized onion
Salt, pepper to taste

For the soup:

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 large spring fresh mint, chopped

A squeeze of lemon

Heat enough water to cover the first 2 ingredients in a cooking pot and add the chicken bones, ham bone and onion, cut into large pieces.

Cover the pot and cook on a low heat for between 2 to 3 hours or 40 minutes in a pressure cooker.

After this time, remove from the heat, take the chicken out of the stock, de-bone it, then de-bone the ham and set aside.

Strain the stock through a strainer and also set aside. Place the strained stock in a pan and heat, and when it is hot, add the diced ham and chicken meat and remaining vegetables.

Cook on a medium heat for 25 minutes, then just before serving, add the hard boiled eggs and mint; warm briefly and serve.

Serves 4-6