Sunday, September 20, 2009

Regional Recipes: Spain!

I remember reading a few years ago that Spain was the new France in terms of culinary prowess. Then Anthony Bourdain visited Spain and said it was “the very best place in the world to eat.” Well shoot, then it must be true!


I, for one, am in love with Spanish cuisine. I’ve always found the flavors are big, bold and so satisfying. The submissions for this month’s Regional Recipes are excellent examples. So let’s get to it!



Pimentos RelleƱos submitted by The Creative Pot. It’s Spanish stuffed peppers filled with brown rice, almonds, raisins and herbs and spices. A healthy and delicious alternative to peppers stuffed with minced meat.





Flamenco Eggs also submitted by The Creative Pot. A casserole made with chorizo, peppers, onions, tomatoes and eggs. Sounds like perfect brunch fare to me!





Patatas Bravas submitted by forkbootsandapalette. Potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce. Traditionally served as a tapa, it’s hearty enough to be a filling meal.





Chickpeas Romesco submitted by Eats Well with Others. Chickpeas in a flavorful sauce made of tomatoes, peppers, vinegar and nuts. And it’s vegan too!





Fingerling potatoes with Allioli submitted by Kits Chow. Can’t go wrong with the simplicity of delicious fingerlings and a creamy, garlicky dipping sauce.





Sangria with White Wine submitted by Wandering Chopsticks. There’s no fuss with this easy and refreshing sangria. Use your favorite white wine and whatever fruit you have on hand.





Philippine Beef Salpicao submitted by [eatingclub]vancouver. Yes, it’s from the Philippines, but they’ve suggested a Spanish version, substituting a combination of hot and sweet smoked paprika for Hungarian paprika.




Grilled vegetables with Garlic Sauce submitted by Erbe in Cucina. Don’t have a grill, you say? No problem, if you’ve got a broiler. Then serve the vegetables with garlic sauce!





Tomato soup seasoned with smoked paprika, crispy Serrano ham and manchego submitted by Blazing Hot Wok (that’s me!). The secret to tomato soup with big, bold flavor? Smoked paprika! The Spanish swear by it and I agree.






Thanks to all the bloggers who submitted! It’s awesome to get such a wide variety of dishes.


For the next region, we’re heading to Scandinavia! Home of pickled herring, Ikea and Alexander Skarsgaard! Just to clarify, we’re talking Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. I’m anxious to see what you all come up with. The host will be Eats Well with Others. Please send submissions (with a photo) to jhbruno87(at)gmail(dot)com by 11:59 on Oct. 15th. The round-up should be up around the 20th. Please note that late entries are accepted at the discretion of the host.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

An easy Spanish-themed meal

The tomatoes are still going around here. I harvested enough to make a big batch of tomato soup dressed up with smoked paprika and toasts topped with crispy serrano ham and manchego.


Don't worry, I'm not going to post another recipe for tomato soup. I've already posted one using fresh tomatoes and one using canned tomatoes. You'll also be able to find a gazillion other versions on the Interwebs. But I will say the thing that makes this soup special is the smoked paprika. The Spanish swear by it and I would have to agree that it's pretty awesome. Regular old paprika just can't compare to its smoky flavor. So next time you make tomato soup, try using the smoked paprika to spice it up.

Serrano ham is like the Spanish equivalent of prosciutto. I like it best thinly sliced atop a piece of crusty bread, but if you're going to cook it, it needs to get crispy. Anything short of crisp and it can taste "gamey." I crisped the ham by putting the slices on a rack in a warm oven (250F) for about 10 minutes then adding the shredded manchego on top for about 5 minutes. That all gets layered above a toasted piece of crusty bread. Serve with marinated olives and a tossed salad with a nice vinaigrette and you've got an easy Spanish-themed meal.

I'm submitting this post to Regional Recipes. We're visiting Spain and I've already got a bunch of delicious entries. It's going to be a good round-up. I'll accept submissions until the 20th of September. Send them to blazinghotwok(at)gmail(dot)com. Check back here on the 20th for the round-up as well as the next region.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A Happy Dilemma

Every year, come the end of summer, I'm swimming in tomatoes. This year I'm literally drowning. I planted about 9 starts and all of them have been producing beautifully. I've been harvesting the Sungold cherry tomatoes since about mid-July. The yellow pears were ready a couple of weeks after that. In the last 3 weeks, I've been getting a steady supply of the larger tomatoes. To put it all into perspective, during the peak I harvested over 6 pounds of the various cherry tomatoes and 8 lbs of the larger varieties...in one day. No kidding. Thank goodness it appears to be tapering off.

Thanks again to my awesome FIL, who built me another planter box, effectively doubling my garden to a whopping 36 sqft. Who says you need a lot of space to have a productive garden?



I'm sure I'll be jonesing for a decent tomato in February, but right now if I have to eat one more fresh tomato, I might die. Okay, not really. Rather than let all the tomatoes sit and rot on my countertop (yes, I tried to give some away, but my neighbors are in the same boat), I canned a big batch of tomato chutney. Actually this was the second batch. The first batch went straight into the freezer because I couldn't be bothered to bust out the canning paraphernalia.

Making a tomato chutney isn't hard, but it does require some babysitting. I simply took my 6+ pounds of cherry tomatoes and put them in a pot with 1 cup rice vinegar (regular white vinegar is also fine), 1 cup granulated sugar and salt to taste (optional if you're watching your salt intake). Then I just let it all reduce over medium heat. This took a long time...like 2 hours because the tomatoes have so much liquid that has to be cooked off. I stirred it occasionally at first then frequently toward the end to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. The 6+ pounds of tomatoes gave me 4+ cups of chutney, which I canned in 8 x 125ml jars (processed for 15 minutes using boiling water canner).

A couple of tips: As it's cooking down, taste it and add more sugar if you find it's not sweet enough. I always end up doing this. You can also add spices. I added copious fresh ginger to the first batch and it was fantastic, tangy and slightly spicy.



Chutneys aren't just meant to accompany Indian food. There are limitless ways to enjoy this one. My favorite is atop a nice sharp cheese with crusty bread. Or served with a grilled cheese sandwich. Or how about on a bacon and lettuce sandwich for an nontraditional but delicious BLT. I also like it mixed in with hummus and eaten with pita chips. You may also try adding fresh herbs, such as finely chopped mint, coriander and/or chilies before serving. Of course chutneys are good accompaniments to meat dishes and this one is good for everything from a roasted chicken to roasted lamb.

This is my entry for Weekend Wokking. This round we're celebrating vinegar and I'm the host! If you want to participate, send your entry to me at blazinghotwok(at)gmail(dot)com by Oct 4th.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Simply Delicious White Bean Dip



The following recipe was inspired by a white bean spread from 3 Doors Down Cafe, one of my favorite places in Portland. I was pretty excited when one of the BFFs sent me the link to the original recipe, but when I looked it over, the ingredients weren’t what I expected. I didn’t remember tasting red chili and I would swear I tasted anchovy. Who knows, maybe my taste buds are just whacked? I played around with the ingredients a bit (because I’ve recently come to the conclusion I’m not a big fan of rosemary) and ended up with something pretty darn yummy and not completely far from the original. Enjoy!


Note: Boiling your own beans is definitely an option, but truthfully, I couldn’t be bothered this time. And since you’re going to buzz the whole lot, it won’t make much difference. At least that’s my opinion.

White Bean Dip

makes about 1 1/2 cup

  • 1 can cannelli beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 or 3 sprigs Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil and chopped parsley for garnish


Cook the shallot, thyme, anchovy paste and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add beans and about 1/4 cup water or chicken stock. Heat through. Puree mixture in blender until smooth and uniform. Add more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread.


BTW, happy *hour* at Three Doors Down lasts all evening Tuesday thru Thursday and Sunday, so if you’re looking for me on those days, you know where I'll be. ☺