Tuesday 15 November 2011

Tortilla de patatas

I could be cooking cakes, cookies or desserts everyday, but that’s not possible because someone has to eat it…and it’s not very healthy!  So today…typical Spanish, but not sweet.
The Spanish omelet is known everywhere, or at least I like to think that hehe. It’s good both for main course with salad or some bread or as a starter with some wine.  I hope you enjoy this recipe, I am sure you will have a good time eating it.


Ingredients
Olive oil
5 big potatoes
1-2 onions
4 eggs
Salt

Directions
1.     Peel and chop the potatoes. Put in a big pan with about 1 cm of olive oil and fry for 30 min aprox. Add salt. The maximum  heating in my kitchen is 9, for this 30min I use number 6.
2.     . Peel and chop the onion. Put with the potatoes and fry for 20 minutes more. Add some more salt.
3.       Put the maximum heating for 3-5 minutes once the onion is cooked. Try to remove all the olive oil you can.
4.      Beat the eggs (I usually add a bit of milk or cream). Add salt. Mix with the fried potatoes and onion.
5.      Put in a smaller pan (the smaller the pan the thicker the omelette). Maximum heating. Wait for about 4 minutes and turn the omelette using a plate (cover the pan with the plate turn the pan over, now you have the omelet in the plate, put it in the pan again but on the other side). Cook for 5 minutes more.
6.       Remove from heating. In my opinion the Spanish omelette is better if you do it about 5 hours before eating.


      
      Be careful, times are not exact, it will depend on how you chop the potatoes, the oil, the type of potato... so you should be in the kitchen checking how it is going and moving the potatoes to avoid they stick to the pan. Bon profit!!


Thursday 10 November 2011

Cheesecake


Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to mee..... hehe yes, today is my birthday and that is the perfect excuse to make a cake! We are only two at home so, I don't know how are we going to finish it but we will think of something!
I've never been a fan of cheesecakes but when I found this recipe in "corazon de almíbar", a very interesting blog, I knew I would like it mainly because it's done with mascarpone, a very tasty cheese I love.
As always I recomend you to make this recipe, it's really easy and the result is amazing.

Ingredients (22cm d springform pan)
200gr cookies (I used oatmeal cookies)
80gr Melted butter (I used 50gr)
300gr Philadelphia (I used light ..but I don't think it makes any difference)
250gr Mascarpone
200gr Sour cream
150gr Sugar
4 Eggs
Some vanilla sugar
Berry jam

Directions
1. Crush the cookies and mix with the melted butter.
2. Line a springform pan with baking paper. Put the cookies in the pan as you see in the picture. Press with the back of a spoon so it's compressed.
3. Mix the Philadelphia with the mascarpone. Add the Sour cream and mix. Add the sugar while you are still mixing.
4. Add the eggs one by one, don't add the second one until the first one is totally mixed. Add the vanilla sugar.
5. Pour the mixture into the springform pan.
6. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath. (1-2 cm water). Preheated oven 180ºC for 50min. Then turn off the oven and wait 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and when is cold enough put into the fridge overnight.
7. Spread the jam over the cake. I've used Sandalfour jam, but if you prefer a little more acidic you can use Hartley's fruit filling which is also more liquid so it's easyer to spred.

IMPORTANT: before puting the sprinform pan into the water bath you have to put foil around to avoid that the water goes into the pan.


Bon profit!!!!

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Winter lentils

Last week was crazy but now I'm here again with a very energetic and comforting soup. This weekend has been very cold and wet so yesterday I decided to cook this winter lentils but...imagine my surprise when this morning I woke up and realized the sun was shining and the temperatures had risen to 17ºC. Anyway I have eaten this for lunch and it was great!! I strongly recomend you to try this recipe, it only has advantages: it's cheap, tasty quick and easy!

Ingredients (serves 8)
500gr lentils
3 carrots
1 onion
1 potato
1 tomato
1/2 leek
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
"Chorizo" (or some bacon, black pudding...)
Olive oil
Salt

Directions
1. Put the lentils to soak for 2-3 hours ,warm water. (this step is not necessary if you use pardina lentils)
2. Heat some oil in the pressure cooker and  stir-fry the sliced vegetables (not the potato) for 5-10 min.
3. Add the lentils, sliced potato, bay, garlic and the pork. The pork is not essential, actually if you are trying to take care of your health don't use it, it will taste great anyway. Fry for 2 more minutes.
4.Add water and salt (1 and 1/2 tablespoon approx) until you cover the lentils and about 1.5 cm more. (If you like it more like a soup add a bit more, if you prefer drier lentils a bit less).
5. Close the pressure cooker. Wait until it makes that typical sound and reduce the heating from max to half. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and remove from heat. Wait until you can open, and once you can check if you like the result, if you want it more cooked, heat without covering for 10 minutes more...but it shouldn't be necessary.

If you don't have a pressure cooker the only difference is that you will have to cook for 60 minutes approx. I normally use pardina lentils (the small dark ones I show in the picture), if you use any other you will have to cook for a bit longer. If you have home made tomato sauce add two tablespoons at step 2. Bon profit!!

Interesting to know about lentils...


1. Originated in India and eaten by humans for more than 10.000 years.
2. High level of vegetal proteins.
3. High level of fiber.
4. High level of carbohydrates (energy).
5. Combined with rice give a perfect combination of amino acids, vitamins and micronutrients.
6. Low level of lipids (fat).
7. Satiating effect.
8. Good against fluid retention.
9. As they provide folate (turned into folic acid) lentils are good to prevent depression and moodiness.
10. Not good for those with uric acid problems.