FRENCH TOAST, TORRIJA IS THE SPANISH EASTER TREAT

Hello, hello, the coming week is one of the most important catholic celebrations in Spain, 1 week of holy prossession through streets and squares in every village and every town.

The Holy Bible, the Easter is the culmination of the Passon of Christ, and in Spain it's told by figures richly dressed, and decorated, and transported by humans along the streets, so everybody can see and venerate the holy imagery.
se more of the Easter Week in Granada here

Be prepared for the crowdes of people until late night hours, in Seville the Madruga, starting Thursday late afternoon may finish at 10 am on Friday.
In your hotel or the Turist Informaton Office you can have the program for the week.

And this typical Torrija you can buy in many cake shops, and try in restaurants or make it yourself at home.

Easy shopping list this time.

Shoppinglist

1 pan ( de torrijas).              1 white bread ( some places you can buy a special bread for torrijas)

1/2 litro de leche.                 1/2 liter of milk

Granos de cardamomo.       Cardamomo grains

3 huevos.                             3 eggs

200 ml.de azucar.                 2 deciliter of white sugar

2 cucharitas de canela.          2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 liter of AOVE.                1/2 liter of extra virgen olive oil

Start peelng the seeds of the cardamomo and  use a mortar to grind, add to the milk, alt let the milk boil for a couple of min. Transfer to a couple of plates to cool , and cut the bread, the bread must be at least 24 hours old. Beat the eggs in another plate, and mix the sugar and the cinnamon in a third plate.Now heat the olive oil in a small frying pan to medium , high temperature.

Soak the bread in the milk on both sides, then transfer it to the beaten egg, turn again, and transfer to the frying pan. Fry until golden on each side, I use a small pan, and only put 3 slices of bread in, then it's easier to control the heat.

Have a plate with some kitchen paper ready, and let them drain and cool a little before you turn them round in the sugar/cinnamon mix, and then arrange nicely on a serving platter. 

We like to eat them before they get cold, but they are are nice both ways, put them in an air thight container if there are any left, for the next day.

Soft &creamy inside, and a little crunchy outsde.

If you toss the sugar/cinnamon mix too early ( the torrijas are very hot) the sugar will melt
and they will be stcky, some people like that too.

If you are not used to stir frying, you can do them caramelized, just add a little butter with sugar and cinnamon to the fryngpan, when the sugar is melted add the bread (after the egg in the recipe), and let fry until golden.

At home we often do this for Sunday breakfast, my girls always loves them.

Do you want to leave me a comment, what do you think aboat  the Easter in Spain?

If you read Spanish, you can vist my Spansh Blog here, 

I wish all of you a nice easter week, take care and enjoy time with family and friends. Now the last weeks of 

skiing in Serra Nevada, lots of sun, snow and fun, and after the Easter Week it´s Low Season, really good prices too.

We have some vacant apartments.

Call Berit at 34 958 480 242

 skiservice@msn.com

Love

Hilde

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE PAELLA

Spain's national dish, known all over the world, born in Valencia, the rice district of Spain, recipes are known from the 18 th century, the most used sunday come together and family lunch.

The original Paella Valenciana, is made from chicken , rabbit and vegetables, you have mixed paella, made with meat and fish/seafood, you have black paella, made with the ink of the calamari, luxury paellas made of lobster, blind paella, wich means you don't have too look, everything is peeled and parted , arroz a banda, just the rice is served, yoy have the fish apart, and I can go on and on, there are so many paella recipes as there are regions and families in Spain.

As you know I don't eat much meat, but my family yes does, so we make a compromise, chicken and vegetables, and the veggies depends on what time of the year, now it was fine brussels sprouts and harricots vertes, as it could be artichocks and fava beans, or cowliflower or aspargus.

The shoppinglist for 4 persons + plus a doggie tretas:

1 pechuga de pollo.            ( chicken breast)

2 tazas de arroz.                 ( cups of rice)

4 tazas de caldo.                 ( cups of stock, can be of chicken or vegetables)

1 taza de tomate frito.         ( cup of tomato sauce)

1 cebolla.                             ( onion)

2 dientes de ajo.                  ( garlic cloves)

250 gr coles de bruselas.     ( brussel sprouts)

250 judias verdes.                ( harricots)

Azafran.                               ( saffron)

Sal.                                       ( salt)

AOVE.                                 ( ExtraVirgen olive oil)

Start cutting the chicken breast into small cubes sort of 1,5x1,5, put a little olive oil in the paella pan, and add the chicken with a little salt, fry until golden, and reserve. Cut the harricots in 2 cm long pices, and the brussel sprouts in two, I like to put the harricots in the stock and boil for 2-3 min. While frying the chicken, peal and chop the onion and the garlic cloves finely. Add to the paella  pan, and fry until golden, then add the fried tomato sauce, mix and let all fry for 3-4min, then add the saffron and the chicken , and let simmer for 4-5 min.

Then add the rice and mix until the rice turns yellow, you can add 1 teaspoon of turmic if the saffron is't enough, the add the brussel sprouts and the stock with the harricots, and mix all well.

From now the rice must cook on slow fire, but not too slow, all the liquid must evaporate, cook for 15 min, then finish 5 min in preheated oven at 200 degrees.

If you don't want to heat up the oven, take off the fire and cover the paella pan
with  bakingpaper and a teatowel for 5 min.

The kind of rice is much discussed, but the one that absorbs the flawours most is the one called Arroz Bomba,  a new kind is Sabroz, from the Diamante Fabric, and here it's important to have the rice at the minute, to little is no good, but to much is even worse.

Try my recipe and tell me, if you don`t have a paella pan , use a wide fryng pan.

Have a good week.

Love

Hilde