RICE NOODLES, CHICKEN, COCONUT MILK AND VEGGIES

Hello again, had a nice easter holiday? I'm sure you had, this year almost everywhere there where some sunny days, how can the sun, the blue sky and a nice temperature change it all.

We always have to agree with Andrea, our yongest daughter about week ends and holidays, my poor poodle Rey, has a spine problem, and the changes are not good for him, and can't be in a Kennel, he has special treatment, special food, acupuncture, but even with all this he sometimes has a crisis, his back legs gets blocked, so hee needs special care.

 Andrea went to Sheffield, why not, to see more horses, the first part of the holiday, and when she returned, we went to our "paradise" in Almuñecar, just some lazy days, without planning, only long walks, nice food and some easter celebrations, and prosessions in the evening/night.

We have a blogger friend who just started her new buissness in Almuñecar, a great kind of Take Away, El Puchero de Helena, Avda de Europa , 4 , Almuñecar. Tel 639 176 565

Every day she cooks a different dish, realy well tasting home made food, at very resonable prices, have a look at her web site    HERE

As you may have read before, I always go to see Pedro and his fruit and vegetable establishment, and there is always something interesting to buy, this time bell peppers in 3 colours, so I decided to do a chicken, coconut milk and veggie dish with rice noodles on saturday .

This is my shoppinglist for 4 persons

800 gr de pechuga de pollo.                ( chicken breast)

3 pimientos, verde,amarillo y rojo.        (bell peppers, yellow, green and red)

1 cebolla.                                            ( onion)

1 cuchara sopera de sesamo.              ( spoon of sesam seeds)

1 diente de ajo.                                   (harlic clove)

2 cucharas soperas de AOVE.            ( extra virgen olive oil)

125 ml de leche de coco.                     ( coconut milk)

Sal rosa del Himalaya.                         ( pink Himalaya salt)

1 paquete de pasta fina de arroz.         ( rice noodles)

I begin cutting the shicken breast into small cubes, add some salt, heat the olive oil in a skilet and fry the chicken until light golden, then transfer to a plate. We are going to use the oil again to fry the veggies, first chop the onion and garlic finely, and add to the skillet, let simmer, and continue chopping the bell peppers , and add them to the skillet together with the onion, let simmer until tender.

I now use a dry frying pan to toast the sesam seeds, they get more tasty in this prosess.

Then add the fried chicken and the coconut milk to the veggies and stir for a moment, cook the rice noodles as the instructions on the packet, strain well.

Add the sesam seeds, taste for salt, and serve on individual plates, making a nest with the noodles and the chicke/veggies in the middle.

Bon apetit !!!!

Have a look at my blog n Spanish
HERE
You van translate to any language by clicking on Google Translate 

Sesame seeds, linen or flax seeds, black sesam seeds, and in the front  chia seeds.

What you see here are several seeds, Sesam, Black Sesam, Linnen an Chia, I put 2 tablespoons of each in the food processor, and get a flour wich can be addes to many dishes, and I take 2 tablespoons every day. I make it every 4 days.

Chia Seeds , contains calcium, manganese, phosphorus , and is a great source of healthy omega-3 fats. Helps combat diabetes, give you fibre, stronger teeth and bones, packed of protein ( good for veganos), improve heart-helth, and combined with water or in a smootie they fill you up, and tasteless so you can add to sweet and salt dishes.

Black Sesam Seeds has anti aging effect, reduce blood cholestherol, can reduce blood sugar, can lubricate the intestines, relieve constipation. In the ancient Chineese medicin used to tonifying liver and kidneys, can boost essence and nourish blood.

 Linen Seeds or Flax Seeds, rich in omega-3, important for overall brain health, preventing memory loss.

Milled Chia+linnen or flax+black sesam seeds, use it in any soup, salad, veggie or pasta dishes, good for your body and mind.  2 spoons a day keep the medicine away.

Have a nice Sunday and a good week too.

Love

Hilde

STEWED ARTICHOKES WITH MEATBALLS

Hi again, springtime, April, but still time for a comforting hot stew, the 0 kilometer veggies are at the best moment, Granada has the best green asparagus, the best fava beans, and the artichokes. Many families has a small plot where they grow theese veggies, recollect them and sell them on the side of secondary roads. So fresh, and we have so many recipes, last spring I posted the Asparaous Cream, the Habas con Jamon, one of the famous recipes from Granada, we buy a lot of everythng now, and freeze for the rest of the year.
This recipe is all homemade, and we always do a big skillet to invite family and friends.


Shopping list 4 persons
8 artichokes
4 large potato
1 onion
2 tablespoons of extra virgen olive oil
1 liter vegetable stock

Meatballs for 4 persons
500 gr of minced veal
1 egg
3 table spoons of bread crumbs
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
1 tea spoon of grated nutmeg
Pink salt from Himalaya
White pepper

Fritada for the stock
2 slieces of white bread
2 garlic cloves
1 handful of almonds
AOVE
Pink salt from Himalaya
1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Start peeling and chopping the onion finely, add the olive oil and the onion to a skillet and let simmer while we peel the artichokes, all the hard dark leaves must be taken off, rub your hands with lemon juice, and in the end, you cut off 1/3 of the top, have some water ready with the juice of 1/2 lemon ( the artichokes turns brown with the air, but the lemon water avoids that) You can also peel the stalks, we don't like to throw away anything edible, and add them to the stew.


When the onion is transparent, you add vegetable stock, or water, I never use the boullion you buy ready after  I saw a video clip of what is used to make it. I always save the stock of everything I boil, and use that, I even freeze it when I'm not going to use it the same day or next.
Strain the artichokes and add to the onion stock, peel the potatoes and cut in lage pices and add too.

Then mix the ingredients for the meatballs, mix well, and if you rinse your hands in cold water, the balls comes out nicely without gluing to your hands. Have some flour in a small bowl, toss the meatballs with it, and fry at medium heat until they are golden brown all over. When finished, transfer to the boiling artichokes.
The artichokes and the potatoes are ready in about 25 min.

For the fritada, used in many spanish dishes:
Then we cut the white bread in cubes, and fry int olive oil, until crisp and golden, use a kitchen paper to drain the exess of oil. Then chop the almonds and the garlic, and fry in the same oil, when finished,  be careful not to burn the almonds, add the sweet paprika and transfer all to the food processor at medium high speed, and you get a brown paste. Add this to the stock, and let simmer the last 5 min, now you will get a lovely sauce.

Serve 2 artichocks some potatoes and meatballs, with a little sauce, we use this as a main dish.

We have a small lemon tree n the garden, and they are just ripe now, very strong ths year, but nice to have really 0 kilometer fruit.

If you want to freeze the artichokes, just peel them as in this recipe, boil water, enough to cower them, add the artichokes for 2 min., strin well, and put in plastic bags. Then you can cook them later as you wish. The same way, the fava beans and the asparagus too.

Hope you liked this very, very Spanish stew.

Love
Hilde

LOMO EN MANTECA

Hi friends, lomo en manteca is a bit difficult to translate, you may have tasted it, in the south of Spain in a restaurant, specially those situated on the old mountain roads, we have so many of in Andalucia, specally around Malaga and Granada.
This dish is an ancient way to conserve the meat, when the Matanza (slaughter) was celebrated, the hams salted and hung for drying, the chorizos and morcillas manufactured, some was for drying and some was fried in oil or in manteca as well , stored in ceramic containers called orzas (daggerboard is the translation I can find, but as I never heard it before,  don´t know if it´s right), as well the name can be Lomo en Orza.
The "orzas" has a wide bottom but with a narrower  throat, keeps cool and was the best container to conserve, and the manteca made it airthight inside.

The ingredients you need :
2 kg of  lomo de cerdo.               (pork loin)
800 gr. of manteca de cerdo.      (lard)
Sal.                                             ( salt)
Agua.                                        (water)

Clean the meat so there is no grease left, cut as you see on the photos, aboat 4 cm thick slices, toss all with salt, and put in a big wide skillet, together with the lard and fill with water until you cover the meat,. Bring to boil, and let boil until the water has evaporated, you can se the bubbles are getting tinier and it start frying. Take the meat out of the skillet, and strain the liquid, clean the skillet and put both manteca and meat back, and let fry until light golden.

When it´s ready it  looks like this.

This recipe is from a blogger friend Lidia de la O, who write the blog, Atrapada en mi cocina,  you can see here, all of her delicious recipes and wonderful photos.

 I have done it myself a lot of times before, but always frying the meat, not letting it boil with water.
This process makes the meat more tender, and from now on I'm going to use this recipe.
You can do as I, put it in a container, be careful to cover all the meat wth the lard and keep in the fridge, or put in sterilized glass containers as Lidia do, and it rests for many weeks.

Lomo en Manteca con Salaillas, small breads.

If you don't feel like making it yourself, but would like to try, in the Malaga aerea, you order a "plato del monte" , some places it can be called "lomo en orza" in Antequera it's called " pelona", but normally it  is       " lomo en manteca".On the bottom of the skillet there will be some tiny meat bits and together with a litlle lard this is called  zurrapa, and used on toast for breakfast.

In well assorted supermarkets  as El Corte Ingles, Hipercor and Carrefour you can also find it tinned and ready to enjoy.
You can use it as a full meal with chips,( lots of calories) or a salad, I love the roasted pepper salat, "Ensalada de Pimentos Asados" or like you see on the photo as a tapa.

Tomorrow I will do the roasted pepper salad, as well as the salallias, small breads, typical from Granada, with a little Olive oil and sea salt on. Before the week-end I promise both recipes, and you can do a nice Spanish meal ahead, and just relax with a glass of wine on Saturday. (Spansh of course)
Have a good week, and please come back

.Have a look at my Spanish blog here

Love
Hilde

FISHERMAN STEW

Hi again, today I want to present one of my man's dishes, he is a very good cook, he likes to be in the kitchen, and best of all, he cleans up while he is cooking. And he makes really tasty dishes, he is a fish lover, and has a big repertoare, here comes the first recipe-

This silverspoon from 1910, belonged to my grandmother Inga, who gave it to my daughter Berit when she was born.

The history of this recipe comes from the middle size fisherboats, the fishing is one of Spain's  most important industry,  864 000 tons are fished every year, from about 11 000 boats, employs more than 60 000 fishermen and 160 000 people involved with the fishing industry. Every spanyard  consume 42 kg of fish products per year.( in the EU 25,7 kilos per person/year).
They may go out for several days and the crew must have their food every day, so this is one of the typical fisher mens recipe, men working hard for lots of hours need food to keep them strong.
In the winter the sea is cold, so they also need calories and carbohydrates apart from the protein the fish can contribute. I think this dish has got it all.
Ahhh, and they rest on sundays, so if you want to buy fresh fish in Spain, never do it on a Monday, and this is why the fish stalls on the marketplaces are closed too.



Shopping list ( for 4 pers.)
4 calamares medianos.                 ( medium size squids)
4 patatas grande.                          ( big potatoes)
3 tomates maduros.                      ( ripe tomatoes)
1 cebolla.                                     ( onion)
2 dientes de ajo.                           ( garlic cloves)
100 gr. de almendras sin piel.      ( skinless almonds)
1 pizca de azafran en hebra.        ( saffron)
AOVE.                                         ( Extra Vigen olive oil)
750 ml. Caldo de pescado.           ( fish broth)
250 ml.. Vino blanco.                   ( white vine)




The best is to have your squids cleaned at the fish stand, but if it's not possible, clean them and cut into rings of one cm. If you don't dare you can always buy the squid rings clean and ready cut.
Start  boiling some water, an put the tomatoes in for 1 min., then they are easier to peel, when peeled you can cut in small cubes or grate them.
Then peel and chop the onion and the garlic cloves, in a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgen olive oil, then add the onion and garlic. Chop the almonds a little, and add to the skillet, fry for 3-4 min. An then add the tomatoes, let all fry for 10 min, if you don't like the acid of the tomatoes add a teaspoon of sugar.  Now you peel the potatoes and part them into large pieces.
Add the squid and continue cooking for 3-4 min. , then add the wine , the saffron and the fish broth.
When it start to boil, add the potatoes, and try for salt,
Put the heat to low speed and let simmer for 20 min. until  the potatoes are done.
The result should be a thick soup, if needed add a little more fish stock.

Serve with white bread accompanied with a little ali oli.

                                 We do this as a main dish, and serve a green salad as a side dish.

This recipe has the benefit that any firm fish, for example cod, can replace the squids if  you can`t find or don`t like them.

A comforting dish on cold days.

I will post a recipe for Valentine`s Day tomorrow on my Spanish blog, you are welcome to have a look.

www.rcetasdehilde.blogspot.com

Love

Hilde

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER WITH CARAMELISED ONION

This morning we went for a more than 2 hours walk in the Natural Park of Sierra Nevada,

the edge of the park is quite near our house,  and we have a lot of posibilities for walking around here.
The countryside is very dry at the moment, we need some rain,  the rosemary already has flowers, I think even mother nature is a bit confused, the seasons are changing so much, nothing , even the weather is like it used to be.

Anyway, my lavender has nice flowers, so I picked some for the kitchen, my favorite place to be, specially in the spring and summer when the doors always are open to the garden.

We have been eating veggies the whole week, and my man deserves ome meat,  my butcher minced some veal, for theese fantastic hamburgers, wich  we love, all of us.

Shopping list
600 gr carne de ternera picada.         ( minced meat of veal)
1 huevo.                                            ( egg)
3 cucharadas de pan integral rallado   ( breadcrumbs of whole grain bread)
1 cucharada de salsa soja.                  ( tablespoon soy sauce)
1 cucharada de perejil.                        ( tablespoon parsley)
Pizca de sal de ajo, sal de Himalaya y pimienta.  ( pinch og garlic salt, pepper and Himalaya Salt)
AOVE.                                                ( extra virgen olive oil)
4 pan de hamburguesa.                        ( hamburger bread)

4 cebollas.                                            ( onions)
8 granos de pimienta negra.                  ( whole black peppers)
AOVE.                                                 (Extra virgen olive oil)
1 cucharada de azucar morena.              ( tablespoon of brown sugar)
Pizca de sal del Himalaya.                      (Pinch of Himalaya salt)

Start dividing the onions in two, and chopping them in thin slices, put 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, heat and put the onion slices in with a little salt and the black pepper corns, let fry on medium/high temperature until the onions are transparent.

 While the onions are frying mix the egg, breadcrumbs,garlic salt, soy sauce, parsley( fresh or dry, both ok ) salt and pepper into the minced meat, and mix wery well, and save

.Then  add enough water to cover the half of the onions, mix, add the sugar and mix again. In a couple of min. the water has evaporated, and the onions start to have a brown colour, it's important now to stir all the time, it must caramelise but not burn. When it's dark brown, strain the oil away, and save in a serving bowl.

Prepare the skillet just covering the bottom with olive oil, prepare 4 high burgers, with wet hands it's easier, and cook on middle fire, they should be done but a little raw inside, toast the burger breads just slightly, and translate the bread and hamburger to a plate. I also use to put individual glass bowls of ketchup and mustard, dijon type is great, and the carameliced onions and some pickled cucumbers in small bowls beside, everyone can make their own personalized burger. 

I will make a post of vegan burger in my new, Spanish written blog in a cpuple of days,link here;

www.recetasdehilde.blogspot.com

My Best Burger

.

Here everybody likes the burgers with a beer, I seldom drink beer, but somtimes I make myself a gift, water from Voss in Norway, you can find it in the Gourmet section at El Corte Ingles, the taste  of water water.

The rosemary from the countryside smells so different from the one we have in the garden.

I hope theese will be your favorite burgers now,  when I make tapas for a crowd of people, I make a mini version,  and the try is always emptied.

Love
Hilde

CHAMPAGNE LEG OF LAMB AND BAKED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Late night, and I`m exhausted, we are doing a little renovation in the under floor in our house, and yesterday one of the workers made a mistake, and broke the  pipe from the swimmingpool, don`t know how many buckets of water and to pumps working to get the water out of the pool, to reapair the damage. But the water accesses everywhere, no use to cry, but I was not far away from doing it. And the rain started at the same time, thank God, it`s neded, but for us it was no good, we have got so much humidity inside the house now.
So my baking Mantecados is quite impossible, I can give you a link if you want to try. I also remebered that in most  convents, the nuns has ancient recipes, and bake the most wonderful christmas cakes, and at the same time you lend them a helping hand to continue with their solidary works, they are also afected by the  crisis in Spain.
Anyway, in the middle of lookin at  yr.no , eltiempo.es, we are packing our suitcases, my man and I go to Norway to celebrate X.mas with my family, and at the moment the temperatures seems quite like here in Granada.
Tonight our daughters and son in law are coming for "x-mas dinner", we always have turkey on the 24th of december, since we're not here, we decided to cook the turkey when we come back from Norway, on New Year Eve.

As you might have read before we use the "Cordero Segureño"  lamb, and for us it`s the best, but any lamb will do.

The shopping-list
1 pierna de cordero Segureño deshuesada                 (leg of lamb without bone)
1 manzanas reinetas                                                 ( russel appel)
8 ciruelas pasas                                                        (prune)
sal rosa de himalaya y pimienta                                 (Pink Himalaya salt and pepper)
un poco de zumo de limon                                        (a little lemon juice)
2 cucharadas de piñones                                          (tablespoons of pine nuts)


Huesos de la pierna de cor                                   (bones from the leg of lamb)
1 cebolla                                                                (onion)
2 tomates  maduros                                                (ripe  tomatoes)
1 cucharilla de azucar                                             (teaspoon sugar)
AOVE                                                                   (extra  virgen olive oil)
1 botella de cava o champan                                   (bottle of champagne or cava)
Sal rosa de  Himalaya y pimienta                             (pink Himalaya salt and pepper)

600 gr coles de bruselas                                          (brussel sprouts)
2 cucharadas de AOVE                                           (tablespoons of extra virgen olive oil)
2 cucharadas de sirope de aloe vera                         (tablespoons of agave syrope)
1 cucharilla de sal rosa de Himalaya                         (teaspoon pink Himalaya salt)
1cucharilla de curcuma                                            (teaspoon tumeric)
1/2 cucharilla de guindilla machacada                       (teaspoon of chli , crushed)

First of all we peel and cut the onionn, save, peel and grate the tomatoes, and save too.Then we have AOVE in a skillet,a little more than just to cover the bottom, heat and add the parted bones from the lambs leg, and let fry until brown on medium high speed. Then add the onion, scrap the bottom of the skillet and let the onion fry for a moment, then add the grated tomatoes and the sugar ( so it don`t taste acid) and let fry for 10 min on medium speed. Then add the Cava ( Cava is the Spanish Champagin), I use the Brut version. Let boil, then lover the heat, and let simmer for at least 20 min,.it should reduce to the half more or less.
















For the marinade of the brussel sprouts mix the extravirgen olive oil with the agave syrope, salt, tumeric and chili in a plastic bag and save.

While all this is simmering, you have a really nice flavour in the kitchen now, start roasting the pine nuts in a dry pan it only takes a couple of min., but makes the taste more intense, then peel the apple and cut into small cubes, toss with a little lemon juice( not to get dark). Now we mix the  prunes, apple cubes and pine nuts, and fill the lambs leg with the mix, then tie up the leg of lamb.

Toss with a pinch of salt and pepper, and transfer to an ovenproof platter, by now the stock is ready,
remove the bones and now you can use the stock as it is, more rustic, or use a blender to get it smooth.
I like it both ways. Preheat the oven 180 degrees and roast for 50 min ( depending on the size) if you want the  meat pink, 60 min if you like it more done. Every ten min. use a wooden spoon to pour the stock over the lambs leg
.
Peel and cut the brussel sprouts in halfs, put in the plastic bag with the marinade, and turn around several times until you see that all of them got coated, put a baking paper on an oven plate and transfer the brussel sprouts, they need about 40 min in the oven on the lover rack, under the lamb steak.
When the lamb steak is finished, put the brussel sporuts on the higher rack and let roast for some min, until they get golden.


Cut the lambleg in slices, and serve together with the brussel sprouts.

My husband always want some fried  potatoes with this dish, peel 2 or 3 medium potatoes, and cut in slices, wash well in cold water, let drain and fry in a deep fryer, they are called "Patatas panaderas" in Spanish., sprinkle with a little pink Himalaya salt, and ready to go.

This needs a good Ribera del Duero wine    www.decantalo.com , the district where you find the best suckling lamb roasted in a special clay oven with live fire inside, nice place to go in the winter or early spring and visit some of the villages and Bodegas in the district.( only 30 km from Burgos) I can specially recomend Lerma,   see link    Parador Nacional de LERMA,  Covarubias, which is twinned to Tonsberg, my hometown, but that is another story .And in the aerea you must visit :   Abadia de San Fransico de Silos.

I hope you`ll get to love this dish as much as we do.

We enjoyed this dinner very much, and I hope you will too. And  the new snow in Sierra Nevada makes us extra happy, we still have some free apartments for rent at christmas here is the link  skiservice@msn.com   and Berit will help you.

Night, Night!!!!!!