On The Menu...Tarta de Santiago (Spain)

When you visit Santiago, be sure you leave room for dessert, because you don’t want to miss the famous treat that takes its name from the St. James cross that adorns it.

The Tarta de Santiago is a delicious almond cake that you will see displayed in bakery and restaurant windows throughout the city, and should be on every visitors’ gastronomic “must try” list during their stay. The recipe for the cake dates back to the 16th C. and traditionally is made with exact proportions of Mediterranean almonds, sugar, and eggs.

Pasteleria Casa Mora, located a short walk from the Cathedral at Rúa do Vilar 34-60, is known for being the first pastry shop to adorn the cake with the Cross of St. James in 1924, and some say they make the best Tarta de Santiago in town. We’ll let you be the judge! However, if you don't feel like waiting for your next trip to Spain, why not try this recipe at home:

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ lb. (1 ¾ cup) of whole almonds
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Directions:

Finely ground the almonds in a food processor. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar to a smooth pale cream. By hand, beat in the lemon zest and ground almond, and mix very well. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with butter. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake in a pre-heated 350° oven for about 30 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch. Let cool and then take it out of the pan.

To decorate with the Cross of Santiago, print a cross on paper and cut it out to make a stencil.  Place the cross stencil in the center of the cake and then dust the cake with the confectioner’s sugar until it is fully covered. Lift the cross stencil to reveal the design left on the cake.

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On the Menu...Chickpea and Spinach Tapas

Here's an easy tapas recipe that's perfect for our vegetarian readers. Healthy, quick and carrying a delicious, snappy taste, try out this version of a classic chickpea and spinach tapas plate.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces fresh spinach leaves, rinsed, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach
• 19-ounce can (2 cups) chick-peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
• 1 to 2 lemons, juiced or to taste
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the spinach in a saucepan with the water clinging to its leaves, stirring, until wilted. Drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop. If using frozen spinach, follow package directions, drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop.

In a bowl combine the spinach with the chick peas, pepper, chives, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Serve as is or chilled with toasted bread.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

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Cheers...Party Sangria

It's getting to be the perfect time of year for backyard gatherings with friends, family and more delicious barbecue than you could ever consume in one sitting. As you fire up the grill, don't forget the sangria. A internationally-loved specialty of Spain, sangria is one of the more refreshing warm month beverages around. Here's a recipe to make enough for your entire party.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (3 oz) sugar
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup Cointreau
• 1/3 cup of lemon-flavored vodka
• 1 small lemon, sliced crosswise
• 1 small orange, sliced crosswise
• 1 small lime, sliced crosswise
• 1 medium pear, diced
• 2 medium peach, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 2 cups (8 oz) sliced strawberries
• 1 bottle carbonated lemon-lime soda

Directions:

It's pretty easy. Just grab a pitcher and combine all the ingredients except the soda and strawberries.

Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Immediately before serving, stir the strawberries and lemon-lime soda. Pour into chilled glasses and serve.

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On the Menu...Tuna and Piquillo Pepper Tapas

This delicious tapas recipe ranks as one of our favorites. Provided by the fine people at Whole Foods, the various ingredients are easy to obtain and the finished product is sure to please the guests at your next dinner party. It's also an easy one for all of you reluctant cooks out there.

Tuna and Piquillo Pepper will serve between six and eight people. Serve this Spanish tapas dish as an appetizer alongside olives and roasted peppers, with glasses of cold, sparkling wine for sipping.

Ingredients:

• 1 (7.76 ounce) jar Ortiz Tuna with oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 teaspoons minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped piquillo peppers
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sliced baguette (toasted, if desired)

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together tuna (leave some large chunks), vinegar, capers, onion and peppers. Season and let marinate for several hours or overnight. Serve atop sliced baguette.
As usual, thanks for reading.

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On the Menu...Empanadas de Cerdo

Roughly translated to "pork pies," this delicious tapas recipe is a surefire hit at any dinner party. This particular recipe is for minced pork and roasted peppers but you can make them with minced beef or lamb, fish and seafood or vegetables. It's up to you! This serves 20 people and comes courtesy of the excellent Proper Spanish Tapas website.

Ingredients:

• 500g (1 lb) of pastry
• 250g (1/2 lb) of pork loin, minced
• 1 tsp. paprika
• olive oil for roasting and frying
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp. tomato puree
• small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 2 or 3 large red peppers, roasted and chopped
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Cut the peppers into quarters lengthwise, remove the seeds and the membranes. Place in a roasting pan and drizzle liberally with some olive oil. Roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your peppers.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Raise the heat and add the minced pork to brown it through. Then add the paprika, oregano, tomatoes, puree, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all together and cook for a further 5-10 minutes to get all those flavours going. At the last minute, add the chopped roasted pepper and combine.

Increase the heat of the oven to 375°F, then roll out half the pastry very thinly so that you can cut about 20 rounds of 10cm (4in) diameter. Repeat with the other half.

Fill each round with a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and fold over into a pasty, brushing the edges with water and pinching them to seal them. Place them on a lightly-oiled baking tray, brush them with the egg mixture and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden. Serve hot or cold.

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On the Menu...Gambas al Ajillo

This potent combination of shrimp and garlic is one of the most famous tapas dishes throughout the world. There's a good reason behind the popularity: it's delicious! Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, 25 count to a pound
• 4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2-3 oz of cognac (you may substitute dry sherry instead)
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon for juice
• 1 Baguette

Directions:

This garlic shrimp recipe makes 4 servings as an appetizer. The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. Use a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they begin to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl. Do this for around 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with fresh bread.

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On the Menu...Vegetarian Mushroom Tapas

Here's a simple mushroom tapas recipe that can be enjoyed by both vegetarians and carnivores. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp dry sherry wine
• 1/4 cup vegetable or mushroom broth
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Sautee the garlic in olive oil for just one minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, stirring well to combine and coat the mushrooms. Allow to cook for just another 2 minutes, until mushrooms are just barely soft. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

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On the Menu...Grilled Clams With Smoked Chili-Cachucha Mojo and Bacon

 

 

 

 

Hello and happy Friday! Here's another great tapas recipe to try soon.

Ingredients (Mojo):

• 5 smoked chipotle chili pods, toasted and minced
• 1/2 cup cachucha peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup scallions, white and green parts
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
• 6 ounces light olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients (Other):

• 4 dozen clams, scrubbed
• 8 ounces bacon, finely diced

Directions:

To make mojo, mix all mojo ingredients together in a bowl and slightly chill before serving.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place bacon in a saucepan over grill and cook until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard bacon fat.

Next, arrange clams directly over the grate of the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until shells open. Transfer clams to serving plate and discard any clams that haven't opened. Spoon a teaspoon of mojo into shells and sprinkle with crisp bacon. Serve immediately.

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On the Menu...Catalán-Style Broad Beans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week's tapa comes from Tienda.com and is a unique broad bean recipe prepared Catalán style. This makes a great appetizer or can be used as a part of a perfect party platter; serves six. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 lb shelled broad beans
• 1 1/3 lb belly pork
• 1 1/3 lb butifarra (pork sausage)
• 2 onions
• 5 ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cup lard
• 1 glass brandy
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 sprig of mint

Directions:

Cut the belly pork into two pieces and fry with the lard until it browns. Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, mint, and finely sliced onions. When the onion and garlic are soft, add the peeled and chopped tomatoes, then the broad beans and brandy. Add water, or preferably stock, to cover. Season, add the whole butifarra, cover with grease-proof paper and place the lid on the pan. Leave to cook slowly. Remove from the heat and discard the herbs. Cut the pork meat and butifarra into pieces, place on top of the beans and serve direct from the pan.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

On the Menu...Santoña Anchovies, Melon and Pistachios Tapas

  

 

 

 

We're very happy to announce that we'll be providing a great new tapas recipes. For our inaugural post in this series, we're featuring Santoña Anchovies, Melon and Pistachios. To make this dish, you'll need 10 minutes and the following:

Ingredients:

• 4 Santoña anchovies
• Grated lemon zest
• Green pistachios that are finely chopped and peeled
• 1/4 lb. of melon

Directions:

First dice the melon, than place an anchovy on each piece. Run a skewer through each piece and sprinkle the lemon zest and chopped pistachios on top.Quick and delicious!

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On the Menu...Bunuelos de Chorizo Tapas

Bunuelos de Chorizo (Chorizo Puffs) is our featured tapas recipe this week. This one is courtesy of our friends at the Food Network.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound chorizo sausage, skinned and finely chopped
Bunuelo Dough
Oil, for frying

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Bunuelos Dough:
1 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
2 eggs

Directions:

Saute the chorizo in a skillet for a couple of minutes until it starts to give off its oil (Drain off some oil if there is a lot).

To make the dough, place in a saucepan over medium heat the water, butter and salt. When the water comes to a boil and the butter has melted, add the flour all at once. Lower the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and beat in the eggs 1 at a time. The dough will separate, then hold together again. (This step may be done effortlessly in a food processor; once the flour has been added and forms a ball, transfer the dough to the processor. Process for 15 seconds. Add both eggs and beat for 45 seconds.)

Combine the Bunuelo dough with the chorizo. (This can also be done in the processor.) In a skillet heat the oil at least 1/2-inch deep to about 380 degrees F. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls into the oil and fry over medium hear, turning occasionally, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towels.

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On the Menu...Canapé de Atu (Tuna Tapas)

 

 

 

 

The following recipe makes 6–8 canapés.

Ingredients:

• 1 jar (7.76 ounce) Ortiz Tuna with oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 teaspoons minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped Call Vall piquillo pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced baguette (toasted, if desired)

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together tuna (leave some large chunks), vinegar, capers, onion and peppers. Season and let marinate for several hours or overnight. Serve atop pieces of bread (or salad greens).As usual, thanks for reading. 

 

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PBS Explores What's Made in Spain

Interested in Spanish cuisine? If so, you'd love a new 26-episode cooking show called Made In Spain hosted by chef José Andrés on PBS. The chef alternates between his own kitchen in the U.S. (where he demonstrates how to make the dishes at home) and touring segments of 17 different regions throughout Spain. José has been repeatedly credited as a top ambassador of Spanish culinary concepts, in particular bringing tapas to America. With this unmatched expertise, José is the perfect guide for this series.

To see segments and get information on when Made In Spain airs in your town, check out the show's site here.

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On the Menu...Tortilla de Patata & Cebolla

 

 

We at ILC wish everyone in the U.S. a great 4th of July. After the BBQ is long over and you want something a little lighter, may we suggest Tortilla de Patata & Cebolla?

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten in a large bowl
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil and cook the onions until soft. Add potatoes and cook over medium-heat until almost done with no color; about 10 minutes. Break the potatoes up and transfer the potatoes and onions to the bowl with the eggs before stirring the potatoes around to cover well with the egg, and season with salt and pepper.

Remove most of the oil from your skillet and add the egg mixture before reducing the heat to low. Cook omelet slowly until golden and firm enough to flip. Carefully flip omelet, slipping it onto another plate if necessary, and cook until done. It should still be soft inside, and about 1-inch thick.

Cut omelet into squares and serve immediately hot, or let cool to room temperature and serve. This yields between 4 and 6 servings.

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