5 Parts Writer, 4 Parts Linguist, 3 Parts Foodie, 1/3 Cups Human Rights Activist, and a pinch of Bon Vivante.
Foodie- www.sabrinaslatinkitchen.wordpress.com
Writer: http://www.sabrinarongstadbravo.wordpress.com
I came back from Buenos Aires this summer and all I can think about is Cafe Con Leche, Medialunas, Chimichurri Sauce, Torta de Calabaza and of course, Dulce de Leche. Here is an easy recipe for Chimmichurri from Sabrina’s Latin Kitchen that you can make under 15 minutes. Store it in nice Mason Jars in the fridge and voila you have a nice tasty sauce that’s ready to go all week long. This is my go to condiment and I put in on everything chicken, carne asada, vegetables, eggs, rice, ice cream, no just kidding, but I do love it on just about everything. Great on Tapas on your Tortilla Espanola or Pollo Al Ajillio.
Not to mention, with all the nice chlorophyll your getting from the parsley and cilantro it’s a healthy sauce that you can’t over dose on. Enjoy ! Buen Provecho !
Place parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (to taste) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute total.
With the motor running, add oil in a steady stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day to allow the flavors to meld. Before serving, stir and season as needed. The Chimichurri will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Spanish meatballs, can be eaten with other tapas or as a main course. The meatballs are made with finely julienned carrots on insid that gives it a gourmet touch. It is served with a delicate saffron Tomato sauce, this is definitely for the more sophisticated palette.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
500g/1lb 2oz minced beef or pork (or a mixture of both)
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbsp dried parsley
3-4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
1 free-range egg, beaten
plain flour, for coating
2-3 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
2 carrots, quartered into batons, thinly sliced
½ onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp paprika
generous pinch saffron
salt
Directions
For the meatballs, Put the minced meat in a bowl with the onion, garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs. Mix with your hands until well combined, add the beaten egg and mix until well combined. Shape the mixture into small meatballs.
Sprinkle some plain flour onto a plate, and roll the meatballs in the flour to coat lightly.
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and add a few meatballs to the pan. Fry gently, turning frequently, until golden-brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining meatballs, cooking them in batches until they are all cooked. Top up the oil as needed during the cooking process.
Once the meatballs are cooked, make the sauce. In the same pan as the meatballs were cooked in, fry the carrots, onions and garlic over a medium heat until the onions are soft and lightly coloured. Add the parsley, paprika and saffron, and pour in 300ml/½pt water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken, season with salt to taste, and then add the meatballs to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes to warm through before serving.
This is a Classic Spanish Tapas Dish eaten everywhere in Spain, in all the Tapas Bars, plain, cold, with a bit of aioli sauce or ( garlic sauce). Some recipes call for chorizo or red peppers. I like the simple version with just eggs, potatoes and onions. It’s delicious just in it’s simplicity and can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack or in between two baguette slices.
INGREDiENTS:
4-6 eggs
1/ 2 kilo of potatoes
1 brown onion
Olive oil (one glass, 1 / 4 liter)
Salt
Recipe Steps:
Step 1: Mince onions and cook until they are translucent. Take them out of the pan and put aside in bowl.
Step 2: Wash and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Heat the oil, add the potatoes, adding a little salt and fry. When potatoes are golden brown, take them out of the pan, and drain oil a colander, and place potatoes on a plate with paper towels.
Step 2: Beat the eggs with some salt and pepper and once beaten add the potatoes, mixing thoroughly with beaten egg.
Step 3: Put pan back on stove, covering the bottom of the pan with a sheet of oil. Put onions and the egg mixture and potatoes.
Step 4: Shake the Pan a bit as if when you are making an omelet like Julia Child.When you perceive that the egg mixture is like a curd and a bit hard, put a plate on top and turns the tables (it’s easy, just have to do it safely). Cook until both sides are golden brown according to the taste, put a parsley in middle for presentation … And Voila there’s your omelet!
Paso 2 : Se baten los huevos con un poco de sal y una vez batidos se añaden las patatas, mezclándolas bien con el huevo batido. Una vez puesto el aceite a calentar se echan las patatas, añadiendo un poco de sal y se fríen. Truco: Si la tortilla gusta con las patatas más desechas puede ir desaciéndose la patata con la rasera mientras se mueve cuando se vean doradas se apartan y es importante que escurran el aceite en un colador o en un plato con papel absorbente.
Paso 3: Se prepara de nuevo la sartén en el fuego con dos cucharadas pequeñas de aceite que cubran una lamina del fondo de la sartén. Se echa la mezcla del huevo y las patatas. Truco: mover agitando la sartén con habilidad para que no se pegue la tortilla.
Paso 4: Se le puede dar vueltas hasta que quede dorada por ambos lados según el gusto…
Y ya está nuestra tortilla de patatas.
This is delicious with a cup of really thick Spanish hot chocolate and it’s easy to pack in your lunch box.
Nota Bene: Patatas is the Spanish ( from Spain) word for Papas or Potatoes
Patatas Bravas” or Bravas Potatoes is one of the classic Spanish tapas dishes and is served in bars all over Spain. The sauce is a bit spicy from the Tabasco, hence the name bravas, which means “fierce.” This is a quick and simple tapa recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium potatoes
salt to taste*
1 1/2 – 2 cups Spanish olive oil for frying
1 – 16 oz can of tomato sauce
2 tspns. sweet Spanish paprika ( Pimenton)
1 small onion ( chopped)
2 garlic cloves ( chopped)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
a pinch of chilli powder
a pinch of sugar
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation:
This bravas potato recipe makes 4 servings as an appetizer.
Peel the potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/3″ to 1/2″ chunks as follows: Cut the potato lengthwise, then cut it lengthwise again. You should have four long pieces. Now, cut each of those pieces into 3-4 pieces, cutting crosswise. This should give you nice bit-sized pieces, small enough to use a toothpick to skewer. Sprinkle with salt*. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or fry in a pan.
Pour olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan, with a heavy bottom. Heat the oil on medium high until hot. To test the oil, carefully place one piece of potato in the oil. It is hot enough if the potato immediately fries. If there is no bubbling/frying, the oil is not hot enough and the potato will absorb too much oil. Once the potatoes are fried(about 10 minutes), use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove and set them aside to drain.
For Sauce:
Prepare ahead by heating the oil in a pan,Using a small 8-inch frying pan, put 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pan. Heat over medium heat.
Pour tomato sauce into the pan and “saute” the tomato sauce for 5 minutes.
Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika, chilli powder, sugar and salt and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 10 minutes until pulpy. Set aside for up to 24 hours.
Place the potatoes on a plate or in a wide open dish. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and serve warm, with toothpicks. You can eat the Patatas Bravas with a garlicky Alioli sauce.
Aioli Sauce is coming up next in Learning Spanish is Fun.
*Tips from Sabrina’s Kitchen, Use Sea Salt always, Baelene from the South of France happens to be my favorite.
PAELLA VALENCIANA- By Chef Sabrina Rongstad de Bravo
Paella Valenciana with Seafood, Chorizo and Saffron
I am very happy to announce that I am getting myself out there with Sabrina’s Latin Kitchen. I taught Authentic Paella Valenciana class on March 28th at Whole Foods, Third and Fairfax location . This was the first class in a Culinary Series, Taste of Spain, there will be more classes to follow. So Watch this space !
Here are some of the highlights of that class, it was a lot of fun with a lot of student interaction and many people asking a lot of questions. I gave everyone a chance to look at saffron and to smell it. I called in for class participation and we had a few enthusiastic volunteers.
Cathy Quein Helping out and getting a whiff of the saffron
I highly recommend using Bomba rice as this is rice dish, Bomba Rice or Short Grain rice absorbs the flavor of the liquid better than most rices since it absorbs three times the amount of liquid. Paella has a long history that originated in the country side in Spain with the peasant people of Spain, just like Flamenco dance, later both of these iconic art forms became modernized and popularized by the masses, but if you look deeper they started with the common ordinary people. Flamenco with the outcast gypsies and Paella with the peasants.
The Taste of Spain Class watching the Paella simmering slowly.
For me, I was introduced to Paella from my Cuban boyfriend’s Mother. Later, at celebrations and family get togethers we would often dine at El Cid in Los Angeles, there Paella isn’t the best, but it was my Mother’s attempt to introduce us to Spanish culture, the Flamenco there is phenomenal, and I highly recommend going there with your friends. I often taking my Spanish students there. Here is an authentic Paella Valenciana dish, it’s really fun to make but you will need some patience because there are a lot of steps, but once you do it 2-3 times, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed and then make your own Paella. After all, Paella is made with whatever is in your house, and it’s common Arabic-myth that Paella was made with baqiyah, ( Arabic Script ) which means left overs.
Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the saffron or the rice. If you can’t afford Bomba rice, use Short grain rice ( also highly absorbent), and if you can’t find Short Grain Rice, use Long Grain. Remember to add salt to the saffron infusion but do it in 1/4 teaspoon increments.
An Authentic Paella Recipe made in about 1 and half hours. The process of making Paella is enjoyable : Rice, Saffron, Chicken, Pork, Shrimp, Mussels, Haricort Verts and Peas, garnished with Piquillo peppers and lemon. A delight to the senses and the spirit ! Ole !
Paella is a great dish for parties, big or small and it’s fun to make with a group of people. Sangria makes a great accompaniment. Both taste better the next day ! See for yourself !
Sabrina's Latin Kitchen 