Sunshine & Sangria in Spain

Unfortunately, due to holidays and hospital appointments the September Meeting had to be cancelled.

I have therefore decided to give you a little education on the hor d’ouvres ( or starters to the rest of us!) served in many bars in Spain called Tapas (small bowls of food served with drinks)

The History of Spanish Tapas

Tapas originated in Andalucía, a Southern province of Spain. The word "tapa" translates as "cover". Tapas traditionally may have been a complementary piece of sliced ham served on top of a glass of wine, but we know them today as small portions of food commonly served as a snack before lunch or dinner.

Tapas can be as simple as a bowl of olives or more hearty, such as slices of Serrano ham.

The tapa was born when, due to an illness, the Spanish king Alfonso the 10th, the Wise, had to take small bites of food with some wine between meals. Once recovered from the disease, the wise king decreed that no wine was to be served in any of the inns in the land of Castile unless accompanied by something to eat.

This was a wise precaution to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol on those people who, through lack of money to buy a nourishing meal drank alcohol on an empty stomach.

Apart from the story of the royal disease we should consider the theory that the tapa first appeared because of the need of farmers and workers of other unions to take a small amount of food during their working time, which allowed them to carry on working until time for the main meal. This main meal, rich in fat, was so heavy to digest that a "siesta" had to be taken for a couple of hours before going back to the fields or to the workshop. Longer working hours in the morning meant an easier workload after the meal. Wine was the natural accompaniment to this snack, as it induced a mellow mood and increased strength, while in winter it warmed the body as protection against very cold days in the fields and in the workshops of the Middle Ages. In summer, the drink taken in the South was "gazpacho" (cold tomato soup), instead of wine, which increased body heat rather than providing the necessary cold refreshment.

Although this is the version I found when researching the topic, many years ago I was fortunate to visit the Alhambra in Granada. All the bars provided tapas with every drink purchased and the owner explained that the tradition dated back to when soldiers would drink wine without food and this was the reason for Alfonso 10^th making the decree.

So next time your entertaining why not have a Tapas Evening, I have provided below a few of my favourite recipes which are easy.

Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Tortilla)

Ingredients

Serves: 6 

125ml (4 fl oz) olive oil

900g (2 lb) baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm slices

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, sliced into rings

6 eggs

1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips

75g (3 oz) Serrano ham, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Method 

Prep:35min  ›  Cook:45min  ›  Ready in:1hr20min 

1.    Heat 125ml olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add half of the potato slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. When done, remove potatoes to a large bowl, leaving oil in the frying pan. Cook the remaining potatoes in the oil until tender, then add to the bowl, leaving oil in the pan. Gently toss potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.

2.    Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir in onion rings and gently cook until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Spoon onions onto a plate and allow to cool while the potatoes finish cooking.

3.    Whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in cooled onions, roasted peppers and Serrano ham. Gently fold in cooked potatoes.

4.    Heat the frying pan with the reserved oil over low heat. Pour in the egg mixture and gently cook until the sides have started to set and the bottom has turned golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Loosen the tortilla with a spatula if needed, then carefully slide onto a large plate. Turn the frying pan upside down and place onto the uncooked side of the tortilla. Turn the pan right-side-up, and remove the plate. Return the frying pan to the stove and continue cooking until the tortilla has set in the centre, about 4 minutes.

5.    Slide the tortilla onto a serving plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Cut into six wedges and sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Andalusian Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

Serves: 6 

6 large tomatoes

100g fresh breadcrumbs

3 tbsp parsley, chopped

salt and black pepper

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

50g Manchego cheese, grated

1 tbsp thyme, chopped

Method

Prep: 25min  ›  Cook:25min  ›  Ready in:50min 

1.    Preheat the oven to 140°C / 275°F / gas Mark 1

2.    Halve the tomatoes diagonally. Using a small teaspoon remove the seeds and juice and reserve.

3.    Place the breadcrumbs and parsley into a small bowl and add the reserved tomato juice. Season with salt and pepper.

4.    Heat the butter and cook the onion until soft. Add the breadcrumb mix and thyme and cook for a few minutes. Stir in half the cheese and place the mixture into the halved tomatoes. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Piparrana  (Spanish Potato Salad)

Ingredients

Serves: 6 

6 eggs

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 large fresh tomato, chopped

1 tin tuna, drained

70g green olives with pimento or anchovy, halved

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method

Prep:30min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Extra time:2hr  ›  Ready in:2hr50min 

1.    Place egg in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to the boil, and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool and peel. Cut eggs into quarters, and set aside.

2.    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.

3.    Toss potatoes with eggs, peppers, onion, tomato, tuna, green olives, olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate, and serve cold

Cook's tip

If you let it sit in the fridge overnight, the flavours will blend better, but add the tomato just before serving, so it doesn't end up mealy.

Ensalada Rusa - Russian Salad

Ingredients

Serves: 8 

8 to 10 medium potatoes

1 handful peas

1 red pepper or 1/2 jar roasted peppers

1 (400g) jar mayonnaise

1 to 2 tins tuna

2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Prep:15min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Extra time:10min  ›  Ready in:45min 

Cut potatoes into chunks small enough to cook quickly and boil till tender, about 20 minutes. Cover with a lid to reduce cooking time.

1.    While potatoes are boiling, boil peas and pepper, which has been cut in half and de-seeded, or you can char if you wish (the idea is to remove the skin). Jars of roasted peppers have already been skinned and de-seeded. Cut the pepper into strips.

2.    Mash potatoes and add mayonnaise until smooth and creamy. Dice and add 1/2 the pepper, 1/2 the peas and most of the tuna, saving some for decoration. Crush and add the garlic (you can add the garlic raw or cook with potatoes, depending on preference).

3.    Pile onto a large serving plate and smooth to a nice shape, then spread and smooth mayonnaise on top and decorate with remaining peas, tuna and strips of pepper.

Serving suggestion

Best served cold, as a tapa and with a slice of crusty bread. Keep in fridge and eat within 3 days

Sangria

Serves: 6 

1 orange

1 lemon

1 lime

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and sliced

150g pitted cherries

150g fresh pineapple pieces

175ml brandy

1 (750ml) bottle dry red wine

1 can fizzy lemonade to taste

250ml orange juice to taste

Method

Prep:20min  ›  Extra time:2hr10min  ›  Ready in:2hr30min 

1.    Slice the orange, lemon and lime into thin rounds. Place the citrus in a pitcher with the apples, cherries and pineapple. Pour in the brandy and refrigerate for 2 hours or more. Chill the bottle of red wine, lemonade and orange juice at the same time.

2.    Gently crush the fruits with a spoon, then stir in the red wine, lemonade and orange juice. Add additional brandy, lemonade or orange juice to taste.

No Meal can be complete without a pleasant drink!

My very first holiday abroad was in Spain, taking home made mini dresses and crochet bikinis (no more to be said on that subject, as anyone who had to wear one will know!)

 It was at a time when no one could speak English, my friend and I had ten Spanish language lessons, thinking we would do quite well until we realised they had different dialects.

 This was back in the late sixties when we were allowed to take £60 in currency and cash with our hotel food deducted, (this left us approx £48 for twelve nights) obviously, we ran out of money as most of the time we did not like the food being served and we ate cheese and ham toasted sandwiches.

 

How brave were we but, the world has changed a lot since then.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog remembering the happy days you spent on holiday in the sun enjoying a meal outside whether it was in England or abroad.

We would like to remind you that we meet on the third Tuesday of each month 

at 1.30pm in the offices of; Cancercare, Lakes Centre, Kendal,

 (unless we have organized an event).

We now also have a blog address, which is:-

http://thewombellescancergroupkendal.blogspot.co.uk

We can also be contacted on the following Mobile No: 07770851896.

This is the group’s mobile number, which is checked for messages on a daily basis.