TAPAS RECIPES

Seafood Tapas salad

2011-12-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

Seafood Tapas salad
Tapas Recipe Ingredients

175g fine green beans
250g mixed prepared and cooked seafood (such as mussels, cockles, squid and prawns), thawed and drained if frozen
5 gherkins, finely chopped
12 pimiento-stuffed green olives
2 heads of chicory

TOMATO SALSA DRESSING

2½ tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 small lemon
½ small red onion, finely diced
225g large tomatoes, skinned and diced
½ small cucumber, finely diced
1–2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Tapas Recipe Instructions

1.First make the dressing. Whisk together the oil and lemon juice in a bowl with a little freshly ground black pepper to taste. (No salt is needed for seasoning as both the gherkins and olives will add salt to this dish.) Add the red onion and stir to coat, then add the remaining dressing ingredients. Mix together and set aside.
2.Cook the beans in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain in a sieve, then refresh under cold running water to prevent further cooking. Cut the beans in half, then put them in a large serving bowl with the seafood, gherkins and olives. Spoon over the salsa dressing and gently mix together.
3.Separate the chicory into individual leaves and tuck them around the edge of the salad. Serve straight away.

Patatas Bravas (Crispy potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce)

2011-12-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

Patatas Bravas (Crispy potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce)
Tapas Recipe Ingredients:

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled, and cut into 2cm (1in) inch cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g (1lb) good tomatoes
3 teaspoons Pimentón (paprika)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon tomato puree or a tablespoon of ketchup
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil, for frying

Tapas Recipe Instructions:
Once cut, rinse the potatoes and dry on some paper towel. Heat the oil in a frying pan to about 180°C (350°F) and cook the chunks of potato for about 5 minutes (or until lightly golden) in small batches. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes by cutting a cross in the base and plunging them into boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Plunge into cold water and the skin should peel away easily. Chop the tomatoes.

Heat some more oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic, paprika, thyme and cayenne pepper then cook for another couple of minutes until it all smells fragrant and spicy. Add the chopped tomato, the puree or ketchup and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens. This should take about 20 minutes or so. While this is cooking , add the salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce looks like it’s getting too thick, add some water. It should be a thick sauce though, you don’t want it too runny and making your potatoes soggy.

While the sauce is simmering you can re-heat the frying oil and re-fry the potatoes. This gives them an even crisper coating and prevents the sauce from soaking in too much.

Another way to prepare the potatoes, and one which I prefer, is to par-boil them for 5 to 10 minutes first. Then drain the water, let the steam evaporate for a minute or so and then give the pan a good shake. This roughs up the outsides nicely. When the sauce is nearly ready, fry the potatoes only once in the hot oil and serve immediately. You will find that this gives them a beautifully crisp outside and a soft and fluffy inside. Just like my mum used to make!

To serve, place the potatoes in a serving bowl, season them if desired, then cover with lashings of spicy sauce. Sprinkle some chopped parsley all over it and enjoy the tapas recipe !

Tapas Recipe - Albóndigas

2011-11-29T23:29:00.000-08:00

Tapas Recipe- Albóndigas (Meatballs in spicy tomato sauce)

Tapas Recipe Ingredients for the meatballs:

150g (6oz) minced pork
150g (6oz) minced veal (or beef)
3 cloves garlic
50g (2oz) breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
salt and pepper
olive oil, for frying

Tapas Recipe Instructions :
In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients (not the olive oil) until you have a nice stiff consistency. Cover and leave in the fridge for about half an hour. When ready, make your meatballs, taking about a tablespoon of mixture for each one. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs in batches on a med-high heat. You want them nicely browned. Add more oil if necessary for each batch. Drain on some kitchen roll and keep warm.

Tapas Recipe Ingredients for the sauce:
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 400g (16oz) can chopped tomatoes
3 to 4 teaspoons tomato puree
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
125ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine
125ml (4 fl oz) chicken stock
100g (4oz) frozen peas (or fresh peas)
freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Tapas Recipe Instructions for the Sauce
Use the same frying pan (but tip out any excess fat) to make use of the lovely meat juices that should have caramelised on the bottom. Add the oil if necessary and cook the onion until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, a few grinds of black pepper and cook for another minute or so. Make sure you don’t burn the garlic as it will taste bitter. Add the wine and increase the heat to high, let the wine boil for a minute or so to intensify the flavour. Add the can of tomatoes, the puree and the stock. Bring back to the boil then simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the peas, stir in the cayenne pepper and the meatballs and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.

Serve it up, piping hot, straight from the pan with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
tapas-recipes-crisp-shrimp-fritters.

TAPAS RECIPES-TUNA AND OLIVE CROSTINI

2011-04-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

TAPAS RECIPES-TUNA AND OLIVE CROSTINI

Tapas Recipes INGREDIENTS
* 12 (1-inch) slices of a French baguette
* Drizzle of olive oil
* 1 (8-ounce) tuna steak
* Salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, about 20, pitted
* 1/2 anchovy fillet
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tapas Recipes INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss the bread slices with olive oil, coating each side completely. Season the bread with salt and pepper. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and slightly golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the croutons from the oven and place on a large plate. Season the tuna steak with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the tuna on a hot grill and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a food processor and puree for 15 seconds or until the mixture is smooth. Slice the tuna into 12 equal slices and place one slice on top of each crouton. Dab a spoonful of the Tapenade on top of each tuna slice. Garnish the tapas with chopped chives...great ! Enjoy it !

Tapas Recipes-Crisp Shrimp Fritters (Tortillitas de Camarones)

2011-03-14T05:21:00.000-07:00

Tapas Recipes-Crisp Shrimp Fritters (Tortillitas de Camarones)

Tapas Recipes Ingredients

* 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled
* 1 1/2 cups chickpea or regular flour
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 3 scallions, white part and a little of the tender green tops, finely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon sweet pimenton
* Salt
* Olive oil for deep-frying

Tapas Recipes INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan, combine the shrimp with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water starts to boil, quickly lift out the shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside. Scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water and let cool. Discard the remaining water. When the shrimp are cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

To make the batter, combine the flour, parsley, scallions and pimentÃ³n in a bowl or a food processor. Add a pinch of salt and the cooled cooking water. Mix or process well until you obtain a texture slightly thicker than a pancake batter. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and mince finely. The pieces should be the size of coffee grounds. Remove the batter from the refrigerator, add the shrimp, and mix well.

Pour the olive oil to a depth of about 1 inch into a heavy sautÃ© pan and heat over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the batter to the oil for each fritter and, using the back of the spoon, immediately flatten the batter into a round 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Do not crowd the pan.

Fry, turning once, for about 1 minute on each side, or until the fritters are golden and very crisp with what Spanish cooks call puntillas, or lacelike formations, on the borders.

Using a slotted spoon, lift out the fritters, holding them briefly over the pan to allow the excess oil to drain, and transfer to an ovenproof platter lined with paper towels to drain further.

Keep the fritters warm in a low oven. Fry the rest of the batter in the same way, always making sure the oil is very hot before frying more fritters.

When all the fritters are fried, arrange the tapas on a platter and serve immediately...enjoy it !

TAPAS RECIPE-THREE CHEESE FOCACCIA

2010-09-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

TAPAS RECIPE-THREE CHEESE FOCACCIA
A nice tapas recipe to try !

Tapas Recipes INGREDIENTS
* 1 envelope (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F.)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
* 11 ounces fresh ricotta cheese, at room temperature
* 2 large eggs
* 4 ounces salami, julienned
* 6 ounces Mozzarella cheese, grated and at room temperature
* 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
* Salt and pepper

Tapas Recipes INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, whisk the yeast, sugar, and warm water together, for 2 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.
Grease a mixing bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a baking sheet. Punch the dough down and press the dough out to form the pan.
Sprinkle the dough with kosher salt and coarse black pepper. Cover the dough and allow to double in size, about 45 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, salami, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley.
Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Using your fingers make small dimples over the entire dough. Brush the dough with olive oil.
Smear the filling evenly over the dough...and the Tapas recipe of cheese focaccia is ready to serve..enjoy it !
**The filling must be at room temperature to smear evenly. Bake the dough for 30 to 35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Slice the bread into 8 to 12 pieces.
tapas-recipes-herbed-goat-cheese

TAPAS RECIPE-CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE STRUDELS

2010-09-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

TAPAS RECIPE-CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE STRUDELS
A nice Tapas recipe to try !

TAPAS RECIPE INGREDIENTS
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 4 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch dice
* 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch dice
* 1/2 cup chopped onions
* 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
* Salt and cayenne
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 cup sweet BBQ sauce
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
* 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 4 sheets phyllo dough

TAPAS RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a saute pan, over medium heat, add the oil.
Season the chicken with Essence. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the andouille and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne.
Add the water, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, parsley and cheese and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Cool the mixture completely. Stack the four sheets of phyllo dough one top of each other and cut all into thirds. You will have a total of 12 sheets. Divide the sheets into four 3-sheet stacks.
Keep the phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent the phyllo from drying out. Lightly brush the top of each stack with vegetable oil.
Put 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture on the bottom edge of each stack of phyllo. Fold two sides of the phyllo toward the center about 1/4-inch. Then, beginning at the bottom, roll up the phyllo securely, pressing each to close. Lightly brush each strudel with oil.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the strudels on the paper, about 2 inches apart and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cut each strudel in half at a diagonal and serve each with the remaining BBQ sauce and grated cheese.
The Tapas recipe of chicken strudels is ready to serve..enjoy the tapas..!
tapas-recipes-herbed-goat-cheese-

TAPAS RECIPES-HERBED GOAT CHEESE AND PROSCUITTO SHRIMP

2010-09-13T04:47:00.000-07:00

TAPAS RECIPES-HERBED GOAT CHEESE AND PROSCUITTO SHRIMP
A great tapas recipe to try !

TAPAS RECIPE INGREDIENTS
* 12 tablespoons Goat cheese
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* Salt and pepper
* 12 large shrimp, peeled, tail-on and butterflied
* 12 thin slices of proscuitto
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Drizzle of white truffle oil

TAPAS RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixing bowl, blend the cheese, herbs and garlic together. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Press one tablespoon of the filling in the cavity of each shrimp. Wrap each shrimp tightly with one piece of proscuitto. In a saute pan heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the stuffed shrimp and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the shrimp turn pink and their tails curl in towards their body. Remove from the pan and place on a large plate. Drizzle the shrimp with truffle oil. Garnish with parsley. The tapas recipe of goat cheese proscuitto shrimp is ready to serve ! Enjoy it !
Tapas-recipe-chicken-and-andouille