OLIVE, SERRANO HAM & CHEESE LOAF

This loaf can be served warm straight from the oven alongside a veggie soup or toasted (this is best when it is a day old). 

CLAMS EN PAPILLOTE

Last week I was watching one of those programmes in the travel channel, when I saw a man cooking at a beach with just a fire and a flat stone. It was a quick supper, and I inmediately thought "I have to try this", it looked so yummy!.
I was surprised with the result.

STUFFED EGGS

STUFFED EGGS

This was our Sunday´s appetizer, people get up late and they are starving by the time the sit at the table. So while I´m giving my final touch to our lunch, they can enjoy something quick and tasty.

OUR GRANDMOTHERS´ CAKES

In Sicily and Italy, they call this cake "Torta della nonna". I suppose in English speaking countries this would be called "Grandma´s cake", but the first time I ate this, it reminded me to our Panchineta, which is a typical dessert in the basque country, with a pastry base and filled with custard.  Torta is decorated with pine nuts while we add almonds inside and outside, but it tastes almost the same and let me tell you something, I go crazy for anything with custard. I can´t help it.

SMOKED SALMON AND POTATOES TART

This has been a surprising tart. I never thought potatoes played such an important role in here. They marry perfectly with salmon natural flavours. It´s a rustic ( I like to call some recipes this way) open pie of smoked salmon layered in a creamy egg base. A wonderful way to eat healthy ingredients.

SMOKED SALMON AND POTATO TART

INGREDIENTS - SERVE 6

1 packet of ready made pastry

200 cooked potatoes, sliced

1 small red onion, finely sliced

100g smoked salmon

100g roughly chopped spinach

2 medium eggs

150ml whole cream

75ml full-fat milk

75g finely grated parmesan 

Salt and pepper to season

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Take the dough and roll between two sheets of greaseproof paper until big enough to line a 22cm tart tin. Line the tin, pressing the pastry and pinch with a fork. 

Line the pastry case with foil and beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 minutes more until the pastry feels dry to the touch. 

In the meantime, steam the potatoes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 170º. Lay the cooked potatoes.

Then the onion

And the smoked salmon

Clean the spinach well....and believe me when I say well I mean it.

Cut it roughly 

Scatter over the spinach, setting aside the rest to garnish or for a side dish salad.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, milk, parmesan and seasoning.

Pour over the salmon.

And bake for 40

And when cut, is wonderful. You can see each layer perfectly. Potatoes are creamy and perfect in the base of this tart.

DONE

BROCCOLI SALAD

After spending the last weeks with heavy rains and hurricane winds, looking at the pictures of damaged areas around our city, finally the weather gives us a break. Sun shined beautifully yesterday.

You may know by now I´m a cream soups freak, but you know what?, yesterday, when I woke up and saw this beautiful weather I was craving for a salad. And you know what salad I was craving for?, well...one I saw in a blog I follow since two years ago. The blog

BROCCOLI SALAD

I think it´s much better if I direct you to her link,  so you can check her blog and her ingredients in case you want to make her recipe. I´m going to show you my pictures anyway.

The wonderful recipe you should try in here

DONE!

SPANISH HEAVENLY CUSTARD - "TOCINO DE CIELO"

I´ve been searching for a proper translation for the title of this recipe, but I´ve decided to write it in Spanish and give you a short explanation about what it´s like. This sweet, and rich dessert is really a treat. A very traditional Spanish dessert, made with 12 egg yolks, sugar and lemon peel. It makes a delicious finish to a Spanish dinner. Once again, the boys will enjoy it during their Wednesday´s  dinner out.

TOCINO DE CIELO - (SORT OF YOLKS PUDDING)

INGREDIENTS - MAKES 12
12 egg yolks
300gr sugar
1 glass of water, aprox 250ml
1 lemon peel

METHOD
Place the sugar and water in a deep saucepot with the lemon peel, over a low heat. Increase the heat to medium high and boil until the syrup turns golden. Brush the baking tin with some of the syrup, reserve the rest. Leave it rest to cool down.

Put the yolks in a bowl and beat them slightly. Add the syrup and mix them well.

Put the baking tin into a saucepot with water (bain-Marie). Pass the yolks through a sieve and cook it slowly for 20 minutes. Leave it rest and cool before removing it from the tin.

DONE!