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Gazpacho- Spain

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Gazpacho
 
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Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 4
  • Serving size: 300 g
  • Calories: 198
  • Fat: 14 grams
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Unsaturated fat: 12 g
  • Trans fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Sodium: 692 mg
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recipe type: Soups with chillies
Cuisine: Spanish
Prep time: 
Total time: 
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Nothing beats Gazpacho as a light meal on a hot summers day. This spicy version of the cold Spanish soup has all the great flavour of a regular Gazpacho but given just a hint of the piquancy that only Chili can achieve. Serve with crusty white bread and a glass of white wine or a good Spanish Rioja Rosado
Ingredients
  • Tomatoes – 6 large
  • Bell Pepper – one medium
  • Red chillies – four
  • Hot sauce - one tablespoon
  • Vegetable stock – ¼ of a cup
  • Salt – one teaspoon
  • Olive oil – four tablespoons
  • Garlic – four cloves ( peeled and finely chopped)
  • Sugar – one teaspoon
  • White wine vinegar – 2 tablespoons
  • Lemon juice – one tablespoon
  • Cucumber – one medium ( peeled and sliced)
  • Stale white bread – one to two slices
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to the boi. Blanche the tomatoes into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Then immediately drop them into ice-cold water made with ice. Remove and peel off the skins and chop.
  2. Roast the skin of the pepper over an open flame ( see method ) and remove the skin, seeds and pith. Slice
  3. Add the tomatoes, bell peppers and the balance of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth
  4. Place the Gazpacho in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour.
  5. Serve
Notes
This recipe yields 4 portions

Keywords: Spicy Gazpacho

 

Spicy empanadas – Spain

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Spicy empanadas recipe

Spicy empanadas
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 12 -14
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Fat: 16 grams
  • Saturated fat: 8.1 grams
  • Carbohydrates: grams
  • Sugar: 1.1 grams
  • Sodium: .83 grams
  • Fiber: 1.7 grams
  • Protein: 11 grams
  • Cholesterol: 28 gr
Recipe type: Empanadas
Cuisine: Spanish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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The name of empanada comes from the Spanish word " empaner" which means coated in bread. Okay I agree, they are hardly quite made in this way but its name gives the general idea. This is a pastry that seems to have its origins from Medieval times when Galicia in Spain was overrun by the Moors. These people from the Middle East brought their food with them, including pastries. It is probable that the empanada was a Galician take on the Arabian pastry from that era
Ingredients
For the pastry
  • All-purpose wheat flour - 500 grams
  • Baking powder - two teaspoons
  • Salt –one teaspoon
  • Egg – one large beaten
  • Butter - 150 grams (cold)
For the filling
  • Minced beef – 500 grams (5% fat)
  • Olive oil – one tablespoon
  • White Onion – one large finely sliced
  • Garlic – two cloves
  • Bell pepper –one medium (Red)
  • Hot red chillies- two (finely sliced) ( Cayenne, Seranno, Birds-eye or similar)
  • Paprika – one teaspoon
  • Ground Cumin – ½ teaspoon
  • Black olives – 10 to 15 (sliced)
  • Tomato puree – 1 tablespoon
  • Beef stock cube - half
Instructions
To make the pastry
  1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well
  2. Finely chop or grate the butter. Add to the dry ingredients and rub in until the flour has achieved a consistency resembling bread crumbs
  3. Add only enough cold water to bring the mixture to a firm dough. Place in a bowl and cover with cling-film. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour
For the filling
  1. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the mince and cook until browned. Remove from the stove and keep to one side on a separate plate
  2. In the pan that the mince was cooked in, add some more olive oil if necessary, Add the onions and fry until just beginning to change colour. Add the garlic and stir fry for two minutes
  3. Add the paprika and cumin.
  4. Add the bell pepper and chillies fry until beginning to soften
  5. Add the tomato puree and stock cube with a little water. Stir until the stock cube has dissolved
  6. Now add the olives
  7. Cook until the sauce has almost become dry
  8. Reintroduce the cooked mince to the pan and stir well
  9. Fry until thoroughly combined. Remove from stove and allow to cool
Making the empanadas
  1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius
  2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 12 equal pieces
  3. One a flour-dusted board, roll the pieces into 150mm diameter circles with a thickness of 3 to 4 millimetres
  4. Spoon two to three tablespoons of the mince mixture into the centre of these circles. Brush the edges with the beaten egg fold the pastry over the meat mixture into a semi-circle ( resembling a Cornish pasty). Using a fork, join and seal the edges of the pastry
  5. Place the formed empanadas onto a lined baking tray. Brush them with the remaining beaten egg and place in the oven
  6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden and crisp
  7. Serve with hot sauce or chimichurri
Notes
This recipe yields 12 - 14 empanadas of approximately 100 grams each

Keywords: Spicy empanadas with chillies

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Spicy snacks

 

Spanish meatballs with chilli sauce


Albondigas
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Calories: 255g
  • Fat: 22g
  • Saturated fat: 9.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 4,7g
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Sodium: 0.31g
  • Fiber: 0.7g
  • Protein: 8.8g
Recipe type: Meat balls
Cuisine: Spanish
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There is something about meatballs that make them special. It is simple food yet also filled with wonderful flavour This recipe from Spain is no different. It is comfort food of the highest order. The Chilli sauce elevates this dish to somewhere else .Once again ,sure to become a family favourite!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
  • 1kg of minced beef (or half beef, half pork -both minced)
  • 2 slices of white bread crumbs soaked in milk
  • White wine - ¼ of a cup
  • 2 eggs - beaten
  • Flat leaf Parsley – 2 tablespoons finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
  • Plain white flour – 5 tablespoons
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Olive oil- 2 tablespoons
For the Chilli sauce:
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Ripe tomatoes – 4 -5 large- chopped
  • Bay leaves – 2 dried
  • Tomato paste- 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic – 2 cloves- finely sliced.
  • Sugar - 1 teaspoon
  • Salt – ½ teaspoon
  • Chilli flakes 1 - 3 tablespoons (According to taste)
Instructions
For the meatballs:
  1. Combine all the ingredients with the exception of the flour and olive oil and mix well. Place in a bowl covered with cling film in the refrigerator and allow flavours to mingle for 45 – 60 minutes.
  2. Remove from the refrigerator.
  3. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour on a plate board. Using a sprinkling of the remaining flour on your hands, form meatballs using a cupping / rolling action. Aim to make about 20 – 25 meatballs. Roll formed meatballs in flour on a plate. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry meatballs until cooked through and well browned on the outsides. Keep Warm
For the Chilli Sauce:
  1. Heat olive oil and add onions. Fry until starting to become translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 -2 minutes.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 25 – 30 minutes
  3. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve immediately.
Notes
Use freshly baked bread to mop up the juices for a special treat!

This recipe yields 4 - 5 portions

Image:Jules / CC by 2.0 / via Flikr

The use of Chillies in Spanish cooking