Lemon Cheese Flan

Lemon Cheese Flan

This dessert is very nutritious.

Serves 4
Easy difficulty
395 calories

1 can of condensed milk
3 lemons
250 g Whipped cream
2 egg whites
salt

Squeeze lemons and mix the juice, strained, with the condensed milk. added gradually, cream, by encircling movements with a wooden spatula.

Beat  the egg whites until stiff and add a pinch of salt to maintain its consistency. Incorporate egg  whites into mixture and mix gently.

Pour the  preparation in individual cups, sprinkle with lemon zest and leave  in the refrigerator until serving time.

Sole with vegetables

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

4 soles
2 carrots
2 green onions
Liquid honey
fresh basil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame
olive oil salt and pepper
lemon

1) Mix one tablespoon of honey with olive oil and some salt. Cut the vegetables into  Julienne , sprinkle  with the honey mixture and let them marinate for 30 minutes. Drain. Put them in a dish and cook in preheated oven at 190 C / 375 F   for 10 minutes .

2)Separate the sole from the skin and roll up, hold it with a toothpick. Add salt and pepper and cook along with the vegetables for  eight minutes .

3) Serve with a few drops of oil and honey, basil and sesame seeds,just before serving sprinkle the sole  with a few drops of lemon juice.

Porra Antequerana

The Porra is the same dish as the Salmorejo, the first one being from  Antequera,a province of Malaga ,and the other from Cordoba, both from Andalusia. This dish can also be served with tuna diced boiled eggs and Serrano ham. This is like a gaspacho but thicker.

Ingredients:

1/2 a red pepper diced.

1/2 a green pepper.

1 kilo of ripe tomatoes

1/2 kilo of bread

2 chopped garlic cloves

2 Hard boiled eggs.

100 g of Serrano ham

1 cup of olive oil

vinegar and salt to taste

1) Peel the tomatoes and  squeeze to  get rid of most of the juice and the seeds. Cut into pieces.

2) In a large bowl,place layers of tomatoes and the white part of the bread into alternative layers.

3) In a mixer, put the green and red peppers , the garlic and the salt,mix add in the olive oil by spoon full. Add this mixture to the tomato and bread mixture, and mix with the blender. Add the vinegar and salt to taste.

4) Place this thick soup in a big serving plate.or a salad plate. Garnish with the Serrano han and the diced boiled eggs

If you like you can serve this dish with a side plate of chips to make it a complete meal or on its own as a starter.

Rice Dishes

Rice is the most important source of food for a large part of the world population,especially in Asia, Middle East and Latin America. As well as the West Indies.

Rice is a grain that has the second highest world production after corn.

Rice was first grown as a domesticated grain in China,in the region of the Yangtze River.  In the late 3rd millenium BC there was a quick expansion of rice cultivation into South East Asia and across India and Pakistan . Africa cultivated rice for 3500 years, most likely brought to the continent by the Arabs coming from the East coast in the 6th -11th Century.

Cultivation and cooking of this grain spread to the west in the middle ages. The South of Europe saw this grain as a hearty meal,it was brought to them by the Moor Conquest. Rice was grown in Valencia and Majorca. Majorca stopped cultivating the grain after the Christian conquest of the south.

The Muslims introduced the rice to Sicily,and after the 15 C its popularity spread to Italy and France and the rest of the European continent.

During the era of the European explorations of the New Worlds it was introduced to the Caribbean and the Latin American countries by the Spanish  and the Portuguese Conquistadores.

In 1694 rice arrived to South Carolina in the United States. The slaves from the region of Africa were bought at the highest prices because of their knowledge of the rice cultivation.  The plantation owners learned how to dyke the mashes and periodically flood the fields. With the American Civil war,it became less profitable, and eventually died after the turn of the 20th century.

California cultivated rice during the Gold Rush,when the Chinese emigrated there. The Chinese workers grew small amounts of rice for their own consumption,this crop became commercial in 1912.  First grown like this in the town of Richvale in Butte county. Today California’s rice production is the second largest in the world.

Rice is a little grain that is very big!

The ideal rice portion is a 100 grams per person,and double the amount of liquid.

Plain Rice, For 6 people.

1/2 a kilo of rice, several garlic cloves,to taste. Lemon,oil and water. ( Double the amount of water to the one of rice )

1) In a large sauce pan, fry the garlic clove cut into fine slices. when they are of a golden color,set aside.

2) In the same oil fry the rice  giving it a stir,add the boiling water and stir. Cook until it is half-cooked. Add the lemon juice. The lemon juice is added so it does not stick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until done,to your taste. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

ARROZ A LA CUBANA

To the above recipe,you add tomato sauce, some  bananas fried  in some butter (cut in half)   One or two fried eggs per person. To give it more of a boost you may also add, if you like ,some minced meat to the tomato sauce.

SPANISH RICE

Serves 6 people.

1/2 kilo of rice, 1/2 a kilo of beef or pork,1/2 a glass of white wine, 250 g of peeled tomatoes, 1 chopped green pepper, 1 sliced onion, 5 garlic cloves chopped,chopped parsley oil salt and 2 eggs.1 sachet of baking of baking powder.(16 g)

1) Cut the meat into bite size pieces. Put the meat int a bowl with the garlic and salt leave to rest for an hour.

2) Stir fry the meat until golden,add the onion chopped and the green pepper,when they are tender add the tomatoes. Stir,and add the parsley and if you like two more minced garlic cloves and the white wine. Cook until tender,on a low heat and covered.

3) Cook the rice according to the first recipe.(Plain Rice )

4) In an oven proof dish, add the rice and the meat in alternative layers,last layer being one of meat and sauce.

5) Beat the egg whites until stiff,add the egg yolks and some salt and the baking powder,mix and por the mixture over the meat and rice dish.

6) Grill for two minutes or until egg layer is golden .

It´s Sunday ……. don´t want to cook!

It´s Sunday,other half has gone to walk our dog,and off to a biz meeting. The day is nice and sunny…how about frozen pizza and a salad that does not take too much time. Looking what I had in the fridge, carrots some chorizo and in the pantry two handfuls of raisins … that should be enough to make a salad.

Carrots with chorizo and raisins.

Carrot & Raisin Salad

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minute

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 Table-spoon of Olive Oil

5 Slices of chorizo cut into strips.

1 Tea-spoon of butter.

3 Carrots  cut into small pieces.

2 fresh onions chopped.

1/2 Tea-spoon of cummin.

1/2 Cup of Raisins .

1) Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add the Chorizo strips and stir fry on a medium heat until its crispy. ( if you don´t have chorizo just use bacon ) Put to drain off the oil on a paper towel. discard the oil from the frying pan.

2) Heat up the butter, add the chorizo, carrots ,onion and the spices. Cover and cook for 4 minutes on a low heat. Add the raisins ,cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the slices of pizza in my case or with any other meat.

Enjoy your Sunday !

In the end I did not make pizza, instead I looked inside my fridge and had a chicken breast ,some cucumbers and greek yogurt and some spinach in the freezer.

Chicken kebab without skewers.

1 chicken breast cut into bite size pieces.

Chicken

1 fresh onion, sliced .

BBQ Seasoning .

1) Marinade the chicken with the BBQ seasoning, stir fry with the onion in a non stick frying pan. Cook until done . When it turns a golden colour. Set aside.

Green rice.

1 onion,chopped.

500 g of spinach.

1 cup of rice.

2 cups of chicken stock

1 table-spoon of butter.

1 table-spoon of olive oil.

1) Melt the butter with the olive oil, add the onion and the spinach. Cook covered for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are tender set a side, in the rest of the oil and the butter, fry the rice until golden.Add the chicken Stock, cook until liquid has evaporated or rice is cooked.

2) Rinse the rice. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under the cold water.

Green Rice.

3) Place the rice in the pan with the spinach mixture  and stir fry for 1 or 2 minutes. Set aside.

Tzatziki.

3 cucumber,grated and drained from all its juices.

3 garlic clove, crushed and minced.

2 greek yogurts

1 table-spoon of olive oil.

1 Tea-spoon of dill.

salt and pepper to taste.

1) Grate the cucumbers and put on a sieve, let it drain, push with your hands to remove the excess liquid , leave to drain.

2) In a bowl add the minced and crushed garlic, the salt and pepper ,dill, the yogurt and the olive oil. Mix well,add the grated cucumbers. Chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Crusty Pitta bread.

Crusty Pitta Bread.

3 pitta breads

some olive oil.

1) cut the pitta breads in half,than into two . Pre heat oven to 180 C. In a pizza tray brush with some olive oil,place the bread pieces and cook for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool and serve with the yogurt mix.

Artichokes and Asparagus Salad

The vegetables retain better color and flavor if immersed in cold water after boiling. You can also make this salad with peppers, beans, peas,carrots or zucchini.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Asparagus.

130 g of Green Beans.

150 g of Button Mushrooms.

5 Marinated Artichoke Hearts or Canned.

30 g of  Butter.

1/2 a Tea-spoon of Sweet Paprika.

2 Laminated Garlic Cloves.

2 Table-spoons of Olive Oil.

2 Table-spoons of Lemon Juice.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

2 Table spoons of chopped Mint leaves.

1) Cut the asparagus stems into pieces. Remove the top bits of the green beans, and cut in half. Cut the mushrooms in half and the heart artichokes in quarters. ( you may also use frozen vegetables )

2) In a casserole fill up with water,bring to a boil. Cook the asparagus and the green beans for 1 to 2 minutes if fresh .If using the frozen ones cook to instructions. Take out the asparagus and green beans and submerged in the chilled water, set aside.

3) Heat up the butter in a pan,add the pepper, sweet paprika the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes and set aside.

4) Mix the olive oil,lemon juice the pepper and the mint leaves in a small bowl. Place all the vegetables in a serving dish, pour the mixture over the vegetables and serve.

Spinach and Orange Salad

This salad goes very well with grilled fish. If you do not have pine nuts you can always use almonds or any other type of nuts except for peanuts.If you do not have oranges try any other citric fruit that is not lemon.

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients:

4 Medium Oranges or 2 Big Oranges.

10 -12 Spinach Leaves.

1 Medium Red Onion cut into strips.

1/2 Cup of Black Olives,without the stone.

1/3 Cup of Olive Oil.

1/4 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar.

1/4 Cup of Grilled Pine nuts.

1) Place the oranges on a cutting board, cut the tops off with an incision of 2 cm. Peel the rest of the orange,removing all the white skin also. To separate the wedges,with a small sharp knife ,cut between the membrane and the pulp of the orange.Do this over a bowl to recuperate the orange juice.

2) Cut the spinach leaves and put then in a bowl.Add the sliced onion the orange wedges and the black pitted olives.

3) In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and the red wine vinegar with a whisk.

4) Pour this mixture over the salad and toss to mix, spread the pine nuts on top and serve.

Grilled Vegetables with Alioli.

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes.

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes.

Serves 4 to 6 People.

Ingredients:

To Make ALIOLI:

2 Egg Yolks.

4 Garlic Cloves.

1 Cup of Olive Oil.

A Pinch of Black Pepper.

2 Table-spoons of Lemon Juice.

VEGETABLES:

4 Baby Eggplants (Aubergines).

4 Medium  Red Peppers.

4 Medium Tomatoes.

4 Small Onions.

1/3 Cup of Olive Oil.

1/3 Cup of Chopped Parsley.

1 Garlic clove Crushed.

1/4 Tea-spoon of Pepper.

1) To make the alioli, put the egg yolks in a bowl with the garlic, whisk for 1 minute. Add the olive oil, one tea-spoon at a time,whisking all the time and always on the same direction.(or else it could curdle) Once the mixture has thicken and has a creamy texture, add the oil in bigger quantities and the mixture should thicken. Last when all the olive oil has been added, add the black pepper and the lemon juice. Cover and reserve for later use.

2) Grease an oven tray with a little bit of olive oil. Place the vegetables on top without taking the skin off. Grill for on a high temperature for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the vegetables one time,the vegetables will be done when the skin has turned of a black colour. When done cover them with a clean wet cloth and leave them to cool down for a bit. Take off the skin of the veggies and cut then into chunks. Put then into a serving dish.

3) Mix the oil and the chopped parsley ,garlic and the pepper.Whisk,and pour this mixture over the cooked vegetables. Serve hot or luke warm with the alioli and crusty bread.

Orange Rice

This is an original way to prepare the rice as a side dish to accompany the main course of your choice.

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes.

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes.

Serves 4 to 6 People.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Rice.

1 Table- spoon of Olive Oil.

15 g of Butter.

1 Onion, chopped.

1/2 Cup of Sweet Sherry.

2 Tea-spoons of Orange zest.

1/2 a Cup of Orange Juice.

1 1/2 Cups of Chicken Stock.

1) Rinse the rice under  the cold water tap. Drain the rice from the excess water.

2) Heat up the oil and the butter in a casserole over a medeium  heat. Stir fry the onion until golden and tender. Add the rice and stir fry for 2 minutes or until it is lightly of a golden colour.

3) Add the orange zest and the orange juice, as well as the sherry and the chicken stock. Bring to boiling point, stir once or twice. Lower the heat  and simmer with a lid on top for 8 to 10 minutes. ( until the water is absorbed or the rice is cooked) Take off the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes.

4) Just before serving seperate the rice with a fork.

Scrambled Eggs with Zucchini

This is an alternative to the spanish eggs with chorizo. This is a vegetarian  alternative using zucchini but if you like you can use any other vegetable. If you wish to spice up the dish add some chilli pepper finely chopped.

Preparation Time:  15  Minutes.

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

ingredients:

1 Table- spoon of Olive oil.

1 Big Onion.

4 Slices of Bacon.

3 Small Zucchinis, cut into slices.

1 Small Green Pepper, cut into small slices.

2 Big Rip Tomatoes,peeled and sliced.

6 Eggs.

Black pepper and Salt to taste.

1) Heat up the oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onion and the bacon  chopped. Fry until the bacon is crispy and the onion is golden.

2) Add the cut zucchini and the green pepper,cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir fry for 4 to 5 minutes.

3) Crack the eggs into a bowl,add salt and pepper to taste, mix well. Pour the egg mixture onto the zucchini mixture. Cook and stir  until eggs are done. Serve  over toasted and buttered bread.