Patatas a la Riojana - Rioja style potato stew

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Spanish onions

2 lbs potatoes (peeled and sliced)

6 cloves of garlic (minced)

5 dry red el peppers

3 green bell peppers

1 cup of dry whit wine

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the onions and the green peppers that have been sliced and diced, in the hot oil until they are browned. Add the potatoes which have been peeled and sliced, along with the minced garlic, 1 bay leaf and the dried red peppers. Add the white wine and water to cover the vegetables completely. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

Bring to a boil and cover, simmering over medium heat for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the red bell peppers and the bay leaf. Chop the red peppers. Add salt if needed and cayeene to taste. Sprinkle the top with the red peppers and served immediately.

Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinted Anchovies)

1 lb Anchovies

1/2 cup Sherry Vinegar

6 cloves of garlic

2 tbs freshly chopped parsely

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Slice the bellies of the anchovies and remoe the bones and heads. Rinse the fish and then pat dry. Slice them in half lengthwise and place in a dish and cover them with the vinegar.

Place the dish covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.   Remove the anchovies the next day from the refrigerator draining them well. Place them on a serving dish.

Sprinkle with minced garlic, fresh parsely, salt and pepper (to taste). Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the anchovies and return to the refrigerator for 1 more hour. Serve with fresh, crusty bread.

Tombet Mallorquin

1 Large onion

2 eggplants

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 zucchini

Extra virgen olive oil

Salt

Slice all the vegetables and along with the onion and saute them one by one in olive oil and salt. Once they have all been sauteed place the slices in layers in a casserole dish together with your

favorite tomato/marinara sauce. Top with minced garlic and parsley and serve. May be served either cold or warm. The original mallorquin dish does not call for zucchini but it is used frequently in

todays recipe. This dish makes for a great vegetarian meal.

Note: Do not peel the eggplant, peppers or zucchini.

Coca de Tomate

4 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup extra virgen olive oil

1 egg

1 Tbs yeast

Salt

Garlic and parsely (1 clove and a handful of parsely)

Sweet praprika for dusting

4 large tomatoes

1 Tsp sugar

Mix the milk, egg, yeast and salt. Add the olive oil and flour and need mixture well. Let rise one hour. Meanwhile slice tomatoes in threes and add salt and minced garlic with

a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sugar to them. Place them in a 350 degree oven to roast and soften (about 20 minutes) Once the dough has rested an hour extend it

onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread on top sweet paprika, kosher salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Then add the tomatoe and garlic

mixture from the oven. Place the Coca in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (depending on oven). Keep an eye on the dough as it doesn't take long to

get golden brown. 

Makes for a delicious light summer dinner or lunch! Have fun with this recipe and add other veggies like zucchini, eggplant or summer squash.

Empanadillas

3 Tbs Olive Oil
1lb Spinach leaves
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
6 canned anchovy fillets in oil drained and minced
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 Tbs raisins soaked in warm water for 15 min.
All purpose flour for dusting
Salt and Pepper
1 egg beaten
1 pound of thawed puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 350 /180 and line baking sheets with parchment paper

Trim stems on the fresh spinach leaves and finely chop the leaves.
 Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the spinach, cover and cook over low heat, shaking the pan occasionally, for 4 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and anchovies and cook, uncovered for another 2 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Drain the soaked raisins and chop. Stir raisins into the spinach mixture and add salt, pepper and pine nuts.  Let the mixture stand to cool.

Meanwhile roll out the defrosted puff pastry onto a slightly dusted with flour surface. Stamp out circles using a biscuit cutter. They should be about 3 inches in diameter.

Place a spoonful of the spinach mixture into the middle of each cut out pastry circle. Brush the edges with water and fold over into half moon shapes.  Press together well and seal. Brush the tops of the empandillas with the beaten egg to give them a nice shine. Bake them inthe preheated oven for 15 minutes  or until golden brown. These may also be fried in olive oil if one chooses to do so. Again just until golden brown.
(The filling for these empanadillas may be changed according to taste, with favorites like, roasted red peppers, tomatoes,and tuna etc)
Serve warm

Tortilla de Patata (Spanish Potato and Onion Omelette)
A staple in Spanish cuisine, so simple yet so delicious

5 white potatoes washed and peeled and sliced in ½ moon shape.
6 large eggs beaten
1 small onion (optional) diced
Salt
Olive oil

Heat  1 inch depth Olive Oil in a nonstick frying pan.  When hot add the potatoes and onion together, cooking until fork tender. Be careful not to fry the potatoes on too high a heat or they will become crunchy and hard.  Meanwhile beat the 6 eggs adding a pinch of salt to them.  Once the potatoes have reached their fork tender moment strain the potatoes & onion and add to the eggs stirring immediately and returning to the frying pan.  Let the potato and egg mixture cook on medium low heat until you see the outside rim of the tortilla bubbling. Carefully place a plate over the mixture as you take it off the heat and flip the tortilla on the plate, sliding it back into the frying pan. (This can be tricky and take practice but is worth the effort)  Return the frying pan to the heat in order to cook the other side of the tortilla. Once that has cooked through you may slide the tortilla onto a dish and salt according your liking.

Tortilla de patata may be eaten warm or cold, as an appetizer or sliced inside a delicious baguette as a sandwich.

Garlic Shrimp and Lemon

30 Jumbo Shrimp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 cloves of Garlic
4 dried hot red chilies
4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Country bread to serve

Peel and devein the shrimp removing the heads but leaving the tails on.  Rinse and pat dry the shrimp.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic then the chilies and stir constantly until they sizzle, being careful not to burn. Add the shrimp and let them sautee until they begin to curl and turn pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and place into a warm clay dish, drizzle with lemon juice and serve with bread to soak up the oil and all its flavors.

Chorizo with Chickpeas

2 large links Chorizo Sausage
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cans chickpeas (drained)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 small onion finely chopped
4 pimientos del piquillo drained and sliced finely
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
salt and pepper
country bread to serve

After dicing the chorizo heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook, while stirring occasionally, unitl the onion is soft.  Add the chorizo and cook until heated through.  Pour the mixture into a large bowl and to this add the chickpeas, peppers, and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. This delicious salad may be served warm or at room temperature with crusty country bread.

Christmas Potage
This dish is a typical one served around the Christmas Holiday.

3 cans of drained garbanzo beans
extra virgen olive oil
4 cloves of garlic peeled
1 small Spanish onion diced
2 Tbs. of sweet Spanish Paprika
1 lb baby spinach
2 lbs bonless salt cod whcih has been soaked in water for over a two day period changing the water 2 times a day.
Water

Put the garbanzo beans into a heavy pot, cover them with water and let them simmer.  Heat a 1/4 of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion. Then add the garlic until it turns slightly golden. Add the pimenton and stir. When this begins to bubble remove it from the heat and add this to the garbanzos. You don't want the pimenton (Paprika) to burn so keep a watchful eye. Add the spinach to the pot and let it wilt in with the garbanzo beans. Drain the cod fish and add to the soup along with 2 -3 cups more of water to cover. Let boil and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. 
Delicious served with large pieces of toasted crusty bread.