Soupy rice with mushrooms and jumbo shrimp

This was really great.  Taken from Seasonal Spanish Food.  Heat 5 tbsp olive oil over med high.  Cook 2 large minced garlic cloves.  Then add 14 oz can tomatoes and cook until reduced.  Chop 8 oz mushrooms (remove gills from large ones).  Slice 3/4 inch thick.  Cut 4 large pork sausages into 3/4 inch slices.  Add mushrooms and sausages into cooked mixture and cook 3 more minutes.  Turn up heat and add 1/4 cup rice (calasparra or risotto).  Stir, then pour in 6 tbsp white wine.  Cook alcohol off.   Add 1 quart chicken stock (we added less so ours was less soupy).  Simmer 18-20 min.  We sauted the shrimp separately and served on top of the rice.  Sprinkle with parsley (which we forgot again!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A different recipe for tortilla espanola.  Less rich, more potatoey than the last one.  Slice 2 1/2 pounds potatoes and 1 onion 1/8 inch thick.  Toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Layer in 8x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Whisk 4 eggs.  Add potatoes and onions and let sit for 10 minutes.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan over high heat.  Add potato mixture, pressing down.  Reduce heat to med high and cook until starting to brown.  Flip (like the other recipe) and cook another 3-4 minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes.

Wed

So much cooking, leftovers tonight!

Spinach tortilla and black beans

Spinach Tortilla:  Beat 5 large eggs.  Add a minced shallot (I used 3 green onions.  Add 5 oz spinach and mix well.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cook 10 minutes over med heat, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes.

Soak black beans overnight.  Drain and simmer with one leek, tomato, garlic clove, onion, carrot, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 bay leaf, and enough water to cover by 2 inches until beans are tender.  Then heat 2 tbsp olive oil and saute 1 minced garlic clove.  Add vegetables from beans.  Puree vegetables, then stir into beans.  ( in retrospect, I would have trimmed the onions and tomatoes prior to putting them in the pot and I think I would have doubled or even tripled the paprika)  Salt and pepper to taste.  Served with cod and a salad.

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Beef with red peppers; sauteed mushrooms

This picture is not too good.  The sauteed beef with red peppers had a nice flavor, but it needs some tweaking.  The mushrooms were delightful.  Chopped button and portabella mushrooms and saute in 2 tbsp olive oil over high heat for one minute.  Add 2 large minced garlic cloves, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, salt and pepper and cook another 2 minutes.  Add a squeeze of lemon juice.  Serve immediately.

Easter

Tortilla Espanola (from Mario Batali) Slice 1 1/4 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick.  Thinly slice one small onion.  Add 1/4 cup olive oil to pan, add potatoes and onions and cook over  med to med-low heat for 20 minutes, tossing often so that they get fork tender, but don't brown.  Whisk 8 eggs with salt and pepper to taste.  Add potatoes to bowl and mix.  Return to pan, spreading potatoes out.  Cook for one minute med, then reduce to med low and cook for 20 min or until almost set throughout.  Slide onto a plate.  Then flip it back into pan.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Put on serving plate and let rest 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

There are a lot of tortilla recipes.  We liked this one a lot.  We'll try another recipe soon.

A lot of pans for a one pot meal.

Sanford sipping sherry.

This is the cava from our wedding.

Lamb and Roasted Red Pepper Ragout (from Spain and the World Table)  Marinate 4 pounds lamb stew meat with 3 tbsp spanish sweet paprika, 2 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 finely crumbled bay leaf, 2/3 cup olive oil, 2/3 white wine, zest of 1/3 lemon, 1/2 salt, 1/2 tsp pepper overnight.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and brown the meat in batches.  Pour off all but 1 tbsp of fat between batches.  Add browned meat to soup pot.  Then deglaze pan with 2/3 cup white wine and add to soup pot.  Meanwhile in a different pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil.  Add 4 cups chopped onions.  Cook about 10 minutes, until translucent.  Add 2 1/2 tbsp smoked parika, 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 3 tbsp finely minced garlic (whole head).  Cook until it starts to stick.  Add 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.  Add to soup pot.  Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup chicken broth and add to pan.  Add another 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest to soup pot.  Simmer, covered for about an hour.  Rinse 2 jars roasted red pepper and dice.  Add to pot and cook another 30 minutes.  You can now add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.  Add 8 tsp chopped parlsey.  (we forgot)

Kurt Kingsley

Kingsley and Speake kids

Laura Kingsley

Chicken Pepitoria

This is a popular celebration meal in Extremadura.  It was delicious!  

Mix 1/4 cup flour with salt and pepper.  Coat 8 chicken thighs.  Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet until it shimmers.  Brown chicken in batches.  Return chicken to pan.  Add 2 bay leaves and 8 minced garlic cloves.  Add 3/4 cup white wine ( I used rose) and 2 cups chicken stock.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Meanwhile grind 3/4 cup toasted almonds.  Mix with 2 egg yolks.  Combine the almonds and eggs with some of the cooking liquid.  (I skimmed some of the fat off the top after the 30 minutes)  Stir into the chicken and cook another 10 minutes.  Stir in chopped parsley and scatter toasted sliced almonds over each serving.  Serve with oven fried potatoes and steamed broccoli.  (Adapted from Seasonal Spanish Food)

Spain/Portugal

We started Spain and Portugal today.  We decided to start simple, with ingredients that we already have.  We took the rest of the fermented bean pastes, korean chili sauce and dried anchovies to the restaurant for family meal.  Looks like Sanford might not be done with Korea just yet.

More sizzling meat:  Pincho Moruno - Cut 1 lb pork loin into 1 inch cubes.  Marinade:  1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, fresh ground pepper and 2 tbsp olive oil.  Marinate several hours, turning occasionally.  Place on skewers and grill until just cooked. (From The Best of Spain).  It's rainy, so we cooked it on the griddle.  It was good, but a little dry.  Next time we will oil the griddle and cut the pork loin a little bigger so it gets more texture and less cooked in the center.

Patatas Pobres:  (also from The Best of Spain).  Heat 1 tsp oil in cast iron pan.  Slice and peel four baking potatoes 1/8 inch thick.  Toss potatoes with 3 tbsp olive oil, making sure to coat each potatoes.  Layer potatoes, salting between potatoes.  Cook covered 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.   Sprinkle with 1 minced garlic clove and 1 tbsp minced garlic. 

Insalata Mixta:  Romaine, mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, tuna and olives (not pictured) tossed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Change of Months

We've been pretty successful about exploring Korean food until this past week.  With my working late hours and then throwing my back out, there hasn't been a lot of cooking.  Also, Sanford's belly had a little trouble with so much fermented foods.  So we have decided to move on to the Iberian Pennisula.  Jack and Sam are disappointed, since this has been their favorite month so far.  We have promised that we will return to it, especially since we have a fridge full of fermented beans and dried anchovies.  We are waiting for the recipes from Jack's classmate, Dong.  Dong is getting recipes from his mother in Korea.  The bulgogi was everyone's favorite.  I loved the scallion pancakes and Sam was a fan of making his daily sushi.  I think moving back to a European country will be a little easier for us to do for an entire month.

Sam's after school snack

Sam is now making sushi for an after school snack.    It's his new burrito!

bo ssam

Korean antipasti

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Bo Ssam

From Momofuku:  Mix 1 cup sugar and 1 cup kosher salt and rub on 10 pound bone in pork butt.  Marinate in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight.  Put in 300 degree oven and cook for 6 hours, basting every hour or so.  Then remove from oven.  Rub seven tbsp light brown sugar and 1 tbsp salt on pork and turn up oven to  500 degrees.  Cook for 10-15 minutes.  Serve with raw oysters on the half shell (we didn't do this), ssam sauce (Combine 1 tbsp ssamjang(fermented bean and chile paste, 1/2 tbsp kochujang (chile paste), 1/2 cup sherry vinegar and 1/2 cup neutral oil)), kimchi, 1 cup pureed kimchi, ginger scallion sauce (Mix together 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions, 1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger, 1/4 neutral oil, 1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce, 3/4 tsp sherry vinegar, and 3/4 tsp kosher salt) and rice.  Serve with bibb lettuce to roll it in.

Ramen, chicken patties

Ramen with a ginger scallion dressing from Momofuku

Korean Beer

Chicken with sesame and ginger: (from Madhur Jaffrey):  Grind one pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Mix with minced garlic, 1 inch grated ginger, 1 chopped scallion, 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne.  Make patties, cook in 2 tbsp veg oil.  Serve with korean dipping sauce.  I think I might make these again, stuff them in casing and grill them this summer, serve on a bread with kimchi relish.

Daikon and broccoli saute.

All Sanford tonight!

Beautiful potato scallion pancakes.  Makes mine look pretty sad!

Always this is served with rice and kimchi.  Jack is committed to taking a bite of the kimchi every night, each night it's getting bigger.  When asked if he likes it alone or mixed in with everything else, he said "results may vary."

Cabbage, red pepper, scallions, bean sprouts and enoki mushrooms tossed with a vinagrette of sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili flakes and sesame seeds.

Dwaeji Bulgogi:  Spicy marinated pork.  Combine 3 tbsp korean red pepper powder, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp mirin and black pepper.  Toss with sliced pork shoulder.  Stir fry.  (from Discovering Korean Cuisine) So far the best meat has been the ribeye.  Who would have thought? 

Radish and bean sprout soup

Stir fried pork loin with red bell peppers.  Sanford thought it was crappy, the rest of us liked it.  Not as much punch in flavor as last night's beef and it was much drier, but I think we might try it again.

Tonight's pancake was made with garlic chives.  Too doughy.  It doesn't call for salt, and I haven't added it to compensate for the salt in the soy and other ingredients.  Will try new recipe soon.

Radish and bean sprout soup.  This was surprisingly good.  The boys said they would like to have it next time they were home sick.  Warm and comforting.  From Madhur Jaffrey:  Bring 5 cups beef stock to a boil with an asian radish cut into strips about 2 inches long.  (7 oz radish)  Simmer 15 minutes, until radish is soft.  Add 3 scallions cut into 2 inch long strips and 3/4 pound bean sprouts.  Simmer 5 minutes.

First night in Korea

The ever changing look of our refrigerator!

We started by buying 3 pounds of kimchi, next we will try to make it.

Bulgogi:  Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp mirin, 2 tsp water.  Add 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced rib eye.  Stir fry over high heat. (from Discovering Korean Cuisine)

Green onion pancakes:  Mix 1 cup flour with 3/4 cup cold water.  Add 5 sliced scallions and a pinch of black pepper.  Pan fry in vegetable oil.  (from: Eating Korean)

Also tonight: 

Seasoned fermented soybean paste:  Combine 4 tbsp fermented soybean paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 chopped green onion and 2 tbsp sesame oil.  (from Eating Korean)

Pa-Muchim:  Scallion salad (adapted from Discovering Korean Cuisine):  Cut scallions into 3 inch segments, then finely cut again lengthwise.  Add 1/8 cayenne, 1/8 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tsp soy sauce, 1/4 tsp granulated sugar, 1/2 sesame oil.  Toss.  Add 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds.

Stir fried zucchini with sesame seeds:  (from Madhur Jaffrey's Far Eastern Cooking):  Cut 4 zucchini in half lengthwise.  Then cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp salt.  Let them sit 30-40 min.  Drain.  Heat 3 tbsp veg oil.  Add 4 minced garlic cloves until they begin to color.  Add zucchini and fry for 4-5 minutes.  Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 chopped scallion, and 1 tbsp sesame oil.  Stir once or twice.  Add 2 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.  Stir.  Serve warm or as a cold salad.

All of this was served with rice.  It went together perfectly!  And best of all, dinner took a little over an hour to get on the table!