Category: TAPAS

Tapas are a variety of appetizers and snacks. Very typical of Spanish cuisine.

Flan de Huevo (Egg Flan)

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Today I am making a very traditional recipe, egg flan. This flan can be found in virtually every  restaurant in Spain.

The flan is so popular that you can buy it in a box at Spanish supermarkets. The only thing you have to do is mix the box mixture with milk and voilà!  That is very easy and convenient, but of course, there is nothing like a homemade dessert. We have a lot of varieties of flan; egg, vanilla, coconut, coffee, etc.

This flan is very easy, you can make it in just 10 minutes,  then it will be in the oven for about 35 minutes and then you will have to wait until its cold.

 As a mold, you can use a large size, or you can use individual ramekins like I did. My ramekins are about a 1/4 cup.

Lets make a flan!

Flan de Huevo (Egg Flan)

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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: spanish
Keyword: eggs, flan, spanish desserts, spanish flan
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Cool: 1 hour
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

For the Caramel:

  • 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

For the Flan:

  • 2 Cups Whole Milk You can use 2% as well
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Small Cinnamon stick
  • 1 Lemon Rind
  • 4 Medium Eggs room temperature

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.

For the Caramel:

  • In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook on medium heat. Once the sugar melts and turns brown, divide the melted sugar between the number of servings that you have (Or you can just use one big mold).

For the flan:

  • In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring to boil the milk, sugar, lemon and the cinnamon.
  • In a medium bowl whisk the 4 eggs.
  • Once the milk mixture starts to boil, remove the lemon and the cinnamon and turn the heat off.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the milk mixture to the beaten eggs. Whisk wish wish!! When the eggs are fully incorporated, pour the mixture back to the sauce pan and whisk.
  • Strain the mixture into a bowl. (OPTIONAL: Use a hand blender to blend it up).
  • Pour the mixture into each ramekin (or into one big mold).
  • Fill half of a baking dish with water, add the ramekins and then place in the oven, being careful not to get any water in the flan.
  • Cook in the oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. The center should be firm, but soft, and not liquid.
  • Remove the ramekins from the baking dish.
  • Cool in the fridge, for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Serve cold and enjoy! Bon profit!
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? Tag @joyofspanishcooking on Instagram and hashtag #joyofspanishcooking
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Flan de Huevo (Egg Flan)

IvetteLeave a comment

Tinto De Verano (Summer Red Wine)

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Summers in Spain are hot, but I used to go to the beach almost every single day, so that helped. Plus, I love hot weather. Humidity is not as bad as it is here in Maryland. Lately, it has been hot and humid.I guess I won’t complaint too much since I love summer.

Today I am making a classic Spanish drink- Tinto de Verano, which literally translates to summer red wine. This is NOT Sangria… Don’t worry, I will post the recipe for sangria soon. (To be honest, I can’t believe I don’t have it!) Tinto de Verano is a classic summer drink. It reminds me of fun evenings with friends near the beach, eating some tapas, drinking Tinto de Verano and just enjoying life…

For this recipe I highly suggest you use a fairly fruity red wine. Not necessarily sweet, but definitely not dry. I also recommend you buy a good quality lemonade. You don’t want to end up with lots of sugar in the drink because of the lemonade. Also, the wine should be at room temperature, but make sure that the lemonade and sparkling water are cold. As you will read in the instructions, you don’t need to mix the ice with all the ingredients. You don’t want the drink to be too watery. Just pour some ice in each glass before you serve it.

This drink goes well with my patatas bravas,

Happy Summer! Salud!

Tinto de Verano

5 from 1 vote
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Cuisine: spanish
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Bottle Red wine (fruty wine) 750 ml
  • 1 1/2 cups Lemonade Cold
  • 1 1/2 cups Sparkling Water Cold
  • 1/4 cup Vermouth Optional
  • 1 Orange Sliced
  • 1 Lemon Sliced
  • Ice

Instructions

  • In a pitcher, combine the wine, lemonade, sparkling water, vermouth (if using) and the slices of orange and/or lemon.
  • Add some ice to the glasses and pour the wine mixture on top.
  • Enjoy! Salud!
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? Tag @joyofspanishcooking on Instagram and hashtag #joyofspanishcooking
Tinto De Verano (Summer Red Wine)

Ivette2 Comments

Huevos Cabreados (Angry Eggs)

Video Huevos Cabreados

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I usually take advantage of having friends or family at my house. I love it! I feel like I can cook way more. The more friends and family, the more I can cook 🙂

Today’s recipe is another popular (fried!) tapa. Yeah… we have a lot of fried tapas in Spain fried chipirones, fried potatoes for braves and spanish omelletes, huevos cabreados/estrellados (today’s recipe!)…  In Spain, the food culture revolves around olive oil. We use it a lot, and we love it. And, it can be very healthy when eaten in moderation. Olive oil has been associated with healthy diets because it contains a lot of heart healthy fats.

For today we have huevos cabreados (angry eggs.) Another name for them is huevos estrellados (crashed eggs.) This is another popular tapa in Spain.  Huevos estrellados is the name from the restaurant where they were originally made, Restaurant Casa Lucio in Madrid. This is one of my favorite restaurants, I love it!  Even though this is one of their signature dishes, other restaurants do sell it under this name, but it is also very common to see it on other menus as huevos cabreados.

This dish is as easy as french fries topped with fried eggs. On the bottom of the page you can see the video on how to make hues cabreados. I hope this helps.

Huevos cabreados (Angry eggs)

4.5 from 2 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: spanish
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 4 Potatoes peeled
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 cups Vegetable or Canola oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Cut the potatoes into sticks by cutting the potato in 4 or 5 vertical pieces, and then cutting each piece into sticks. 
  • Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 375 degrees F. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and place them onto a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Season with salt.
  • For the egg: HEAT 4 tbsp olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.
  • BREAK eggs and SLIP into pan, one egg at a time. Reduce heat to low.
  • Cook slowly until the egg whites are set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, 5 to 6 minutes. Remeber you want the yolk to be super runny! DON'T OVERCOOK THE EGG!
  • Place the eggs on top of the french fries and then cut up the egg to release the yolk.
  • Serve immidietly. Bon profit!
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? Tag @joyofspanishcooking on Instagram and hashtag #joyofspanishcooking

IvetteLeave a comment

Spanish Style Sweet Rolls

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What day is it? With the current pandemic, I feel like I’ve been asking myself this question over and over for the last 10 weeks. lol 

Memorial Day Weekend is finally here, though a bit different this year.  This doesn’t mean we can’t bbq! The weather in Maryland is finally changing for the better, warm and sunny.  Finally!

Today I am making Spanish Style Sweet Rolls. These rolls took me right back to my childhood days. Soft, fluffy, delicious… In Spain, we typically eat these rolls with a little bit of butter and ham. Usually jamón dulce, a sweet ham such as honey ham or with the classic Spanish ham- jamón ibérico. Either one is delicious! They are so popular in Spain that almost every bakery sells them. These rolls would also be great as burger buns, or just as they are. My 10-month-old baby loves them. Well, she likes everything I make. lol.  

Ok, lets jump to the recipe! 

Spanish Style Sweet Rolls

5 from 1 vote
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Course: bread, Breakfast, dinner
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 Rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk 110F
  • 2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 tsp Granulated sugar
  • 2 medium eggs Room temperature
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter Room temperature
  • 4 cups all purpose flour SPOON the flour directly into the measuring cup from the container/bag- DO NOT scoop the flour from the container or bag directly with the measuring cup.
  • 3 to 4 tbsp granulated sugar 
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp melted butter For the Glaze
  • 1 tbsp honey For the Glaze

Instructions

  • Mix the warm milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl or in your stand mixer. Whisk all the ingredients, cover and allow to sit for about 7 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl. (If you want the rolls to be sweeter, use 4 tablespoons instead of 3.) 
  • Once the yeast mixture is ready, add the eggs and the butter. Using the dough hook or the paddle attachment, beat on low speed for a few seconds, until all ingredients are combined. 
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add 1 cup of the flour mixture. Beat on medium speed for a few seconds, then add another cup of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH. This process should take about 2-ish minutes. It will be complete once the dough comes together and pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
  • Knead the dough for 2 more minutes on low – medium speed.
  • At this point the dough will be ready for the first rise. 
  • Grease a large bowl with some olive oil and coat the dough with it. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let it rise for at least 1 hour or until it doubles in size (it took me 1 hour). 
  • When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape each one into a ball. .
  • Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 1 hour and preheat the oven to 375F
  • Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. 
  • As soon as the rolls are out of the oven, glaze them with butter and honey (or just butter!)
  • Enjoy them and Bon Profit!
     

Notes

These rolls will stay fresh in the fridge for 4 days. I love to warm them up in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds. 
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? Tag @joyofspanishcooking on Instagram and hashtag #joyofspanishcooking

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll

IvetteLeave a comment

Crab Croquetas

Hola!

As you may already know, I was born and raised in Spain, and adopted the USA as my new home a few years ago. And just a few short months ago, I became a US Citizen as well! So now I have a dual citizenship, I am both Spanish and American. Hurray! 

I love different cultures. Today’s dish definitely shows it, as it’s a blend of my old culture and my new one. Crab Croquetas. Crab from the Chesapeake and the Croquetas from Spain. I am so lucky to live near the Chesapeake Bay (specifically Maryland.) Crab season is on here! Woohoo! 

Croquetas are one of the most popular and typical tapas in Spain, I have different recipes for croquetas: chicken, ham and cheese, cod, squid, and today, crab! You definitely won’t find these in Spain. These are my take on Crab Cakes, which are one of the most popular and typical (and delicious) things to eat in the Chesapeake region.

Old Bay is a blend of herbs and spices and its originally from Baltimore, Maryland 

To make these delicious croquetas you can use the leftover crab meat from picking crabs (as I have done) or buy the crab meat from your local market.  The fresher, the better.

Ingredients (makes 20 to 25 croquetas): 

  • 1 medium onion, diced 
  • 2 cups Maryland blue crabmeat (or your local crab) (12 oz)
  • 1 ½ cups warm milk (I used whole milk)
  • 2 tablespoons butter 
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons flour 
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay spice
  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 ½ cups bread crumbs 
  • 3 cups neutral (vegetable or canola) oil 
  • Cook the onion on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil until it gets browned. Add a pinch of salt and transfer to a plate. 
  • In the same pan, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of flour, whisk until fully combined. Add the warm milk and the Old Bay, whisk until fully combined and it gets thicker. 
  • Add the onion and the crabmeat and fold in the white sauce. If it looks too liquidy, add the extra tablespoon of flour. 
  • Transfer the mixture to a plate. Once at room temperature, wrap in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. *Important* The mixture has to be cold before you start shaping it into croquetas. 
  • After the dough has rested, whisk the eggs in one bowl and pour the breadcrumbs onto another large plate.
  • Shape the mixture into small croquettes with a small spoon.
  • Dip them first into the egg mixture, then roll them in the breadcrumbs.
  • Time to fry them! It is super fast. It takes about 3 minutes total for each batch of croquetas. Be sure to turn them to evenly cook each side.
  • Remove the croquetas and let them rest on a paper towel to cool and remove excess oil. Season with salt/pepper or sprinkle on more Old Bay!

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make them! Thanks!

Bon profit! 

Crab Croquetas

IvetteLeave a comment

Double Squid Croquetas

Hola!! 

I hope everyone is doing well and healthy, we are definitely living in crazy times. What do you do to clear your mind? For me, I cook, and it helps a lot! 

I bet some of you have been exploring new recipes since we have had stay home all day. If you haven’t been, you should!! 

Today I am making croquetas (croquettes), one of my favorite go-to appetizers. (Check out all my croqueta recipes; chicken, cod, ham and cheese, and more!) Today I made croquetas filled with squid. And not just squid, I also used the ink of the squid! BOOM! Mind-blowing right? Ok, maybe not mind-blowing but these are very unique and not something you normally come across. If you like seafood, or enjoy squid, you will be pleasantly surprised. These croquetas are so, so good!

You can buy the ink online if you can’t find it locally, that’s what I did. In Spain you would buy it at the seafood store, but in the U.S., I’ve never been able to find it fresh, so the jar will do! Also look for “cuttlefish ink”. You can use it to make other things, pasta, black rice, etc. Get creative!

Lets start making the croquetas! 

Preparation Time: 30 minutes 

Total time: 5hrs 30 minutes 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 
  • approx. 11 oz (300grams) squid (calamari), chopped 
  • 3 tablespoons butter 
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk, warm 
  • 1 teaspoon squid ink 
  • Olive oil and salt 
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 ½ cups bread crumbs 
  • Canola oil (frying) 
  1. In a pan, drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil and cook the calamari- it will take about 2 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate (discard any water that the squid might release). 
  2. Using the same pan, drizzle some olive oil and cook the onion until brownish. Once cooked, transfer to the calamari plate. 
  3. In the same pan, melt the butter, then add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.  Whisk constantly until the flour is combined. Add 1 cup of milk and whisk until the sauce thickens. 
  4. Add the squid ink, onion and the squid into the sauce. Mix well until fully incorporated. 
  5. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Once it cools a little bit, cover with some plastic wrap and transfer the mixture to the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight. 
  6. After the dough has rested, prepare the egg mixture. For this, I beat one large egg with 1-2 tablespoons of milk.   Pour the breadcrumbs onto another clean large plate.
  7. Shape the mixture into small croquetas with a small spoon. Dip them into first into the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs.
  8. Time to fry them! It is super fast. It took me about 3 minutes total for each batch of croquettes. Be sure to turn them to evenly cook each side.
  9. Remove the croquetas and let them rest on a paper towel to cool and remove excess oil. Season with salt.

Serve warm and… BON PROFIT!

Double Squid Croquetas

Ivette1 Comment