Hola!!!

Wow. Those are the words that I have for these mini cheese balls topped with chopped pecans and cranberries. Eat one, and you will want another. And perhaps …. another! This tapa is perfect. It can be made ahead of time, and served small (bite-sized!) or as a two-biter. It can also be served with crackers.
Trust me, I couldn’t stop eating them!

Ingredients for about 25 cheese balls:

1 large log of goat cheese (about 11oz)

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup of cranberries

In a food processor, add the pecans and the cranberries. Blend them up, but be careful, you don’t want them to look like crumbs. Transfer onto a plate.
Shape the goat cheese into bite-sized balls and roll each ball into the pecan-cranberry mixture. Transfer the balls into the refrigerator to harden and take them out after about 30 minutes before serving.

Bon profit!

Hola!!!

Tapas tapas!! Oh! I love them, I love jumping from bar to bar in Spain for tapas. You can have a beer or a glass of wine with a tapa for about $3. Fantastic right? Yes! That’s why I love it. And in the spring and summer, it’s even better! You can sit outside and enjoy the sights and sounds of Spain. Every tapas restaurant advertises their tapas on a blackboard outside so you can see before you go in.

I love cheese, any kind of cheese. They really make any dish a little bit more tasty! There are many tapas with cheese in them.

One cheese I like is brie. You can bake it, put it in salads, make brie croquettes (see my croquette recipe) or brie pinchos ( I’ll post more about pinchos later). Today, I thought you would like to taste fried brie… It’s so good. The ones I make are about a 2-bite size. Perfect size for tapas.  You get a nice taste of the melted brie, and a nice crunch. A great contrast of textures.

Ingredients:

– Brie

– Egg

– Bread crumbs

– 2 cups vegetable or canola oil

Slice the brie in small squares (or into the size you desire). About one inch thick, if  they are too thin, they will melt while you´re cooking.

Preheat the oil on medium high heat. Beat the egg and place the brie into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs.

Place them into the pan for a few minutes until they’re golden brown, flip, and cook the other side. Remove and place onto a plate with paper towel.

Serve and get ready to eat some tapas!

Bon profit!

Holaaa!!!

Seafood… I love it!! We have a lot of it in Spain, and a large variety. And we have a lot of ways to cook it. Some seafood is more unique to Spain and Europe, and is difficult to find in the U.S., such as langoustines, (escamarlas in Catalan), or cuttlefish (sepia).   But one type of seafood that is not difficult to find and is common around the world is shrimp, or gambas in Español.

While the shrimp in both countries may be similar, we have different ways to prepare them and different ways to eat them. For one, in Spain, we always buy the shrimp, and cook them, with the heads attached. Here in the U.S., it is very difficult to find the shrimp with the heads on. It´s too bad because the head of the shrimp is super yummy!!! It adds a whole new dimension of flavor. Whenever I find them here, I buy them!

My family loves seafood too. One of our favorite shrimp is from Palamós. Palamos is a town on the Costa Brava on the Mediterranean Sea. Costa Brava translates to rugged coast, and is a beautiful part of Spain. Originally a fishing village, Palamos is famous for a shrimp that is very red in color. Seriously, just looking at the picture my mouth is watering.

I am so lucky to have grown up living so close to the Costa Brava. Last summer, I took this picture while I was walking in the Cami de Ronda, a footpath built along the Costa Brava. The picture below is between Platja d’Aro and Palamós (both are small towns along  La Costa Brava).

So for today, you guessed it, I’m cooking…  shrimp. The dish is called Gambas al ajillo (Pronounced gaam-baahs al ah-heelo, literally shrimp with garlic). Something very easy and simple. If you can’t find fresh shrimp, you can always make it with frozen shrimp. It’s great as an appetizer or you can simply make it for dinner! Just increase the recipe! 🙂

This recipe takes 10 minutes!

Ingredients:

– 1/2 Ib shrimp

– 4 garlic cloves

– 1 tsp paprika

– 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

– salt

– pepper

– olive oil

Prepare the shrimp like you would like to cook them. You can either peel the skins from the shrimp, to incorporate more flavor into the shrimp, or you can leave them on. It’s a personal preference.

Drizzle some olive oil in a large pan and heat on medium. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the shrimp, the paprika, red pepper flakes and increase the heat to medium high. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the the shrimp turn pink and are cooked. It doesn’t take long! If you overcook them, they can get tough and chewy.

Transfer to a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

It has a mild spice profile. Vary the amount of paprika and garlic to increase or decrease the level of spiciness. As you can see, this is an easy and delicious way to bring the flavors of the Mediterranean Coast into your home.

Bon profit!

Hola hola!

Today something super healthy, and not necessarily Spanish.

Every morning when I wake up, I make coffee. I need it so bad! It’s a daily process  that I do, but one that I like. Coffee and news, and let the day begin! My breakfast or snack is usually a smoothie. I love them, and in a few sips you can consume many of the vitamins and minerals you need for the whole day. They say we need at least 2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables every day!  I usually eat more than that, but it’s a great way to start the day fresh and with energy.

I make a different smoothie every day. I try to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season for different reasons.  The first is that fresh fruits and vegetables taste better.  So, the fresher the tastier. Second is that very fresh fruits and vegetables retain their vitamins and nutrients better. Third, I like to support the local farmers when I can.  It´s nice to know exactly where your produce comes from. And last, seasonal produce is usually less expensive because it is more abundant and more readily available.  So eat fresh and local whenever you can!

So, depending on the season I will make one or another smoothie.  But since you can´t always find fresh, you can always buy frozen. Frozen is a great alternative because it retains the flavors, is easy to store, and makes it so easy for smoothies because all of the preparation work is done!

For this delicious smoothie I used;

– 2 leaves of swiss chard

– 1 cup kale

– 1/2 cup pineapple

– 1/3 cup blueberries

– 5 strawberries

– 1 cup almond milk

Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix away!

You can change any of these fruits or vegetables. Enjoy it!

Bon profit!!

I am happy to share this recipe with Fiesta Friday!