Spanish

Sangria

May 27, 2017 by polishhousewife 22 Comments

My friend and I hosted dinner for 14. It was a fun evening; everyone brought something, so it wasn’t too much work for anyone. We had a great salad and a baked potato bar (with all kinds of toppings: chili, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, chives, BBQ chicken!) My contribution was dessert and Sangria. You’ll love my sangria recipe!

My sangria recipe, the best souvineer of our four years in Spain. Just the thing for your next party.

I said to someone, as we were filling our glasses, that I have a PhD in Sangria. OK, it might be more accurate to say I did four years of “research in the field” while we were in Spain. The most unusual Sangria I had during that time was prepared by a Spanish bullfighter; he added gin to the wine and included sliced bananas in the fruit medley.

It’s such a refreshing drink, and it offers such flexibility! It can be made with red or white wine, I like both, but I think red stands up to the other flavors better.

If you enjoy this recipe, how about rating the recipe in the comments below, sharing the love and passing it on to your friends?

Salud!

Lois

PS – This makes enough for a punch bowl, but you can make 1/3 of the recipe and serve it in a pitcher. The following are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, Amazon sends me a few cents.

Sangria

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Author: Polish Housewife
Category: Beverage
Cuisine: Spanish

Description

refreshing and tasty, sure to make any gathering a party.

Ingredients

3 bottles cheap red wine (I used Two Buck Chuck, assorted varietals.)
1 1/2 cups Triple Sec
2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 liter Sprite
1 liter club soda

Instructions

Combine wine, triple sec, and fruit in punch bowl.
Allow flavors to blend for at least 2 hours, but less than 6 hours (the citrus pith can impart a bitter taste if it sits too long).
Add Sprite and club soda just before serving (the is the closest I can come to the gaseosa that we used in Spain).
Serve over ice.

PS – to my food blogging friends, I’ll point out that I saved (kept out) an orange slice and a strawberry when adding the fruit to the punch bowl. The two, clean piece of fruit were placed on top of the glass in the photo as recommended by Adam Pearson at a recent food blog seminar. That way, the fruit was very visible and looked perfect, not stained by the wine or smashed (no pun intended) in any way.

Huevo Hilado

September 9, 2016 by polishhousewife 4 Comments

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Trio of Cold Soups for Summer

May 7, 2014 by polishhousewife 2 Comments

Even with temperatures rising, soup is the way to begin a meal in Poland, so much so that I’ve had a waitress argue with me when I ordered a salad for a first course.

With that thought in mind, I shared three great cold soups recipes in a cooking class this week. It was a good excuse to spend time with my old friends. On Monday night, we gathered in the church kitchen, diced up a ton of vegetables, and created some light, vegetarian soups that are perfect for summer, but we didn’t stop there.

One of my friends has an herb garden, so we whipped up a garlic herb compound butter — just the thing to go with a couple of loaves from our favorite bakery. It’s so easy to do. We used two sticks of soft butter, a minced clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, and a 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup diced herbs. We used lemon thyme, flat leaf parsley, and tarragon; you could use any combination you like.

Getting back to the soups, we made a cold Polish beet soup, Chlodnik. This soup’s most notable feature is its bright pink color. It combines cooled beets and other raw vegetables with lots of dairy, including kefir — something very popular in Poland, but new to my American friends. I urge you to give kefir a try. I’ve read that it has five times the probiotics found in yogurt; add it to a smoothie or try one of the flavored versions.

We also made an asparagus vichyssoise. This was a little different than the version I make in Poland where the asparagus is white; I must admit the green color was very attractive.

A Spanish gazpacho finished off our trio. This has been one of my favorites ever since the 1980s, when we spent four years living in Spain, and I researched gazpacho and sangria all over the Iberian peninsula, but that’s another story.

Ninety minutes after we started, we gathered around the table for interesting conversation and soup sampling. The lone man who joined us told us about The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. As a cyclist, this was especially interesting to me. In its 42nd year, the week long ride is almost 500 miles. Our friend who has made the ride five times tells us that it’s really just an excuse for a week long party. It is possible to join in just for a day. That might be more my speed if I could find a day that would guarantee a tailwind! 😉

As for our soups, there were many trips to the kitchen to refill our bowls, but no clear favorite. So take a break from salads this summer, give these soups a try and let me know which one you would choose.

Sol y Sombra

September 28, 2013 by polishhousewife 2 Comments

Sol y Sombra or Spainish truth serum. We finished many an evening with our friends over a sol y sombra or two when we lived in Spain. Secrets were shared, problems were solved, or so it seemed. 😉

For your next after dinner sipping, mix equal parts brandy and anis (the Spanish licorice liqueur).

In this case, I’ve used zambuca because that’s what we had on hand. I like mine a little on the sweet side, so I usually pour a little heavy on the anis. Just the thing to warm you up on a winter evening.

Low Carb Tortilla Espanola

July 30, 2013 by polishhousewife 1 Comment

Tortilla is a Spanish favorite – usually a potato omelet (no similarity to the Mexican tortillas). I wanted to omit the potatoes, which taste terrific, but add a lot of carbohydrates to the dish. So in their place, I’ve added broccoli, cauliflower, and red bell pepper. I usually serve tortilla in wedges for dinner (or breakfast) or 1-inch squares for an appetizer. We ate this plain for breakfast, but you could also top with salsa.

Ingredients
Adapted from The Foods & Wines of Spain

head of broccoli, sliced 1/4 inch thick (leaving the core behind)*
head of cauliflower, sliced 1/4 inch thick (leaving the core behind)*
red bell pepper, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse salt
6 – 8 large eggs

*save the cores for soup; I’ve been making this one without the cream and it’s still thick and tasty!

DirectionsThis technique takes some practice, be sure to read through it before beginning.

Preheat oven to 375
In a 9 x 13 baking dish, toss the broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, bake until tender (about 45 minutes)
Beat 6 eggs in a large bowl, salt lightly
Add the hot cooked vegetables to the beaten eggs, pressing them down so they are completely covered in egg. Add additional beaten eggs if necessary. Let the mixture sit 15 minutes
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot
Add the vegetable and egg mixture, spreading it evenly in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-high and shake the pan to prevent sticking
When the mixture begins to brown, invert a plate of the same size (or slightly larger) over the skillet. Flip the tortilla onto the plate; add 1 T. of reserved oil to the pan, slide the tortilla back into the skillet to brown the other side. (If the pan wasn’t hot enough, some pieces may have stuck to the bottom. Scrap them off and fit them back into place. They’ll reattach as you continue to flip the tortilla.)
Lower the heat to medium. Flip the tortilla 4 or 5 more times (this helps with the shape), cooking for a bit on each side, 8 – 10 minutes in total. Spaniards like their tortilla to be a little juicy inside; I prefer my eggs cooked all the way through. Adjust cooking time accordingly. Transfer to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature

This is caloriecount.com’s analysis of the recipe assuming 2 cups each of raw broccoli and cauliflower and 6 eggs:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 155 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

167

Calories from Fat

117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

13.0g

20%

Saturated Fat

2.6g

13%

Cholesterol

164mg

55%

Sodium

470mg

20%

Total Carbohydrates

6.9g

Dietary Fiber

2.4g

10%

Sugars

3.2g

Protein

7.4g

Vitamin A 20%	•	Vitamin C 115%
Calcium 5%	•	Iron 7%

Nutrition Grade B+

Czerwona Papryka, Poznan, Poland

July 14, 2013 by polishhousewife Leave a Comment

Czerwona Papryka (Red Pepper) is one of two Spanish tapas restaurants in the old square; they’re the one on the east wall. You’ll be greeted by a large black bull in front of the restaurant. We spent 4 years in Spain back in the 80s and have been big fans of Spanish food ever since. Czerwona Papryka does a fine job with tapas, and I was please to see that they offer sangria, not all of Spanish restaurants in Poland or Germany do, and I’ve never understood why.

We’ve shared many of the tapas on the menu: tortilla espanola, gambas con chorizo, bob (fava beans) with choirzo (I wish they had peeled the beans), and paella. We still have a few more to try. We’ve had the same waiter both times that I’ve been there, and the service was very good.

Habas (Fava Beans) con Chorizo

July 14, 2013 by polishhousewife Leave a Comment

During the four years we lived in Spain, we never had fava beans, but we came across this dish in a Spanish restaurant in Poland recently. I liked the combination of flavors and textures; I just wish the restaurant had taken the time to remove the tough peel from the beans. It greatly improves the texture and lets the bright green color shine.

Ingredients

2 cups fava beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
chorizo, sliced
2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Boil the beans in salted water until tender, 5 – 10 minutes. Drain
Using a sharp knife, make a small slit in the skin of each bean; peel and discard the skin
Add oil and garlic to a frying pan and cook over medium-high heat until the chorizo begins to flavor the oil
Add garlic, continue cooking for a couple of minutes
Add peeled fava beans and reduce heat to medium, continue to cook 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Red Lentil, Roasted Pepper, & Spinach Soup

July 30, 2012 by polishhousewife 4 Comments

I know my friends in Arizona can’t imagine a hot soup this time of year, but it’s a possibility here in Poland. I’ve always loved lentils – not only because of the flavor, their fast cooking is great for those of us who don’t plan ahead. I’ve never used red lentils before, so it was nice to find this smaller variety cooks even faster than my usual green or brown lentils.

They lose their beautiful red during cooking taking on a creamy golden color. The hue in the soup is coming from the pureed red pepper and the chorizo.

I’ve adapted this recipe from Ginger Beat, a well written blog and great source of vegetarian recipes.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils
5 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small onion, diced
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, diced (optional, omit for vegetarian)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 roasted red bell peppers, (mine were from a jar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Knorr bullion cube, vegetable or chicken
2 cups fresh spinach leaves (or 2 ounces frozen)

Directions

Sort through the lentils, removing any debris, rinse
Add lentils and water to a saucepan, cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.
Just before the lentils are done, add oil, red pepper flakes, onion, and chorizo (if you’re using it) to a large skillet or dutch oven. Cook for a few minutes, then add garlic, cooking until garlic just begins to brown.
Puree roasted red bell peppers.
Add cooked lentils, pureed bell peppers, salt, black pepper, and bullion cube (slightly mushed to help it dissolve faster) to oil mixture, simmer for 5 minutes.
Add spinach and cook until fresh spinach leaves are wilted (if using frozen, of course, cook until spinach is thawed and soup has returned to a simmer.)

Champiñones al ajillo (tapas)- Garlic Mushrooms

March 23, 2011 by polishhousewife 3 Comments

One of our favorite tapas from our time in Spain – garlic mushrooms are easy to make and always popular. Let’s just say I’ve never had leftovers. As for the ham – prosciutto or serrano are ideal. In this case I’ve used finely diced and browned Polish lardon, in a pinch I’ve also used sliced ham from the deli.

We’ve made these so many times, but they’ve been out of the rotation lately. Until Bill mentioned that he’s looking forward to having them when he visits Madrid next week. That got us going again.

Ingredients

White button mushrooms
garlic, minced
parsley, chopped
ham, diced
lemon juice
olive oil
kosher salt

Directions

Clean the mushrooms as you usually do. I know they say you should never use water on mushrooms, but I do. I rinse them cap side up, rubbing them to remove any soil. After all, it rains in the forest.
Remove the stems.

Polish mushrooms – about to become Spanish mushrooms

Place in each mushroom cap a small bit of garlic 2 or 3 pieces of a fine dice, a small sprinkle of parsley, and a few pieces of diced ham. The opening will not be completely full.
Lightly drizzle each mushroom with lemon juice and olive oil – just 2 or 3 drops of each in every mushroom cap.
Lightly coat a large frying pan with olive oil. Transfer the mushrooms to the pan and cook over medium low heat, covered for about 15 minutes.

Spanish Flan

June 10, 2010 by polishhousewife 7 Comments

While it’s common all over the Hispanic world, it was during our four years near Madrid that I came to love Spanish Flan, cool, creamy, sweet with just a hint of burnt sugar.

My aunt, who lived in Brazil for many years, was the first to make flan in our family. Her recipe included sweetened condensed milk, as so many do, but lately I’ve been making this recipe from Rick Bayless. I’ve made this many times for dinner parties, or made a double or triple batch in a large baking dish to slice for potluck parties. It’s always a hit!

It’s best if it’s had time to chill for two hours or more, so make this early in the day or even the day before.

Enjoy!

Lois

Source: Mexico: One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless Print