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Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

Spanish

Merluza a la Vasca (Basque style hake)

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For Mother’s Day, I thought I’d fix my mom (and the rest of the family) one of my favorite Spanish dishes, sampled often at Restaurante Colon in the village of Torrejon.  The fish cooks in a savory, garlic laced, green sauce and involves no last minute preparation, always a plus in my book.

Ingredients

4 fish steaks, hake or cod, about 1 inch thick
salt
pepper
flour for dusting
4 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
3 T. minced onion
2 T. flour
3/4 c. white wine
3/4 c. clam juice
6 T. minced parsley
3/4 c. peas, fresh or frozen
1 dozen small clams
1 dozen mussels
1 jar (11.6 oz.) white asparagus
1 jar (2 oz.) pimento strips
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Dust with flour.
  • Heat 2 T. oil in large frying pan.  Cook fish about 1 minute on each side.
  • Transfer fish to 4 individual baking dishes.  Top with lemon juice
  • Add remaining oil to pan.  Cook garlic and onion until translucent.
  • Stir in 2 T. flour, gradually adding wine and clam juice.  Stir until thick and smooth.
  • Add 5 T. parsley, peas, salt and pepper.
  • Pour sauce over the fish.  Add clams, mussels, asparagus, and pimento to the baking dishes.
  • Bake for 20 to 40 minutes, until fish flakes and the clams and mussels are open.
  • Top with remaining parsley, 1 T., and chopped egg.

Serves 4

Gazpacho

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gazpacho, Spanish, soup

Just as I sampled Sangria all over Spain, I spent four years tasting Gazpacho across the Iberian Peninsula.  My only regret was that it was a seasonal dish on restaurant menus, served only in the Spring and Summer.  During the colder months, one had to make due with other selections.

How do I describe the sensations of Gazpacho for you?  The soup itself is cold and tart with a smooth texture, which is in stark contrast to the crisp, finely diced vegetables (and bread) served on top of the soup.  It is SO refreshing!

The recipe I’ve developed rivals the best tasted in my Don Quixote like quest for the ultimate Gazpacho.

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Gazpacho

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 6-8
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Spanish
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Description

A cool refreshing soup for summer

Ingredients

  • 3 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 bell pepper
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
  • dash Tobasco
  • 1 tablespoon Wondra flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine tomato juice, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in blender or food processor until smooth
  2. Strain through fine mesh strainer into a bowl, working the mixture through with the back of a spoon
  3. Add olive oil, vinegar, Tobasco, Wondra flour, salt and pepper
  4. Chill
  5. Serve with finely diced bread, cucumber, onion, tomato, and bell pepper on the side
  6. Each diner can decide which of the toppings they would like to have on their gazpacho

When the waiter would serve the toppings, I always said, “un poco de todo.”  My Spanish may not have progressed much beyond the kindergarten level, but taste buds did. 

Lentejas (Spanish Lentils)

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A dinner party at Carol Stymans’ home –  that’s were I first had lentils (Spanish or otherwise).  Carol introduced us to many things Spanish, including El Corte Ingles. 🙂

This makes a thick, stew-like soup.  I love using lentils because they cook so quickly.


Ingredients

1 lb. lentils, sorted & rinsed
2 small ham hocks
6 oz. Spanish chorizo, sliced
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
1 c. sliced carrots
1 large potato, peeled & diced
1/2 T. dried parsley
8 c. water
4 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 t. ground black pepper
dash cayenne
2 bay leaves

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a dutch oven.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, appox. 2 hours.  Add additional water if the mixture become TOO thick.  Remove bay leaves and hocks.  (My ham hocks didn’t have any meat worth picking off; if yours do, remove it from the hock and return the meat to the soup.)  I was intentional about not adding salt here; between the smoked ham hocks, and bouillon, it didn’t seem to need more.  Season to your own taste. 

Serves 6 – 8

It’s a pity that so many of my favorite dishes are basically brown and not at all photogenic.

Taste Barcelona, Poznań, Poland

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March 2011 – Sorry to say this restaurant has closed.  

Wouldn’t you know my first meal in Poland would be Spanish food?

We had planned to have zupa (soup) at a nearby restaurant, but it was Saturday night, and we were without a reservation.  So we found a table at Taste Barcelona in Stary Browar, a huge red brick mall that used to be a brewery.

My husband ordered the Catalan, a selection of Spanish meats (jamon serrano, chorizo, y salchinchon) on a bed of greens.  I had the Costa Brava, very similar to my own Spanish Green Beans dressed up with goat cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Pincho Moruno (Moorish Style Kabobs)

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pinchos framed

My husband found this recipe in The Foods & Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas.  He had to buy the book when he saw that Penelope wrote about having Pinchos at the same tapas bar we had – at the Bar Espuela on the Plaza Santa Ana in Madrid.  She has street cred, or should that be kitchen/bar cred?

We made Pincho Moruno for a drinks and nibbles party. Grilling them was our “performance art” of the evening. Even with two tables full of sweet and savory goodies, the Pinchos stole the show. They disappeared the moment they came off the grill, and our five pounds of pork was gone in no time at all.

We sometimes saute the pork with a little olive oil rather than grilling.  It’s not traditional, but the meat seems to be a little more moist.  If grilling, be careful not to overcook. Try it for your next cookout; you won’t be disappointed!

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spanish, kebab

Pincho Moruno (Moorish Style Kabobs)

  • Prep Time: 8 hours
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 8 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Appetizer or Main
  • Cuisine: Spanish
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Description

Spicy little bits of moist pork, always a hit!

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 bay leaf, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon minced parsley
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb. lean pork, cut in 3/4 – 1 inch cubes. (We like to use pork tenderloin)

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients except pork in a large bowl
  2. Add the meat cubes and stir to coat
  3. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally
  4. Thread on skewers; grill until well browned, but juicy.

Notes

The spicy oil you’ve cooked the meat in is great for dipping a crusty bread.

Also an excellent main course. Make the pork cubes larger, serve with mashed potatoes, and a green vegetable.

pinchos morunos red      

Mediterrain Style Skillet Vegetables

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Because some vegetables need to cook longer than others, I tend to  slice and  dice as the previous ingredients are cooking.  I’ve also prepared this with  diced prosciutto (add with the garlic), diced tomatoes (add with the squash), and grated Parmesan cheese (add at the end of cooking).

 

Ingredients 

3 T. olive oil
1 c. carrots, thinly sliced
5 bell peppers, julienned (I used 2 red, 3 green)
1 large yellow onion, julienned
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small head green cabbage, cored, thinly sliced, and parboiled
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise, then halved across, thinly slice each quarter lengthwise
2 yellow summer squash, sliced in same manner as the zucchini
2 c. Barilla whole grain pasta (I used medium shells), cooked as directed
kosher salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper

Directions 

Over medium to medium-high heat, add oil to a very large frying pan.  Add carrots; stirring occasionally.  While carrots are cooking, slice bell peppers then add to frying pan.  Season with salt, stirring as needed.  While the mix is cooking, slice onion and prepare cabbage.  Add to frying pan and season with salt, and continue to stir.   Prepare garlic and squash, add to pan and season with salt, stir.  Cook pasta; drain; add to frying pan, combining with vegetables.  Season with black and cayenne peppers to taste.

Yields 10-1 cup servings, 1.8 WW points each (adding prosciutto or Parmesan cheese will increase this value.)

Sevilla Restaurant & Tapas Bar, San Diego, CA

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Sevilla served some of the best Spanish food that I’ve eaten in the New World.  After four years in Spain, I feel qualified to judge.
The sangria was perfect, and went down ever so easily!  We began our meal with tapas: Tortilla Espanola, Fabada, Brava Sauteed Potatoes.  The fabada was our favorite and just like we used to have at the ski lodge in Navacerrada.  For dinner, my husband tried the Iberico Pork Tenderloin and loved it.  I had the vegetable paella.  The flavor of the rice was perfect, and everyone in the office was commenting on the wonderful aroma when I warmed up my leftovers for lunch.

Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp)

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I can’t take credit for this dish. This is something my husband fixes. His inspiration comes from a dish we ordered on every visit to Meson de San Javier, near the Puerta del Sol, in Madrid. It’s full of spice and flavor. You’ll want a nice baguette to sop up the garlicy, peppery oil. From our google research, it looks as if San Javier is no longer open. That is a pity. 🙁

Ingredients

10 large tiger shrimp, butterflied (we get a huge bag at Costco)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
kosher salt

Directions

Heat oil with garlic and red pepper over medium heat until it begins to sizzle – approximately 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and add shrimp, sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring, until shrimp are curled and they turn white (opaque). Serve with a crusty baguette (perfect for dipping in the spicy oil). Serves 2.

Tortilla Española

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Tortilla is a Spanish favorite – a potato omelet (no similarity to the Mexican tortillas). I usually serve it in wedges for dinner (or breakfast) or 1-inch squares for an appetizer. Serve with roasted peppers or salsa. The simple ingredients make this the perfect dish to prepare when the cupboard is bare.

Ingredients
Adapted from The Foods & Wines of Spain

1 c. olive oil
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices
coarse salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 – 8 large eggs

Directions

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

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the potato slices one at a time. Alternate layers of potato with layers of onion, salt the layers lightly. Cook over medium heat, turning to potatoes frequently, until tender but not brown.

While the potatoes are cooking, beat 6 eggs in a large bowl, salt lightly. Remove potatoes from the oil and drain. (Keep the oil, you’ll need 3 T. for remainder of this recipe; it picks up a great flavor from the potatoes and onion so you may want the rest for future use.) Add the potato mixture 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

Wash the skillet, it’s imperative that the pan be spotless (and dry) before the next step. Heat 2 T. of the reserved oil in the skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the potato 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.

Spanish Green Beans

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During my husband’s Air Force career, we had the good fortune to live in Spain for 4 years, and we fell in love with Spanish food. Every evening, the aroma of something frying in garlic and olive oil from the kitchens below would waft up the stairwell to our 10th floor apartment, and it was fantástico. This is one of many Spanish dishes that we fix regularly. It’s great reheated too!

Ingredients
Adapted from The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas

2 lbs. fresh green beans
2 T. vinegar
2 T. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. onion, diced
3 oz. prosciutto, diced
salt & pepper

Directions
Snap the ends off the beans. Blanch in boiling water and vinegar for 5 minutes. Drain the beans thoroughly. Add olive oil and beans to a large frying pan, on medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Lower heat, add garlic, onion, and prosciutto. Cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Cover and cook 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The beans should still have a little crunch to them. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 generous servings, 2 WW points each