Sobrassada is a raw, curated sausage from the Balearic islands. It’s red and tasty, and makes a delicious alternative to ground meat in this lasagne… for those who want to try out the Authentic Mediterranean Soul Food!
Wash the aubergines and remove the two extreme parts.
Cut it into slices of around 1 cm.
Salt them in both sides and wait for 30 minutes (or more if you have the time) so the soury water goes out from them.
Dry the aubergine slices on both sides using kitchen paper.
Oil them slightly on both sides (an oil spray is ideal for this) and put them in the oven over oven paper for 30 minutes. Turn them upside down after 15 minutes so they are cooked from both sides.
Put the Mató and the grated grana padano cheese into a bowl. Add the basil (if you’re using basil leaves, crush them before adding them to the mixture) and mix until the distribution is uniform.
Remove the skin from the sobrasada and break it into small pieces.
Get an Oven recipient ready and coat it with Olive oil.
The first layer is made only of aubergines. You should use up around one third of them.
The second layer is made up of half of the Mato mixture.
The third layer is made up of half the sobrassada. Enrich it with nuts at your leisure.
The fourth layer is made up of another third of the aubergines.
The fifth layer is made up of the other half of the mato mixture.
The sixth layer is made up of the other half of the sobrassada. Again, put as many nuts as you want.
The seventh layer is made up of half the mozzarella. Add some oregano to it.
The ninth layer is made up of the final third of the aubergines.
The tenth and final layer is made up of the other half of the mozzarella. Add some oregano, salt and pepper to it.
Put it in the oven for around 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
One of my fondest memories from summers in Ireland are the soda bread toasts with butter and jam… had I known it was this easy to bake I would have started baking my own at home much sooner!
Mix the dry ingredients first. At this point, you can add to the dry mix raisins, seeds, oats… It should total 750 gr, in the proportions you want (I like doing 450 gr wholewheat, 250 gr white, plus 50 gr oats).
Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the buttermilk, mix it well and let it sit before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. Knead with a spoon until you get a firm though which still sticks a bit in your fingers. (If you don't have buttermilk, you can use milk and add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice plus the oil instead.)
Although I prefer rather light Mediterranean cuisine in general, sometimes I really need a heavy dish. And this dish is so badass that its meat gets beaten although it is already dead.
Smash the schnitzel (with a wooden hammer) to break up the fibers, until almost double it's sized or half cm thin.
Salt and pepper and then bread them by covering them first flour, then beaten egg and finally bread crumbs.
Fry in a pan with about half cm olive oil at medium to high heat until golden.
The salad
Peel and cut into thick slices the cooked potatoes.
Peel and cut into fine slices the raw cucumber.
Cut the pickled cucumber into small cubes.
Cut the onion into small pieces.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season with a bit of water, sugar, salt, pepper, vinagre and oil, to taste. Let sit for as long as possible for the flavors to settle.
Presentation
Serve the schnitzel with a side of salad and a selection of sauces like German mustard or blueberry jam. Enjoy!
4 tablespoons of olive oil (3 for the coating, 1 for preparing the baking dish)
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of oatmeal
1 tablespoons of salt
2 tablespoons herbs de Provence
2 200g pieces of salmon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 175°C and prepare a baking dish by drizzling about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom and coating the bottom completely.
In one shallow bowl create a sauce by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, whisking them together to get a regular consistency (put your elbow into it).
In another shallow bowl combine the oatmeal, salt and herbs de Provence.
Dip each piece of salmon first in the sauce, coating thoroughly, then in the dry oatmeal mixture covering completely, and, finally, placing them in the prepared baking dish.
Mix any left over sauce with the oatmeal mixture and, using a fork, cover the top of the salmon pieces with it.
Place dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20 min.
The Superbowl isn’t just about who is going to win the “world” champion title in American Football. It’s a once a year excuse to load up on all the tasty snacks you can eat. In my house the standards are: hot spinach-artichoke dip, buffalo chicken wings served with blue cheese dip and celery sticks, and my ultimate fully loaded nachos (think layers of tortilla chips, chili con carne, melted cheese, guacamole, crème fraiche and pickled jalapeños for extra kick). Go on, try some… you know you want to!
Super powered risotto, the basque way! My dad started cooking this dish some years ago and now it was time to transfer the knowledge to the next generation.
This is my favorite Indian dish. I’d like to say I learnt it while traveling there but that is not the case. I do use a cheesecloth that Dil from Ramana’s Garden made for me to make the paneer! It’s a simple yet savory and traditional dish to prepare.
1 or 2 small to medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
½ inch ginger, roughly chopped
3 cups water for blanching spinach
3 cups water for ice bath
For the palak curry
1 small to medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 small or medium sized tomato, chopped
4 small to medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 small to medium indian bay leaf
200 grams paneer cut into cubes
⅓ to ½ cup water or add as required
2 tbsp unsalted butter
salt as required
Instructions
Making the paneer
Heat the milk until boil then remove from fire.
Add the lemon juice and gently stir until the milk curdles.
Strain through the cheesecloth, and leave inside the cloth overnight with a weight pressing it.
Making the palak puree
Rinse the spinach leaves and discard the stems.
Boil 3 cups water in a pan, add a pinch of salt to the hot water and stir. Then add the spinach and let boil for 2-3 mins.
Strain the spinach and immediately put into a bowl containing ice cold water. This helps preserve the bright green color. Allow to be in the cold water for a minute or two, then drain.
Process in a blender with chopped ginger and garlic, until smooth.
Making the palak curry
Melt butter it a low flame making sure it doesn't brown. Add the cumin and let splutter.
Add the bay leaf, and the finely chopped onions. Saute till golden.
Add the finely chopped garlic. Saute till the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and saute till they soften.
Then add the turmeric powder and red chili powder. Stir very well.
Add the palak puree and about ⅓ to ½ cup water if required. Stir again.
Simmer for 6-7 minutes or more until the spinach is cooked. Season with salt. The gravy will thicken by now.
Add garam masala powder and stir.
Add the paneer cubes and stir gently and simmer on a low flame until the paneer cubes become soft and succulent, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve topped with grated paneer, rice and naan on the side!
Joaquín is Cuban, and his wife is Chilean… never a dish has been so deliciously combined as this Cuban-Chilean potpourri! Cuban yucca in mojo sauce and plantains in Chilean pebre sauce.
This dish is tough. It’s basically deep fried garlic, with deep fried sausage, with deep fried flour dough, cooked into an omelette. Helios says it’s a hit at 7am when going back home with friends after a night’s party… this thing for sure can soak the excess of beverage intake!
Fry the garlic cloves in a big deep pan with all oil at medium heat until golden, then remove.
Then fry the sausage pieces until crispy, then remove and turn off the fire.
Add all the flour to the oil mix until you get crumbles.
Add in the water carefully and mix until you get an homogeneous dough. Salt to taste. Stir and cook at medium heat for about 45 min.
Before the dough gets too dry, add in the sausage and the garlic. Keep on stiring and cooking for about 25 min more, until the dough is cooked and resembles a Spanish omelette.
