Serranía Kitchen - recipes from around the world

A month to go till Christmas, which I shall be celebrating alone this year for the first time in over seven decades of my life.

"De Rodríguez".

Why? I’ll explain later*.

Preamble

I was going to cook myself a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, which I love dearly, but rarely get to have, as the missus, Rita, and I either celebrate Christmas in Germany or at home in Spain, where in neither of these countries is a roast fowl typical.

And since my good lady Ehefrau Rita insists on doing the cooking in Spain and her daughter Katrin is in charge in Talheim, Germany, Christmas roasts are a rarity for me.

    A traditional English Christmas Dinner [Photo: BBC]

Back to my Christmas “de Rodríguez”

Rita has found a couple of recipes which she has suggested I consider instead of my planned English-style Christmas roast.

I must admit, they sound enticing.

Starter:

Crema de calabaza y naranja con marisco

[Cream of pumpkin and orange soup with shellfish]

    Crema de calabaza y naranja [Photo: FrutaMare]

Ingredients:

(4 people   45 minutes)

400 g pumpkin

2 oranges

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

400 ml vegetable stock

100 ml cream

8 mussels

8 prawns

1 squid

100 g of cooked octopus

Paprika

Chives

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method:

1. Peel the pumpkin, clean it by removing the seeds and filaments and chop it into chunks. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash and dry the oranges, grate the peel of one, reserve the zest, squeeze both, strain the juice and set it aside as well.

2. Heat a pan with a little oil, add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the pumpkin and sauté it for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Pour in the broth, season with salt and pepper, stir and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, until everything is very tender. Blend with the arm of the mixer and pass the cream through a Chinese sieve, so that it is finer.

4. Wash the mussels and clean them; Steam them in a saucepan with a finger of water, remove one of the valves and set aside. Cut the octopus into slices. Clean the squid, wash it, dry it and cut it into rings. Peel the prawns. Beat 50 ml of oil with 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika.

5. Heat a pan with oil and sauté the squid and prawns for 4 minutes. Add the octopus, stir, sauté everything together for 1 more minute and remove. Spread the hot cream on the plates and add the sautéed seafood and mussels. Garnish with a few threads of paprika oil, reserved orange zest and washed, dried and chopped chives and serve immediately.

Main course:

Lubina rellena de gambas a la vizcaína

[Sea bass stuffed with Biscay prawns]

    Lubina rellena de verduras [Photo: OkDiario]

Ingredients:

(4 people 2 hours)

4 sea bass, cleaned and opened like a book

600 g red prawn tails

4 tablespoons choricero pepper pulp

50 g tomato sauce

2 slices of bread

2 cloves of garlic

1 white onion

1 red onion

1 carrot

300 g medium whole mushrooms

200 ml of fumet

1 glass of white wine

3-4 sprigs of parsley

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method:

1. Peel the white onion, cut it into julienne strips. Poach it in a saucepan with a drizzle of oil, over medium heat and covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peeled garlic cloves, without the germ and sliced, and continue cooking for 30 more minutes, stirring all the while.

2. Add the choricero pepper to the casserole, along with the tomato, stir well and pour in the broth; Let everything cook together for 30 minutes. Add the crumbled bread and cook for 15 more minutes. Blend the contents of the casserole to obtain a fine sauce, add salt to taste and set aside.

3. Scrape the carrot and cut it into cubes. Peel the red onion and chop it finely. Heat a frying pan with a small amount of oil, sauté both for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Wash the mushrooms, remove the stumps and empty the caps a little. Fill the mushrooms with the previous sautéed vegetables and set them aside. Sauté the prawns for 2 minutes in the same pan as before with a few drops of oil and set them aside also.

4. Wash the sea bass, season the insides with salt, pepper and a few drops of oil and fill with the prawns. Close them and place them in a baking dish. Sprinkle the fish with a little more oil and wine, cover the dish with parchment paper and bake at 180 for 20 minutes. Uncover, add the stuffed mushrooms and continue baking for 5 more minutes. Spread the hot sauce on the plates, add the sea bass and mushrooms and serve with chopped parsley.

Accompaniment:

A dry sherry as an aperitif (fino or manzanilla) followed by a nice dry albariño or un vino blanco de Cádiz for the main course.

    Lucy and Amy drink a manzanilla in Cadiz [selfie]      A selection of prize-winning albariños [Photo: Decanter] 

    Examples of Cadiz white wines [Photo: El Pais] 

Pudding:

No room, probably, but if I can find one anywhere, maybe on the coast, I’ll do a traditional Christmas pud.

    Christmas pudding in flames [Photo: Raymond Blanc]

*Footnote:

Why am I celebrating Christmas "de Rodríguez"?

Quite simple. We recently rescued a kitten from the rubbish tip near our home, and Paulinchen is too young to be left alone or to go to a cattery for a week.

With thanks to:

Clasicos de Navidad (RBA Revistas SL 2024)

Paul Whitelock (translation into English)

© Rita Whitelock

Photos:

BBC, Decanter, El País, FrutaMare, Ok Diario, Raymond Blanc

Links:

Costa Press Club Christmas Party - Help me, Ronda

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Fish for Christmas and no gifts? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Wir sprechen Deutsch in Montejaque! - Olive Press News Spain

Tags:

albariño, BBC, Cadiz, calabaza, choricero pepper, Christmas, Christmas pudding, "Clasicos de Navidad", cream of pumpkin and orange soup with shellfish, crema de calabaza, Crema de calabaza y naranja con marisco, Decanter, de Rodríguez, Ehefrau, fino, FrutaMare, Germany, Heilbronn, Katrin, lubina, lubina rellena de gambas a la vizcaína, manzanilla, Ok Diario, Paulinchen, Paul Whitelock, pumpkin, pumpkin soup, Raymond Blanc, RBA, Rita Whitelock, roast turkey, sea bass, sea bass stuffed with Biscay prawns, Secret Serrania, Spain, Talheim

By Paul Whitelock

This hearty bean stew is made with three varieties of beans for a nourishing, filling vegan meal. Comforting for a chilly evening - today is the first day of winter, even here in Andalucia.

This meal can be frozen in portions once it has cooled.

Ingredients

1 small can of spicy kidney beans

1 small jar of alubias blancas

1 small can of baked beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 diced carrot

2 small potatoes, diced

½ litre vegetable broth

3 or 4 small tomatoes

1½ tbsp red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon ground mixed peppers

1¼ teaspoon salt

a handful of baby spinach

a handful of chopped parsley

1 tbsp black tea

Method

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes, or until translucent and slightly softened, stirring frequently.

Add carrots, and diced potato. Continue cooking for 6-7 minutes.

Add beans, broth, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, bay leaves, herb salt, tea and ground mixed peppers. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Stir in spinach and parsley 5 minutes before serving. 

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1 Bowl

• Calories: 142
• Sugar: 6.5 g
• Sodium: 1216.2 mg
• Fat: 3.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 23 g
• Fiber: 6.8 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Accompaniments

Crusty bread, crisps.

A robust Spanish red wine, eg Rioja or Ribera del Duero.

I chose Perezoso (2019), a local red wine with Denominacion de Origen status from Bodega Gonzalo Beltran in Ronda (Malaga)

Acknowledgements

Bodegas Gonzalo Beltran, Crowded Kitchen

Tags:

3-bean stew, alubias blancas, baby spinach, baked beans, bay leaves, black tea, Bodega Gonzalo Beltran, calories, carbohydrates, carrot, cholesterol, crisps, Crowded Kitchen, crusty bread, Denominacion de Origen, fat, fibre, garlic, Malaga, olive oil, onion,  parsley, Paul Whitelock, Perezoso, potato, protein, red wine, red wine vinegar, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Ronda, salt, saturated fat, Serrania, Sodium, Spanish red wine, spicy kidney beans, sugar, tomato, trans fat, vegan stew, vegetable broth

Spain is known for its tasty omelettes. Una tortilla española is made with potatoes and onions, and, of course, eggs. Una tortilla francesa is just eggs. This recipe features courgettes (calabacines) with potato, onion and egg.

Paul’s tortilla de calabacin (serves 4)

Time:  Preparation time: 10 minutes  Cooking time: 25 minutes  Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 courgette, thinly sliced
• 6 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

Add the chopped potato and onion to the pan and sauté for about 4 minutes, until they start to soften.

Add the thinly sliced courgette to the pan and continue to sauté for another 4 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the sautéed vegetables from the pan into the bowl with the beaten eggs and mix well to combine.

Return the pan to the heat and reduce it to low. Pour the egg and vegetable mixture back into the pan, ensuring that it spreads evenly.

Cook for about 3 minutes, gently running a spatula around the edges of the tortilla to prevent sticking.

Once the edges of the tortilla begin to set, continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and the top is almost set.

Carefully flip the tortilla using a plate placed over the pan. Slide the uncooked side back into the pan and cook for another 5-6 minutes, or until the tortilla is cooked through and golden brown on both sides.

Once cooked, remove the tortilla from the heat and transfer it to a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.

Serving suggestions:

1. Ideal as a breakfast dish with crusty bread or roll, fresh orange juice and coffee.

2. As a starter or main course, serve with a small salad and crusty bread. A simple red wine, eg tempranillo, suits this simple dish.

© Paul Whitelock

Acknowledgements (photographs):

Bodegas Faustino

Gastronomica vasca

Kerry's Kitchen

Wikipedia

YouTube

Tags:

Bodegas Faustino, breakfast dish, calabacines, coffee, courgette, crusty bread, eggs, fresh orange juice, Gastronomica vasca, Kerry's Kitchen, onions, Paul Whitelock, potatoes, red wine, roll, salad, tempranillo, tortilla de calabacin, tortilla española, tortilla francesa, Wikipedia, YouTube

On Good Friday, Christians, or Roman Catholics at least, are supposed to eschew meat and eat fish.

So, we decided to put something together using more or less what we had. I bought two sorts of fish, atun and dorada in the morning, we discussed what we would have with it and decided on rösti potatoes, asparagus, sugar snap peas, and kohl rabi.

Plus, a nice dry white wine, of course. A verdejo from Rueda happened to be nicely chilling in the fridge.

We don’t normally prepare food together because we are both very self-opinionated. However, Rita knows what she’s doing, so, on this occasion, I promised to do what she told me.

We prepared the vegetables between us and then set about constructing our Cena de Viernes Santo.

Duo of fish with vegetables Serrania-style

Ingredients:

2 tuna steaks

2 fillets of dorada (gilt head bream)

3 medium potatoes

250 g green asparagus

250 g kohl rabi

250 g sugar snap peas (fresh from the garden)

Sunflower oil

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method:

Prepare the vegetables: peel the potatoes, chop the asparagus and kohl rabi, trim the sugar snap peas and set aside.

Shred the potatoes, using a shredder.

Fry the vegetables in sunflower oil until al diente and place in the oven to keep warm.

At the same time, fry the rösti potatoes in another pan.

Fry the fish in hot oil for 2 minutes each side.

Prepare the sauce,

Plate up and eat.

Accompaniment:

Tartare sauce

A dry white wine, eg our choice a chilled verdejo.

I was disappointed, however, so I switched to a rosado from Valdepeñas, which suited the meal better.

Conclusion:

Well, we worked together fine and enjoyed sharing the preparation and the eating. Unfortunately, we had an argument about something completely unconnected, so the overall Good Friday dining experience ended on a sour note.

I enjoyed my digestif, a shot of Miura.

Acknowledgements:

All photos by Paul Whitelock except main photo courtesy of Facebook

© Rita and Paul Whitelock

Tags:

al diente, asparagus, cena de Viernes Santo, digestif, dorada, duo of fish, fillets of dorada, gilt head bream, Good Friday, kohl rabi, Miura, pepper, potatoes, rosado, rösti potatoes, Rueda, salt, Serrania-style, sugar snap peas, sunflower oil, Tartare sauce, tuna steaks, Valdepeñas, vegetables, verdejo, Whitelock

By The Restaurant Guru

I like my food. And, although my wife is a fantastic cook (ask anyone who has ever been to our house for dinner; ask also members of the Costa Car Club, for whom she cooked on two occasions when they came to Montejaque (Malaga) some years ago and the hotel had no chef, I do like to go out for a meal or tapas when we can afford it, or even when we can’t, and there is something to celebrate!

This new blog will be about our dining experiences, both chez nous and out and about in Spain, Germany, the UK, wherever we happen to be. I hope you find our experiences helpful, interesting and thought-provoking.

To start with I am going to unashamedly regurgitate articles I have posted elsewhere. “Regurgitate” maybe creates the wrong impression, but, hey!

Introduction

When I met my wife, Rita is her name, she was a German living in Montejaque (Malaga). She’s still a German, but although she still owns the Montejaque house, Casa Rita, we don’t live there any longer.

When we started “courting” I invited her to visit me in England where I was living at the time (2008), even though I owned two properties in Ronda (Malaga).

The first time she came to visit me in England, I offered to prepare my “signature dish” in my recently purchased Victorian villa (down on its luck, by the way), she was thrilled. Although she had been married twice, neither husband had ever cooked for her. Pressure or what?

My “tour de force” is grilled asparagus with anchovies as a starter, followed by steak au poivre with a mushroom sauce, sautéed potatoes and broccoli. I don’t do puddings/desserts.

She was not impressed, I have to say. “I would have done it like this”, she quipped. I still think that was unfair, but hey!

We have now been together 16 years (13 married) and I can count on two fingers the number of times she has allowed me to cook a meal. The best was Christmas dinner a la inglesa with all the trimmings one Christmas Day before Covid. I thought it was amazing! She was not impressed. Oh well!

So, back to this blog. I will be posting about dining experiences we have had in several countries, predominantly Spain, where we live, but also in France, Germany, the UK and anywhere else we may fetch up in the future.

© The Restaurant Guru

Tags:

anchovies, asparagus, broccoli, Casa Rita, Christmas dinner a la inglesa, Costa Car Club, Malaga, Montejaque, mushroom sauce, Paul Whitelock, Restaurant Guru, Rita, Ronda, sautéed potatoes, steak au poivre

By Paddy McGinty

This recipe is a classic with a twist. We’re taking those same rich and beefy flavours that we know and love about French onion soup. But, we’re enhancing the richness with the addition of stout beer (Guinness). And, we’re revitalising that cheesy crouton that tops the soup by adding a little (Irish) cheddar into the mix.

Recipe details

Yield  4  servings

Time:  Preparation time: 10 mins  Cooking time: 1 Hour Total time: 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5 medium yellow onions, cut in half and thinly sliced (about 2 lbs)
• ½ tsp salt (two lots)
• ¼ tsp pepper (two lots)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 litres of unsalted beef stock
• 1 bottle (12 oz/330 ml)) Guinness stout
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 slices thick cut sourdough bread or French stick
• 4 oz gruyère cheese, grated
• 4 oz (Irish) cheddar, grated

Method

Prepare the onions:

In a large saucepan heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and brown sugar; and stir to combine.

Cook for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add beef stock, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to the softened onions, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to pull up any browned bits.

Stir to combine.

With the heat still at medium, bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Taste for seasoning, and add another pinch of salt, if necessary. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the pot.

Make the crouton:

Preheat oven to 190 C.

Cut bread to fit the size of your soup bowls, and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 5 minutes, flip, and place back in the oven for 5 more mins. Increase oven temperature, and position top rack to 6 inches from the heating element of the grill.

Divide the onion soup between 4 oven safe bowls arranged on a baking sheet. Place toasted bread on top of soup. Mix gruyère and cheddar together, and top the croutons with cheese mix evenly divided between the bowls. Place under the grill for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted and just starting to brown.

Serve immediately.

Tips

• Though it requires a little patience, we don't want to rush bringing the soup to a boil by raising the temperature. The Guinness is at risk of becoming bitter if we cook it at too high of a heat, so medium heat is the highest we'll want to heat the pan.
• When buying your beer, be careful NOT to get extra stout. That will definitely get bitter in the soup. Stick to Guinness Stout Draught.

Preferred drink

Guinness, of course!

If you don’t like Guinness, a strong oak-aged Spanish wine should do the trick. Try something from La Mancha or Valdepeñas, eg Pata Negra tempranillo.

“Sláinte!”

Acknowledgements:

Amazon

Foodtalk Plus

garden.eco

Paul Whitelock

Val Doonican

Wikipedia

Tags:

bay leaf, beef stock, brown sugar, cheddar, crouton, Foodtalk Plus, French onion soup,  French stick, garlic, gruyère, Guinness, Irish cheddar, La Mancha, olive oil, Paul Whitelock, sourdough bread, stout, thyme, unsalted butter, Val Doonican, Valdepeñas, Worcestershire sauce, yellow onions

I discovered peanut butter when I was a young lad back in North Devon. I think this US product first came to the UK in the 50s, as, via TV, film and pop music, we “limeys” got to know more about our North American “cousins”.

So, this soup recipe fascinates me.

Recipe details

Yield:  8  servings

Time: Preparation: 10 mins  Cooking time: 35 mins  Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil (canola oil or olive oil)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup (200 ml) peanut butter, unsalted and unsweetened (creamy or chunky)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) tomato paste
• 4 cups (1 l) vegetable broth or chicken stock
• 2 cups (500 ml) of water (leave out for a thicker soup)
• 1 pound (250 g) of fresh spinach or kale or 10-12 ounces (350 g) frozen spinach or kale.
• Salt and black pepper to taste.
• 8 ounces (250 g) of cooked chopped or shredded chicken (optional)

Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Stir well to combine the spices with the aromatics. Let them cook for a minute or so to enhance their flavours.

Add the peanut butter and tomato paste to the pan and stir until it’s well incorporated with the onion and spice mixture. The mixture will become rather thick and paste-like. I find that using a ball whisk makes this process much easier.

Gradually pour in the vegetable or chicken broth and water while continuously stirring to combine. This will help to smooth out the peanut butter/tomato paste mixture and create a creamy base.

Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add spinach or kale and simmer until soft, approximately 3-5 minutes. If you want to add cooked chicken, add it here as well.

Serve with crushed peanuts. For a more filling meal, serve the soup over a scoop of rice.

To drink

A nice cup of English tea or a glass of strongly flavoured red wine, eg a Ronda wine with the Sierras de Malaga denominación.

I like the reds Maxx or Ezequiel from Bodegas Kieninger.

Both wines are named after his two sons. His daughter Rosa has a rosado named after her.

© 2004 Paul Whitelock

Acknowledgements:

Feasting at Home

FoodTalk

JoyFoodSunshine

Martin Kieninger

Nourish and Nestle

Wikipedia

Tags:

black pepper, Bodegas Kieninger, canola oil, cayenne pepper, chicken, chicken stock, coriander, cumin, denominacion, Ezequiel, garlic, ginger, kale, Maxx, olive oil, onion, Paul Whitelock, peanut, peanut butter, peanut butter soup, red pepper flakes, rosado, salt, Serrania, Sierras de Malaga, spinach, tinto, tomato paste, vegetable broth, water

German noodle casserole

This is similar to macaroni cheese, but much tastier.

Recipe details

Yield:              4  servings

Time:              Preparation time: 30 mins   Cook time: 20 mins   Total time: 50 mins 

Ingredients

• 500 g pasta (any pasta type goes)
• 3/4 cup butter (1/3 for the sauce and 1/2 for the topping)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy, eg almond milk)
• 1 whole egg (optional)
• 3/4 cup ham, diced
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.

Drain, toss with some butter or oil, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter and add flour. Mix well and cook for 1 min.

While constantly whisking, gradually add the milk.

Simmer for about 5 mins until the sauce has thickened.

Whisk in the egg, if using.

Season with nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.

Place the pasta in a large baking dish.

Add diced ham and pour the white sauce over the pasta. Distribute evenly.

First, sprinkle the grated cheese, then the breadcrumbs over the dish. Place dollops of butter on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200˚C for about 20 mins or until golden-brown.

Variations and substitutions

Pasta: I recommend using rigatoni, macaroni, or other smaller shapes but you can use your favourite pasta.

Flour: you can replace regular all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or spelt flour.

Milk: you can use any milk, either regular or non-dairy, eg almond milk.

Butter: while butter is best for this recipe, you can also use for example avocado oil, canola oil, or olive oil.

Ham: you can use any ham or prosciutto. Or completely omit it for a vegetarian version.

Cheese: parmesan is the classic cheese for this noodle dish but you can use other cheeses such as gruyere or cheddar.

Additional ingredients: you could replace some of the milk with heavy cream or sour cream.

Extra flavours: Less traditional but very flavourful would be to add ground beef, diced tomatoes, caramelized onion, green beans, or your favourite vegetables.

Accompaniment

Since this dish is pretty substantial, I feel that it is perfect on its own with a green salad on the side for a complete meal.

To drink

A refreshing Hefeweizen (wheat beer) from Germany is perfect. Aldi and LIDL sell it, as do Mercadona and Carrefour/Supeco.

German brands I have bought locally include Erdinger, Franziskaner, Oettinger, Paulaner, and LIDL's own brand Patronus.

Non-German wheat beers include Mahou (Madrid) and Sagra (Toledo).

Prost!

© Rita Whitelock

Translated from the original German by A1 Translations (www.help-me-ronda.com)

Tags: Aldi, almond milk, butter, Carrefour, cheese, egg, Erdinger, Franziskaner, green salad, Hefeweizen, La Sagra, LIDL, macaroni, macaroni cheese, Mahou, Mercadona, noodle casserole, Nudelauflauf, Oettinger, olive oil, pasta, Paulaner, Patronus, Rita Whitelock, spelt flour, Supeco, wheat beer, whole wheat flour

This one-pot chicken cauliflower soup is full of vegetables and protein. Shredded chicken and chunks of cauliflower all in a creamy base that is gluten-free and dairy-free. Made with real food ingredients, this hearty and healthy soup is perfect for a cold winter's night in Iowa, Siberia, the Serrania de Ronda or indeed anywhere on the chilly side.

Chicken Cauliflower Soup

This easy and comforting soup is packed with real food ingredients like chicken, cauliflower, and carrots, plus the flavour of fresh herbs and spices. Perfect for when you're feeling under the weather, or just want to cosy up with a bowl of hot soup.

Yield:     4  servings

Time:      Preparation: 10 mins         Cooking time: 35 mins            Total time: 45 mins

Photo: Goop

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 500g chicken breasts
• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large suacepan over medium-low heat.

Add in the onion, carrots, and leeks and sautéed vegetables, stirring occasionally, until soft and the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).

Stir in the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken breasts, cauliflower, bay leaves, and then the broth on top of the vegetables. Ensure the chicken and cauliflower are submerged in the broth.

Bring to the boil, and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked (this should take 10-15 minutes depending on how large your chicken breasts are).

Remove cooked chicken and bay leaves from soup and discard the bay leaves.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and set aside.

In a blender, puree some of the soup. If you want it extra creamy, puree for longer. If you want a less creamy base, puree for just a few seconds.

After the soup is blended, add the shredded chicken back to the pan. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Tips

If your chicken breasts are on the large side, you can cut them in half before adding to the soup to reduce cooking time.

After the soup has simmered, taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

To Drink

A good stout should the trick.

You can find Guinness worldwide, but there are other alternatives. In Spain, Steam Beer (Germany - LIDL) does a nice one for around 1 euro for 500ml. Other good Spanish stouts include Mahou (Madrid) and La Sagra (Castilla La Mancha).

Photo: El Jardin del Lupulo

© The Crazy Guy

Tags: broth, carrot, cauliflower, chicken, dairy-free, garlic, gluten-free, Guinness, La Sagra, leek, LIDL, Mahou, onion, soup, Steam Beer, stout, thyme, vegetables

By Pablo de Ronda

For this hearty dish you can either use left-over potatoes or start from scratch. Ideal for cold Serrania winter evenings.

Photo: Food Network

Recipe details

Makes: 6  servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes   Cook time: 5 minutes              Total time: 25 minutes

Main Ingredients

• 4 medium to large potatoes about 1 kilo
• 3 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tablespoon butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Compound Butter

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Fried Mash Potato Cake Breading

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Peel and quarter your potatoes. Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are fork tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Drain the potatoes and mash or mix them until they are free of any lumps, then mix in the sour cream, cream cheese, butter, and salt and pepper. Beat with a mixer until fluffy.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the compound butter cut or mix in all the ingredients with the softened butter until uniformly mixed. Place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and use the plastic wrap to form the butter into a log, about 1 inch thick. Wrap in the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to cook preheat your frying pan to medium-high heat, (about 400 degrees).

Mix the breadcrumbs with the crumbled Parmesan cheese in a bowl or pan.

Remove the chilled potatoes from the refrigerator. Scoop about ½ cup of mashed potatoes and form a round ball.

Roll the potato ball in the breading and place on a sheet of aluminium foil. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.

Oil the frying pan and working in batches place the potato ball in the pan and press the ball down gently with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cook for about 1.5-2 minutes then flip the potato cake over.

Cook the other side for about 1.5 minutes then top each fried mashed potato cake with about a tablespoon of the compound butter during the final 30 seconds of cooking.

Remove and serve warm.

These fried mashed potato cakes are the perfect side dish for steaks, along with mushrooms in a cream sauce and broccoli or Brussels sprouts.

     Photo: Healthy Food Guide

Drinks

Serve with a full-bodied oak-aged red from Ribera del Duero or the non-alcoholic drink of your choice.

Enjoy!

    Photo: Vega Seleccion

© Pablo de Ronda

Tags: breading, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butter, compound butter, herbes de Provence, mashed potato, mushrooms, Pablo de Ronda, potato cake, Ribera del Duero, steak,