Casino Chicken

A few of us were chatting at work about quick and easy things to cook when you either don't have much time or the inclination. The following was mentioned. Apparently this is an old Gibraltar recipe.

All you need is;
Chicked breast or pieces;
Two cans of condensed chicken soup;
Curry powder; and
Boiled rice.

So you begin by frying the chicken in oil.

When the chicken is sufficiently cooked add the tins of condensed soup as they are. Don't add water. Then add a generous table spoon of curry powder and stir thoroughly.

Yes I know it looks like something that's first passed through the cat's digestive system but stay with me. It will be worth it.

Continue to cook the mixture stiring regulary until the sauce is hot throughout and then serve on a bed of boiled rice.

And there you have it. It's very similar to Coronation Chicken only it's not. Its Casino Chicken.

By the way, if you're wondering why the rice is yellow I always add a little saffron and turmeric to make it more colourful.

I hope you try it and like it. Let me know (that's what the comments are for).

Steve

We interrupt this blog for a public service announcement

If you live or work in Gibraltar please help find a missing dog named George. He went missing a week ago and was last seen in the town area! He is chipped!

If you see George or can help locate him please let me know and I'll pass the information to his owner.

Thanks for helping

Steve

Thai style curry

Ok I know. It's not exactly a Spanish dish but still one of my favorites and very quick to make.

All you need is;
Meat of your choice (chicken, beef, pork, lamb or even fish. Actually, this works well with baby squid);
Stir fry vegetables, (I used onions, green pepper, mushrooms, beansprouts, Courgette - spring onion also works well as it adds to the colour and tastes great);
Vegetable oil;
Fish sauce;
One teaspoon of ground corriander;
One teaspoon of Ground cumin;
Soy sauce;
Coconut Milk (400g);
2 cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped);
2 (or 3 if you dare) Red or Green chillies; and
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Prepare your meat and vegetables in advance and chop into chunky pieces. the onion should be chopped as small as you can. Once ready heat up the oil in a large pan or wok and add the onion. Cook for a couple of minutes then add your chosen meat.

Keep turning the meat with the onions until cooked then add a splash of water followed by your seasonings. First add the ground spices, the chillies, the garlic, salt and pepper and stir into the meat.

Next, add a tablespoon of fish saurce and a table spoon of soy sauce and stir into the mixture. The remaining vegetables can then be added and stir fried for 2 minutes. Finally add your coconut milk.

Cook for a further 5 minutes then serve on a bed of boiled rice or with some noodles.

Enjoy. We did!

Steve

Bronte's Yummie Marshmallow Bites.

To make these yummie treats you will need:

125 g / 4½ oz milk chocolate, broken into pieces
40 g / 1½ oz mini marshmallows
25 g / 1 oz chopped walnuts (i use hazulnuts)
25 g / 1 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped

·First, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. I put the heatproof bowl in the microwave for 1½ mins.
·Next, put the marshmallows in with the chocolate and stir.

TIP: You don't have to buy mini marshmallows. I bought normal ones and cut them up. And you don't have to buy the nuts and apricots all ready chopped. I chopped them myself.

·Once you have mixed all the ingredients, line a baking tray with baking paper and put spoonfuls of the mixture on it in bite sizes (or a bit bigger if you prefer) and then put the tray in the fridge. Let the chocolate freeze and then dig in.
Yummie Marshmallow bites for everyone!!!!!

Bronte Griffiths

On a brighter note - remember Father Ted?

A quick rant then business as usual.

Rant begins.

On Sunday afternoon the water supply for the whole of Santa Margarita, the village where we live was cut off. The neighbourhood took to their phones to complain to the water company only to be told that the supply would be restored in a matter of hours or a day or so at the most. I write this post on Friday afternoon and guess what! Still no water. We're now being told that there is a faulty pump in Malaga which won't be repaired until next Tuesday when the enginer returns from his holidays!!!

Firstly, what does a faulty pump in Malaga have to do with a village just over 100km away?

Secondly, should not the fact that during a hot summer thousands of residents are left without running water from which to drink, wash in and flush toilets constitute some kind of emergency? How many diseases spread from toilets backed up with...?!?

While Spain may hold itself up to be a modern sophisticated European society sadly it still displays the traits of a third world country. We may as well be living in a mud hut somewhere in Africa.

Rant ends.

Sunday Lunch

After the breadsticks and sardines (which were yummie by the way) prepared by Louise we come swiftly on to an alternative for the good old chicken Sunday lunch. Here's how it works;

Part One - The Chicken.

Chicken pieces (drumsticks, wings, breast... whatever you fancy);
2 cloves of garlic;
6 large mushrooms;
1 large onion;
Salt and pepper to taste;
Olive oil;
250ml cream; and
One cocktail consisting of pineapple, gaseosa (cream soda) and vodka.

So, first chop the onion into tiny little pieces, slice the mushrooms and chop up the garlic.

Get a largish oven dish with a lid and pour in about 2 table spoons of olive oil. Cover the bottom of the dish with the onions then place the chicken on top. Next sprinkle the chicken with chopped garlic and cover with the sliced mushrooms. Salt and pepper to taste then pour the cream over the top and you should have something that looks like this;

Now cover the dish with its lid and bang in the oven on about 200 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half.

Part Two - The Vegetables.

1 large onion;
1 courgette;
1 aubergene;
1 green pepper;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 tomatos;
Tomato juice;
Olive oil;
Salt and pepper (to taste); and
grated cheese.

With the exception of the aubergene roughly chop all the vegetables into chunky pieces. Take up a large oven dish and pour in about 2 table spoons of olive oil. Place the vegatables in the oven dish then cut the aubergene into slices and layer on top. Add salt and pepper to taste then pour in the tomato juice. Scatter the grated cheese over the top and you should have something like this;

As with the chicken, 200 degrees will do only the vegetable will take about half an hour or so. When done the vegetables will be soft and juicy but the cheese should be crispy on the top.

Serve the chicken and the vegetables together for an alternative approach to Sunday lunch in a Spanish style.

Try it, enjoy it and post a comment.

Steve

Louise's quick sardine tapa (for when you can't wait for the main).

The Spanish love their sardines and when you return from a hot morning at the market and can't wait for the amazing chicken your husband is cooking up this little tapa idea will just tide you over.

1 tin of sardines in tomato sauce;
Mayonaise;
Garlic; and
Salt & pepper.

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until you have a paste then serve with rosquillas (little shaped Spanish breadsticks).

Louise

The Divine Comedy - I Like

...on a Harley!

Casemates square in Gibraltar filled with hundreds of Harley Davidsons and other bikes of various shapes and colours today for the annual meet of the Gibraltar Harley Davidson Club. Seeing as one of my great passions (next to stuffing myself with food) is biking, yours truly was there with Louise and Bronte in tow.

Here are some photos of the owners bikes on display.

 

 

 

 

 

The detailing on this one was worth closer inspection.

The classic V-rod; but where's Britney?

 

Ok. Back to cooking for the next one... promise.

Steve

Mojito time

I've neglected the blog a bit recently due to time constraints and such. Besides which I haven't really cooked much lately. I sat here earlier on staring at the keyboard, soaked in sweat (it's a bit hot at the moment) and searching for inspiration. Finding none I felt the urge for alcoholic refreshment. It was at this point that inspiration struck. Why not make a mojito and blog about it?

So here it is!

You will need white rum, lime juice, ice, soda water and fresh mint.

Oh, and a big glass to put it all in.

Put the ice in the glass and cover with a generous out pouring of the spirit (rum), break up the mint and add to the glass. Mix it all around a bit. Next throw in a splash or so of lime juice and then top up with soda water or if you prefer club soda for a sweeter taste.

The result...

There you go. Bob's your uncle and whats'er names you aunt.

Enjoy!!!

Dead fish never tasted so good.

Despite the less than appetising title this is actually a quick and simple way of cooking fish ensuring it retains its flavour while not becoming dry.

The fish in question was brought from the fresh fish counter at the local Mercadona by my wife. Unfortunately she does not recall the name of the fish however being as its dead I don't think it will mind.

Actually we normally use a fish called Dorada (not Wanda) but any oily fish will suffice. It is the principle of the method that counts rather than the fish.

Before I list the ingredients, let's have a look at the fish.

If you think they look bad you should see the other fellow.

The rest of the recipe is as follows;

1 large onion;
A table spoon of olive oil;
A knob of butter;
Three cloves of garlic;
One large tomato;
A teaspoon full of brown sugar (helps the medicine go down);
Salt and pepper to taste; and
Beer.

First chop the onion into pieces as small as you can make them. Then heat up a sauce pan and melt the butter. Add the olive oil to the pan with a little salt then add the onion. Cook the onion pieces for about 6 to 7 minutes adding a little water from time to time to make sure they don't dry out. The onion will become soft, sweet and translucent. At this point add the sugar and cook for another 2 minutes but don't let them burn - use a moderate heat.

The fish should be cleaned up and gutted. Remove the spine and as many of the bones as possible. The fish should be opened up like a butterly. You'll see what I mean from the next photo. Place each fish on a piece of silver foil.

Crush then chop the garlic and place down the centre of each fish. I used 3 fish hence 3 garlic gloves. Next chop the tomato into tiny pieces and place on top of the garlic. Finally, when the onions are ready, distribute them equally between the fish by piling then on top of the garlic and tomato.

You should have something like this;

Impressive don't you think. Add salt and pepper and drissle some olive oil over the top just for the hell of it then fold the fish up in its foil to make a little parcel ready for the oven.

Place in the oven on 150 degrees and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Check to make sure the fish is done and that it is not drying up or burning. The fish should go from being pink in colour to white. The foil helps to retain the moisture and intensify the flavour.

When done, remove from the foil carefully and serve with a side of your choice. Boiled new potatoes with a coating of melted butter and a sprinkling of fresh garden mint would be fine. I chose a light salad with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Superb!!!

Try it, eat it, enjoy it.

'til next time.

Steve

Tapas in Madrid

We went to Madrid last weekend. It's about 6 hours drive from where we live (nearer 7 if you count pee pee stops) and well worth the journey. Actually travelling up is part of the adventure however the place itself is fantastic. We stayed on the outskirts in a town named Alcala de Henares and travelled in to Madrid centre on Sunday evening to wander around Plaza Mayor and get something to eat. More on Madrid at another time but for now here is an observation and a piece of advice for the traveller thinking of visiting Spain's capital city.

Tapas in Madrid is free!!!

On the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz we get fleeced. You go into a bar, order a drink and then buy tapas at around €2 to €3 each which, considering the size of the dishes takes 3 or 4 tapas to fill you up. Not so in Madrid where you go into the bar, order your drink and then order the tapa of your choice. This is then brought to you along with your drink free of charge. This meant that we were eating out at a fraction of the cost we originally budgeted for. Superb! How do they do it? Who cares? Free food!!!

While there we watched Spain beat Chilli in the World Cup qualifier. I was quite surprised at one point when the team wearing blue kit scored and every one cheered. I had assumed the blue team was Chilli you see while the other team wore red (Spain's usual kit). Someone later explained to me that each team has two kits of different colours and on this occasion Spain wore blue. Anyway they won which was good as I now live in Spain and its not as England has got a team right now is it? But, what do I know, I hate football.

Back to tapas and here, in true spirit of this blog is one quick recipe for a tapa. More will follow soon. Just you try and stop me.

3 eggs
3 rashers of bacon (or 4 depending on how big they are or how much you like bacon)
About 4 good handfuls of green beans (well how else do you measure them)
2 measures of vodka
Half a glass of orange juice
Half a glass of cream soda
1 shot of Grenadine

First, chop up the green beans and put in a pan with salt and water. Bring the water to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Next, beat the eggs in a jug or bowl then throw them in a frying pan with some olive oil and fry them up until, well... fried I suppose. When fried break up into little pieces and leave in the frying pan.

Then, chop the bacon into little pieces and again throw into the frying pan with the eggs. Fry for about 4 minutes.

Finally, drain the green beans and add them to the frying pan. Cook together for about 5 minutes and then serve with fresh crusty bread as shown below courtesey of our new camera.

The observant of you will have noticed the extra ingredients listed but not used in the above recipe. For those new to 'Burning Down The Kitchen' there is a law first and foremost that must be obeyed as drilled into me by my friend and Executive Chef (who will remain nameless to protect his professional reputation) namely...never cook without alcohol within arms reach.

Get a tall glass and place it in you freezer for 15 minutes. Take it out and immediately fill it with the vodka, orange juice, lemonade and a dash of Grenadine. Throw in a couple of ice cubes and sit back and watch.

The Grenadine is for artistic effect as it sinks to the bottom of the glass and set against the orange juice gives the appearance of a sunrise. Very effective. Just as efective is the result that comes from placing the empty glass in the freezer before filling it, but I'll leave this to you to try.

Anyway, more tapas recipes are to follow and we still need to get around to that Italian feast.

Hasta luego

Steve 

High tech cooking

So were in our new place now and starting to settle in. There have been a few disasters along the way, like the car choosing the weekend we move house to finally die (beyond economical repair I believe is the correct term) and my camera to go missing hence the lack of photos on my blog. Never mind though, we're here and here to stay this time.

I finally began to calm down after the stress of the move and a recent Trust law exam (which I passed by the way - yeh me) and decided it was about time I set foot in the kitchen again. Actually, the kitchen in this place is great. Everything is new and high tech. We've got a touch sensitive hob with digital display and bleeping noises to remind you that you've left something switched on. The microwave doubles as a grill and the oven has so many settings we don't know what to do with them (especially as the instruction books are in Spanish). The oven even has network capability so I can hook it up and operate it from the PC and even my mobile phone while we're out. Not that I see the need really but you never know, it may come in handy one day.

Anyway, I decided to cook this weekend and with all the mayhem going on around here all I could think to cook with my new futuristic kitchen was comfort food.

The ultimate comfort food.

A huge fry up. Bacon, sausage, eggs, beans, fried bread... the works.

Now were on a month of de-tox and dieting.

Until next time, if I don't have a heart attack first.

Steve

A brief note on Spain

As the more observant of you may have noticed, it has been close to a month since my last post. The reason for this is due to a minor change in our living arrangements, namely a relocation. Before going into the whys and wherefore's (or whatevers) one needs to take into consideration the current economic situation in Spain and in particular our little corner.

The campo (countryside) long the coast from Marbella down to Sotogrande has been desecrated by over development. Greedy developers have built scores of Urbanisations and apartment blocks all along the coast totalling thousands of houses, flats and apartments for which in the current climate there are no buyers. There is estimated to be around 120,000 empty properties in Andalucia. This situation has been compounded by the number of expatriates who, due to the fall of the pound against the Euro have found that their incomes, pensions, savings etc... are no longer sufficient to cover mortgages and living expenses. It is also noteworthy that property prices in Spain have been grossly inflated beyond what the properties are worth.

Since the 'global financial meltdown' property prices have now fallen to more realistic levels which has resulted in property owners having mortgages in negative equity. Mix this with the fall in value of the pound and you can understand why expats are simply handing their house keys back to the banks and moving back to their home countries.

This now brings us back to our current situation. We rented a property on an urbanisation (urbanisacion) in the campo. Our landlord owned five such properties he'd brought off plan for investment purposes at inflated prices. He has since decided not to pay the mortgage for the properties with the result that the banks have re-possessed them and evicted the tenants including us. Fortunately for us we have dropped on a new place and moved in a couple of weeks ago. As you can imagine things have been hectic and its taken a while to get t'internet back up and running but here we are again.

You will be pleased to learn that the olives survived the move and are well. The Italian feast will follow before too long. Please keep popping by.


Oh by the way if you do have some spare cash to invest, re-possessed Spanish property could now be a good buy. Prices have really dropped. There are rumors of two for one sales at property auctions and although Spain's economy is yet to see its worse (likely to have similar problems to Greece) eventually things will come round. Historically these things work in cycles. Boom, bust then boom again.

Sorry for such a serious post but then we did advertise a site with a bit of everything. Next one will be a bit more lighthearted. I might even throw in a few jokes about rudely shaped vegetables... ooh err misses.

Steve

Almost there...

Yes, there is just one more week to go before I can use the olives. I have also noticed that the water is no longer a dark red colour but a little pink. I'd show you a photo but there are only so many pics of the same few olives one can take (literally).

I now need to plan an Italian feast for Sunday evening so I can use my precious olives. If you have any recipe suggestions to challenge me with please write in. Or just ignore me like every other week.

Regardless, I'll keep on writing and hope there's somebody out there.

Tatar for now.

Steve

Quick update

It's now been 4 weeks and the olives are still turning the water dark red.

Will they be edible? Keep checking back to find out.

Steve

Giovani's chicken - 'eat it Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday...

We recently spent the evening with our friends Giovani and Carmena. Giovani is from Sicily hence the vague Godfather reference in the title. While we were there Giovani served home made ravioli and an amazing chicken dish. It was so good that I had to have the recipe. Needless to say, I now owe Giovani 'a favour'.

Anyway, here it is and it is simplicity itself.

4 chicken breasts
6 to 8 large closed cap mushrooms
200gm butter
250gm cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken breast into pieces and peel and slice the musrooms. Place a large frying pan on a moderate heat and melt the butter. Once melted add the chicken and mushrooms. You should have something like this.

Fry the chicken turning occasionally (turning the chicken that is, not you because that would be silly) until done but not overdone. It should be just enough for any pink to disapear and for the chicken to turn white. Next add the cream and cook for a few more minutes, again turning the chicken in the cream to ensure all of it is covered. You should have something like this.

When the cream is bubbling away, add the salt and pepper and continue cooking to make sure eveything is thoroughly cooked but don't allow the cream to dry out.

Then serve with a side of your choice. Giovani served this with fresh bread and peas with a tomato sauce. I was pealess (is that a word?) and so made a brie and butter sauce (by melting brie and butter then adding a bit of cream) and mixed it with pasta. The results are below;

This dish takes about 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish and tastes fantastic. The only negative is that you wont be earning any gold stars at Weight Watchers. As for me, I have a party coming up in a few weeks for which I need to squeeze into a DJ I haven't worn for... a few years. With this in mind, the next few recipes are likely to be butterless.

Try out the chicken and if you like it give me some feedback.

Steve

Only three more weeks to go!

 As promised here is a quick update on the olive curing experiment.

If you recall (and if you can't - scroll down a post or two) I had described how important it is to cure olives rather than just eating them straight from the tree. The process involves soaking them in brine for about six weeks. Well were now on week three of our little test group and things seem to be going ok. I change the water and clean the bowl every week and have noticed how quickly the water becomes a dark red colour. The below photo (and yes I know its badly out of focus) shows the extent of the colouration. At this stage I can only speculate on whether this will continue or have ceased by the end of the experiment.

Check back next week for another update. Ooooh, I can hardly wait; it's just so exciting.

Asparagus Stew

We went for a meal a few months back at a restaurant on the way to Casares and for a starter I had this amazing stew. I mentally tried to work out the ingredients while I ate and then messed around at home until I figured out how it was made. I now pass this wisdom on to you. The ingredients, most of which are pictured below are as follows;

Asparagus either fresh in a bundle as pictured or frozen;

1 large onion chopped as small as you can;

4 large mushrooms, sliced;

2 rashers of bacon, chopped into little bits;

4 eggs (or one for each person dining with you);

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped;

1 glass of white wine;

1 pint of chicken stock;

Water;

Fresh (or dried) basil;

Salt and pepper to taste;

Butter, just a knob;

A big handful of grated cheese - I use cheddar;

Olive oil; and

At least 1 gin and tonic with ice and a slice of lemon (not an ingredient but absolutely essential).

Here we go, quick and easy. Heat up the oil in the pan along with the knob of butter then add the onions and fry for about 6 or so minutes until sweet and translucent. Add a litle water to prevent them from drying out and burning. When done, chop up the asparagus and add to the onions along with the mushrooms, garlic, basil, salt and pepper then fry for about 2 minutes. Add the glass of white wine and a splash of water and you should have somnething that resembles this;

Now its time to add the chicken stock and the bacon. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the asparagus is soft (but not too soft - you want a bit of resistence to the tooth but not enough to crunch when you eat it). During this time, make sure there is sufficient liquid to keep the aparagus just (and I mean only just) covered. Now this is where things get a little weird. Crack open your eggs one by one and pore into the broth taking care to ensure that the yolks stay intact. As far as possible, try to keep the eggs separate from each other. See the below photo;

You are basically poaching the eggs within the stew. When the egg whites are cooked with the yolk still runny (please excuse the technical term), the stew is ready to serve. Spoon out the eggs, one per person onto a plate. Share out the stew between the diners (the above should make enough for 4 people) into soup bowls then place one egg on top of each bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve, eat, enjoy and remember where you saw it first.  

A comment or two to say thanks wouldn't hurt either.

Until the next one...

Steve

Doctor, doctor! Can you cure my olive?

We went for a hike about a couple of weeks ago with some friends through a forest in the mountains just off the road from Marbella to the town of Coin. The weather was fantastic which after the rain fall Spain and in fact the rest of the Iberian peninsular has sufferred recently was very welcome. The walk was very relaxing and led to a viewing point on the edge of a cliff with most of the Costa Del Sol spread out before us. From this point Marbella lay in front of us with views of the coast up to Malaga in one direction while in the other direction we could just make out the shape of Gibraltar in the distance. From this point it is also possible, on a clear day of course to see the coast of Africa just across the Med'. During the walk back to where we had parked our cars we passed through some olive groves and while most of the trees were bare, my daughter noticed a few which still had some olives on the branches. Being quite fond of olives we decided to pick a few but were warned by our companions not to eat them straight from the tree as they are far too bitter. Aparently, olives need to be cured first and hence the title of this post.

How do you cure olives? well after a bit of research, it appears that one way is to soak them in brine (water with a high consentration of salt) for about six weeks before trying them. Now I love experimenting with things; always have. I'm still amazed that the family home was not burned to the ground with some of the wilder experiments I attempted with my chemistry set as a young teenager. By comparison, curing olives is safe and non-incendary.

The photo that follows shows a small test group of olives which have been in salt water for a week now. The water has to be changed weekly and in fact was done just prior to the photograph being taken. Water from the first week had actually turned a dark red colour.

The idea is that after the six weeks, I will cook an Italian feast with the olives being a part of the ingredients. Look out for that blog next month. In the meantime you can find a weekly update on the olives right here.

Steve

Late breakfast for oversleepers

Yes as the title suggests, we overslept a bit this morning although in our defence we have both been under the weather, me having taken a few days off work due to some kind of flu like virus (and no, it was not man flu). Fortunately it is Saturday and therefore waking at 11:30 was not the cardiac arrest inducing panic it would have been had we both been late for work.

To make the waste of a morning a little more bearable I offered to make breakfast. Louise just wanted poached eggs on toast but as you will come to learn that is a little to basic for me. I reached for my old French cook book and reminded myself of the method for cooking Hollandaise sauce which is actually very simple.

This is what you need;

The juice of half a lemon;

1 teaspoon of water;

2 egg yolks;

4 oz of butter; and

salt and pepper to taste.

This is the basic method. Bring a sauce pan of water to the boil and leave it simmering. Take a bowl and sit it on top of the sauce pan making sure that the bowl does not make contact with the water.

Add the lemon juice and water. (At this point it is necessary to insert a parenthesis. The lemon juice is what gives the sauce its kick and actually half a lemon, especially if the lemon is large, will give the sauce a strong flavour. I would therefore suggest that you try out making the sauce and establishing how strong you prefer it before serving it to others. I suppose really this statement is obvious and need not have been included. If you agree, just ignore this part. In fact, now I come to think of it, you should just not bother reading the parenthesis but then again by now I guess you already have.)

To the lemon juice and water add the two egg yolks and 1oz of butter. Whisk the mixture until the butter is melted and the sauce starts to become thick. You should leave a noticeable trail with the whisk. At this point take the sauce pan off the heat but leave the bowl with the mixture in on top. Gradually add the remaining butter to the sauce whisking all the time. Then salt and pepper to taste and you should have a thick yellow sauce.

All you now need to do is pour it over the chosen dish and serve. In my case it was the aforementioned poached eggs on toast.

I have to admit that this mornings effort did contain a little to much lemon juice and contained quite a tangy kick. Still, you live, you learn, you get food poisoning.

'til next time. Steve

Mexican Jumping Beans

Ok, so there aren't really any jumping beans but the rest of the title is accurate. There are beans and this is Mexican. Actually, what follows is a simple process for creating a base for Mexican dishes.

The story behind this has nothing to do with our lives in Spain, rather it stems back to a previous life in England and in particular yours truly's job working for a local newspaper in Stafford. The area I coverered for the paper consisted of North Stafford and a beautiful little town named Stone. My job was to convince business owners to place advertising in the paper and to assist me in this endevour I produced a monthly feature extolling the virtues of one shop, restaurant or service each month. My favourite feature by far was the opening of a new Mexican Restaurant and co-incidentally my introduction to Mexican food. So taken was I that I grabbed myself a cook book and went through it faster than a dose of... well, damn hot chilli I suppose.

Without further ado then, here is my quick (short-cut) recipe for chilli which can be enjoyed with rice, taco shells or as in this case, wrapped in corn tortillas and baked in the oven.

The base for my version is;

One large Onion;

2 cloves garlic;

1 Heaped teaspoon of hot chilli powder (or extra hot if you dare... and you do, don't you);

2 teaspoons of oregano;

1 teaspoon of ground corriander;

4 fresh tomatoes;

500ml of tomato pulp;

4 fresh mushrooms;

one large green pepper

250g of kidney beans; and

500g of minced beef, pork or if vegetarian use substiute mince or extra beans and mushrooms.

Optional - fresh jalapeno chillis for an extra kick.

For the sharp of eye, while the beer is not an ingredient, it is not optional. A friend of mine who also happens to be an Executive Chef and therefore an authority on the subject once informed me that the biggest crime committed in the kitchen is to cook without alcohol within arms reach.

So here we go. Chop the onion into small pieces (diced if you prefer) and place in a large frying pan (I use an old wok for pretty much everything) with a dash of corn oil and a splash of water. The oil should be hot but not too hot and the water is meant to help keep the onion moist. Fry them for about 5 or 6 minutes with the aim of making the onion soft, sweet and kind of translucent.

Add to the onion the corriander, chilli powder and oregano. Also salt and pepper to taste. It's not mentioned in the above but I sometimes add about half a teaspoon of turmeric. It gives the onions a yellow colour and enhances the flavour. Stir for a minute or so and if the onions are drying up and starting to burn, add a splash of water. Now you can add the meat and fry until the red/pink colour has gone.

You should have something like this!

Into this should go sliced mushrooms, crushed and chopped garlic, roughly chopped tomatoes and the green pepper sliced lengthways (well why not). Stir in with the rest of the mixture and a final dash of water then add the tomato pulp and kidney beans. Just a note at this point on your choice of beans. It is possible to buy beans in a can or jar ready to just throw into the dish however if you choose dried beans ensure you follow the directions for their preparation on the packaging material. Dried kidney beans will require soaking and cooking before being added to the recipe. We wouldn't want to have you poisoned now would we?

Cook this for about 20 to 30 minutes so that the mixture is nice and thick and looks something like this;

And that's basically it. We had a friend over for dinner and so I made up a batch of chilli con carne as above, used it to fill rolled up corn tortillas (not flour tortillas as these go soggy) and placed them in an oven dish. Copious amount of grated cheese was sprinkled on the top and then the whole thing was placed in the oven on a medium heat so that the cheese melted and the tortillas warmed but did not burn or go too crusty. The result is below.

I served this along with salad and refried beans which are easy to make and taste fantastic but, that's another post.

Incidentaly, the restaurant in Stone was called The Casa Loco and was opened by a former flight attendant who had developed a taste for Tex-Mex on her stop-overs in the States. I hope the restaurant is still there as the food was sublime and the atmosphere lively. Maybe if someone from Stone reads this they could let me know. (Who am I kidding? If anyone reads this it will be a miracle).

Ta tar for now, Steve

Cooking without the aid of a safety net

We've talked about writing a blog for ages but kept putting it off. One of the reasons was the fact that we found it difficult to agree on a subject. Should we write about our life in Spain, our love of cooking and more importantly eating, drinking wine and cocktails on the terrace during warm summer evenings or plumb the depths of my rather weird sense of humour. Well after much deliberation, discussion, chewing of fat (and pork pies) and drinking of cocktails on the terrace during the warm summer evenings we thought 'hey why not write about everything'.

So here it is; a blog about cooking and eating in Spain.

In practise we're going to find recipies from various sources, cook them and then write about the whole process hopefully without setting fire to the kitchen. Our experimental cooking will be interspersed with little insights into our experiences finding the recipies and ingredients and our adventures in Spain.

So please read on and feel free to comment and submit your ideas for what we should attempt to cook.

Steve.