Saturday, April 14, 2007
Tapas Party at Home
Alexis hadn't held a dinner party in a very long time. It was overdue. This time, the theme was tapas, since Alexis received several Spanish cookbooks for christmas this year.
Carrot Puree with Caraway, Feta and Mint
This was an interesting dip adapted from a great book called Casa Moro
.
-10 large carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1" long rounds
-1 large handful of mint
-1/2 cup crumbled feta
-1 tb caraway seed
-salt and pepper to taste
-a few tb olive oil
Coat the carrots with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, covered, in a 400 oven for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Put the carrots, caraway seed, 1/2 the mint and a few tb olive oil in the food processor and puree. Spread the puree on a plate and sprinkle the the feta and the remaining mint.
Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
This was a bit pasty tasting, in Alexis' opinion.
Alexis' Hummous
This is an often requested and frequently praised dish that was originally adapted from a recipe of Alexis' mom's.
Pita
For dipping in the above.
Mixed Nuts
Almonds
Chorizo Tortilla Bites
In Spain, a "tortilla" is basically a quiche with potato. This one was cut into easy to eat bite-sized pieces
Manchego Cheese with Quince Paste
This is a super simple appetizer that was a huge hit. Simply spread a tiny dollop of quince paste (available at any Mexican grocery store, or Whole Foods) on a slice of Manchego.
Empanadillas
Hand-help pastries a kind of labor intensive, but they are always a crowd pleaser. Also, these are healthier, since they are baked instead of fried.
Roasted Asparagus with Proscuitto
Roast asparagus on 350 until tender, then wrap the speared in a super-thin slice of proscuitto.
Chorizo, Honeydew Melon and Chorizo Salad
This was a great salad. Sweet, salty and unexpected. This recipe was adapted from a book simply called Tapas.
Squid with Cherry Tomatos and Arugula
This was better in theory than practice, but I think the squid, served warm in the dressing, would have been nice on its own.
Meatballs
These meatballs were not salty enough, but they were tasty in the homemade tomato sauce that we forgot to take a picture of.
Crab Stuffed Cherry Tomatos
We don't have the recipe for these, as they were made by a friend. They were tasty though.
Garlic Shrimp
Garlic. Butter. Shrimp. That's all I need to say.
Almond Cake with Rum Syrup and Chocolate Ganache
A rich, decadent cake. Recipe adapted from The New Spanish Table
.
Cake:
-8 oz blanched almonds
-1/4 cup milk
-1 cup sugar
-4 eggs
-1/3 cup flour
-1/4 cup olive oil
-zest of 1 lemon
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
In a food processor, combine 1/2 the sugar and almonds, and pulse until almonds are a fine powder. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs for 1 minute. Then add the rest of the sugar and beat for 4 minutes. Alternate beating in the milk, flour and olive oil. Add the cinnamon and zest and stir to combine. Bake in a wax paper lined, buttered and floured springform pan at 350 for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack until cool to the touch.
Syrup:
-1/2 cup water
-3/4 cup dark rum
-1/2 cup sugar
Heat over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Prick the cake all over, then liberally brush the top of the cake with syrup. Cover in plastic wrap and let the syrup absorb for an hour.
Ganache:
-8 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Put cream and chocolate in a double boiler and stir until a creamy, unified whole. Let cool for 1 hour before spreading over the cake.
Carrot Puree with Caraway, Feta and Mint
This was an interesting dip adapted from a great book called Casa Moro
.-10 large carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1" long rounds
-1 large handful of mint
-1/2 cup crumbled feta
-1 tb caraway seed
-salt and pepper to taste
-a few tb olive oil
Coat the carrots with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, covered, in a 400 oven for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Put the carrots, caraway seed, 1/2 the mint and a few tb olive oil in the food processor and puree. Spread the puree on a plate and sprinkle the the feta and the remaining mint.
Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
This was a bit pasty tasting, in Alexis' opinion.
-2 large eggplants
-2 red peppers
-4 cloves garlic
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Roast the whole eggplants and red peppers on 400 until the skin has blackend and the peppers are deflated. Put them in a paper bag, or a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Remove the skins and seed the peppers. Add the peppers, eggplant flesh, garlic, lemon and seasonings into the food processor and pulse a few times.
-2 red peppers
-4 cloves garlic
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Roast the whole eggplants and red peppers on 400 until the skin has blackend and the peppers are deflated. Put them in a paper bag, or a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Remove the skins and seed the peppers. Add the peppers, eggplant flesh, garlic, lemon and seasonings into the food processor and pulse a few times.
Alexis' Hummous
This is an often requested and frequently praised dish that was originally adapted from a recipe of Alexis' mom's.
-1 can chick peas, drained
-1/4 cup tahini
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1/2 cup olive oil
-6 cloves garlic
-salt to taste
Puree all ingredients in the food processor until very smooth.
-1/4 cup tahini
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1/2 cup olive oil
-6 cloves garlic
-salt to taste
Puree all ingredients in the food processor until very smooth.
Pita
For dipping in the above.
Mixed Nuts
Almonds
Chorizo Tortilla Bites
In Spain, a "tortilla" is basically a quiche with potato. This one was cut into easy to eat bite-sized pieces
-8 eggs
-2 small potatos, boiled and diced
-6" length of dry chorizo, diced
-1 cup parmasean, grated
-2 tb water
-2 tomatos, seeded and diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-1 onion, diced
Sautee the onions, tomatos and peppers on low for about 5 minutes, until very soft. Add the diced chorizo and boiled, diced potatos and sautee for another 5 minutes. Beat the eggs and water together and then add them to the pan. Stir all ingredients and then leave it alone for about 10 minutes, still on very low heat. When almost all the egg is cooked, except for the top, add the cheese and put under a hot broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly. You can serve hot, room temperature or chilled.
-2 small potatos, boiled and diced
-6" length of dry chorizo, diced
-1 cup parmasean, grated
-2 tb water
-2 tomatos, seeded and diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-1 onion, diced
Sautee the onions, tomatos and peppers on low for about 5 minutes, until very soft. Add the diced chorizo and boiled, diced potatos and sautee for another 5 minutes. Beat the eggs and water together and then add them to the pan. Stir all ingredients and then leave it alone for about 10 minutes, still on very low heat. When almost all the egg is cooked, except for the top, add the cheese and put under a hot broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly. You can serve hot, room temperature or chilled.
Manchego Cheese with Quince Paste
This is a super simple appetizer that was a huge hit. Simply spread a tiny dollop of quince paste (available at any Mexican grocery store, or Whole Foods) on a slice of Manchego.
Empanadillas
Hand-help pastries a kind of labor intensive, but they are always a crowd pleaser. Also, these are healthier, since they are baked instead of fried.
-1 lb store-bought puff pastry, rolled out VERY thin and cut into 4" diameter rounds
-6 oz cheese, grated
-1 tin anchovies, minced
-1/2 cup sun dried tomatos, minced
-1 cup kalamata olives, minced
-pepper to taste
Mix the anchovies, cheese, tomatos and olives to combine. Put a teaspoon-ful of this filling in the center of every round of dough. Wet the edge of half the pastry dough and fold over. Squeeze edged to secure. Brush with beaten egg and bake on 350 for about 10 minutes, until puffy and golden.
-6 oz cheese, grated
-1 tin anchovies, minced
-1/2 cup sun dried tomatos, minced
-1 cup kalamata olives, minced
-pepper to taste
Mix the anchovies, cheese, tomatos and olives to combine. Put a teaspoon-ful of this filling in the center of every round of dough. Wet the edge of half the pastry dough and fold over. Squeeze edged to secure. Brush with beaten egg and bake on 350 for about 10 minutes, until puffy and golden.
Roasted Asparagus with Proscuitto
Roast asparagus on 350 until tender, then wrap the speared in a super-thin slice of proscuitto.
Chorizo, Honeydew Melon and Chorizo Salad
This was a great salad. Sweet, salty and unexpected. This recipe was adapted from a book simply called Tapas.
-1 lb dry chorizo, thinly sliced
-1 honeydew, cut in bite sized pieces
-1 lb marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
-red wine vinagrette made of equal parts red wine vinager, mustard and olive oil
Thoroughly mix all ingredients.
-1 honeydew, cut in bite sized pieces
-1 lb marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
-red wine vinagrette made of equal parts red wine vinager, mustard and olive oil
Thoroughly mix all ingredients.
Squid with Cherry Tomatos and Arugula
This was better in theory than practice, but I think the squid, served warm in the dressing, would have been nice on its own.
-1 lb cleaned squid, thinly sliced
-2 large handfuls fresh marjoram
-2 large handfuls fresh cilantro
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-1/2 cup olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 and 1/2 cups cherry tomatos, halved
-1/2 lb fresh arugula
Sautee the squid in a bit of olive oil until just opaque, as you don't want to overcook it. In a food processor, combine the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Move the squid to a glass bowl and pour the pureed dressing over the squid. Chill. In a large bowl mix the chilled squid, the arugula and the cherry tomatos and serve as a salad.
-2 large handfuls fresh marjoram
-2 large handfuls fresh cilantro
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-1/2 cup olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 and 1/2 cups cherry tomatos, halved
-1/2 lb fresh arugula
Sautee the squid in a bit of olive oil until just opaque, as you don't want to overcook it. In a food processor, combine the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Move the squid to a glass bowl and pour the pureed dressing over the squid. Chill. In a large bowl mix the chilled squid, the arugula and the cherry tomatos and serve as a salad.
Meatballs
These meatballs were not salty enough, but they were tasty in the homemade tomato sauce that we forgot to take a picture of.
-2 lb beef
-1 cup grated parmasean
-3 tb garlic powder
-2 tb pepper
-2 ts salt
-5 low-carb crackers, put in the food processor to turn into breadcrumbs.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly, roll into 1" diameter balls and sautee in a few tb of veggie oil, shaking constantly to ensure they are browned all over. Drain onto paper towels and serve.
Tomato Sauce:
-3 cans diced tomatos
-1 bell pepper, chopped
-6 cloves garlic
-1/2 onion, chopped
-2 tb Italian seasoning
-1 large handful fresh basil
-salt and pepper to taste
Sautee onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil until beginning to carmelize. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for an hour. Puree with an immersion blender.
-1 cup grated parmasean
-3 tb garlic powder
-2 tb pepper
-2 ts salt
-5 low-carb crackers, put in the food processor to turn into breadcrumbs.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly, roll into 1" diameter balls and sautee in a few tb of veggie oil, shaking constantly to ensure they are browned all over. Drain onto paper towels and serve.
Tomato Sauce:
-3 cans diced tomatos
-1 bell pepper, chopped
-6 cloves garlic
-1/2 onion, chopped
-2 tb Italian seasoning
-1 large handful fresh basil
-salt and pepper to taste
Sautee onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil until beginning to carmelize. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for an hour. Puree with an immersion blender.
Crab Stuffed Cherry Tomatos
We don't have the recipe for these, as they were made by a friend. They were tasty though.
Garlic Shrimp
Garlic. Butter. Shrimp. That's all I need to say.
-1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled (I cheat and buy them this way from Costco)
-1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and minced
-3 tb butter
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 handful of fresh cilantro, minced
Sautee the garlic in the butter until just beginning to brown. Add the shrimp and cook on medium high for a few minutes, until the shrimp have just turned pink. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately.
-1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and minced
-3 tb butter
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 handful of fresh cilantro, minced
Sautee the garlic in the butter until just beginning to brown. Add the shrimp and cook on medium high for a few minutes, until the shrimp have just turned pink. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately.
Almond Cake with Rum Syrup and Chocolate Ganache
A rich, decadent cake. Recipe adapted from The New Spanish Table
.Cake:
-8 oz blanched almonds
-1/4 cup milk
-1 cup sugar
-4 eggs
-1/3 cup flour
-1/4 cup olive oil
-zest of 1 lemon
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
In a food processor, combine 1/2 the sugar and almonds, and pulse until almonds are a fine powder. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs for 1 minute. Then add the rest of the sugar and beat for 4 minutes. Alternate beating in the milk, flour and olive oil. Add the cinnamon and zest and stir to combine. Bake in a wax paper lined, buttered and floured springform pan at 350 for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack until cool to the touch.
Syrup:
-1/2 cup water
-3/4 cup dark rum
-1/2 cup sugar
Heat over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Prick the cake all over, then liberally brush the top of the cake with syrup. Cover in plastic wrap and let the syrup absorb for an hour.
Ganache:
-8 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Put cream and chocolate in a double boiler and stir until a creamy, unified whole. Let cool for 1 hour before spreading over the cake.
Apple Yogurt Cake
Dense and intensely appley, but not too sweet so you could even eat it for breakfast. Also adapted from The New Spanish Table.
Dense and intensely appley, but not too sweet so you could even eat it for breakfast. Also adapted from The New Spanish Table
.-4 apples, peeled, cored and diced
-2 cups flour
-1 and 1/2 ts baking powder
-4 eggs
-1 cup sugar
-1 cup greek yogurt (our favorite is Fage brand)
-1/4 cup brandy
-1/2 cup olive oil
Beat the eggs and sugar for about in a minute in a stand mixer for a minute or so. Add the yogurt and brandy and mix until smooth. Alternately add the baking powder, flour and olive oil, mixing to combine after adding each in batches. Fold in the diced apples. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured springform pan and bake at 350 for about and hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
-2 cups flour
-1 and 1/2 ts baking powder
-4 eggs
-1 cup sugar
-1 cup greek yogurt (our favorite is Fage brand)
-1/4 cup brandy
-1/2 cup olive oil
Beat the eggs and sugar for about in a minute in a stand mixer for a minute or so. Add the yogurt and brandy and mix until smooth. Alternately add the baking powder, flour and olive oil, mixing to combine after adding each in batches. Fold in the diced apples. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured springform pan and bake at 350 for about and hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Labels: beef, dessert recipes, dinner recipes, dips, eggs, homemade, salad
# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 8:04 PM 
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