Traditional South African Recipe - Potjiekos

Each country has its own traditional recipes, and more than likely the ingredients are pertinent to the food available in that particular country. The fresh ingredients would probably be the fruit or vegetables grown in that country and are easily available through the seasons of the year. This South African recipe, 'Potjiekos', that uses all of the local ingredients to South Africa, is traditionally an outdoor meal, often prepared in a heavy cast iron pot over a fire. The name 'potjiekos' means 'potjie' which is pot and 'kos' means food. Food in a pot. The end result is similar to the more commonly known beef or lamb stew. But it seems that the flavour is enhanced because of the pot. Somehow it seems to keep all of the flavours and is quite different to the conventional way of preparing a stew.

The pot is made from cast iron and is very heavy. It's belly pot design seems to prevent the moisture from boiling out. It has a swing handle that drops down at the side of the pot and is design to take the heat of the open fire with it simmering away for two or three hours. The belly pot often has three cast iron legs where one can simply stand the pot over the fire, or you may hang the pot over the fire by the handle. Either way you have to use an oven glove or tea towel to lift the handle or the lid as they both become exceptionally hot. The Potjie' has to be stirred, preferable with a wooden spoon every so often to prevent the mixture from burning at the bottom. This should be done with a wooden spoon so as not to break up the dumplings.

The recipe calls for beef or lamb, onions, carrots, some peas,which is optional,seasoning, and dumplings, made from a regular dumpling recipe of flour and suet. The onions and meat are fried until brown. Finally add the rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe, add enough water to just cover the meat and vegetables and simmer for a couple of hours. 

Special Sangria Recipe From Spain

Spain is a very beautiful place and its towns and cities are very popular places for people to go on holiday; one main thing that people look forward to when they visit is the authentic Spanish food and the famous Sangria. One of the best things about Sangria drink is that there are various fruit mixtures that you can choose from when you order it from a restaurant and it a delicious non-alcoholic version can be mixed up for children to enjoy.

You can make your own Sangria drink while you are at home and become an expert at making the best Sangria drinks that anyone has ever tried. There are definitely no secrets to this recipe and many people enjoy being able to make it quickly and in large quantities for parties. You can pretty much drink Sangria whenever you feel like it, but it is really a summer drink which is when you will enjoy it the most. Some restaurants in Spain will only serve Sangria drinks during the summer time while other restaurants serve the drink all year round. Depending on where you go, you can buy Sangria with a mild amount of alcohol in them or with heavier amounts. Restaurants will normally serve mild Sangrias while bars will serve Sangrias with heavy alcohol and flavoured liquors.

Now that you know a little about the Sangria drink from Spain, it is time to make your own. You will first want to make sure that you have the right kind of pitcher to put your Sangria drink in. It's best to use either a glass pitcher or a stainless steel pitcher so that your drink will stay nice and cold and you can make a decent amount.

As for the ingredients, you will need red wine, orange liquor, orange juice, and then a variety of fruits and berries. Make sure that you choose a selection of in-season fruits and include citrus fruits to give your Sangria a refreshing edge. Blend your mixture together to taste and then add either some sparkling water or some lemonade to add a bit of fizz! To get the best taste you should let the mixture sit in your fridge overnight or at least for a few hours, this way it will not only be perfectly chilled but the flavours will have had a chance to infuse and develop, making it a delicious drink for all.

Catalonia Sandwich Recipe

Barcelona is the major city located in the ever expanding region known as Catalonia. Catalonia is the first tourist destination of Spain. The main tourist destinations of Catalonia are the city of Barcelona, the beaches of the Costa Brava at Girona and the Costa Daurada at Tarragona. In the Pyrenees there are 10 ski resorts: Baqueira Beret, the Molina, Espot Ski, the Masella, Port Aine, Vall de Nuria, Boí Taull, Port of the Comte, Flat of Peguera, Tavascan and Vallter 2000. Drop into any cafe and you will be able to order this outstanding sandwich.

Catalan Spanish-Style Tuna Sandwich

Makes 2 Sandwiches

1 can tuna fish (6 ounces), well drained

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped red bell pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons aioli or mayonnaise

1 tablespoon cooked green peas (optional)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green olives

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

French baguette bread or roll

1-2 artichoke hearts (canned or bottled), drained and sliced

1 boiled egg, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Ingredients for aioli:

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

For the aioli:

1. Smash garlic with a mortar and pestle (or against a cutting board using the back of a knife, or heavy knife blade) to make a coarse paste.

2. Add the salt and continue to mash the mixture until it is a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and add the egg yolk. Whisk rapidly by hand for 30 or more seconds, until the mixture is smooth and slightly frothy.

3. Slowly drizzle in the lemon juice, then the olive oil, while whisking. Continue whisking for another minute, or until it becomes a creamy sauce.

Store in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use. The aioli will keep for several days. Makes about 1/2 cup.

For the sandwich:

1. Combine the tuna, onion, red bell pepper, aioli or mayonnaise, green peas, green olives, and black pepper and mix well.

2. Split the baguette or rolls in half and stuff with the mixture.

3. Top the tuna mixture with the artichoke heart slices and egg rounds. 

Spanish Chorizo and Cod Stew Recipe

Spanish chorizo partners perfectly with white fish, the smokiness from the pimento infused sausage adds depth to the fish, turning it into a hearty satisfying meal that works incredibly well in the warmer summer months or colder winter season.

This stew has a base of fresh ripe tomatoes, but you are able to use really good tinned tomatoes instead. This stew could easily be transformed into soup by including twice as much the quantity of stock, making sure that there is a good deal of liquid with scrumptious pieces of fish and chorizo as well as a piece of crusty bread to soak it up.

Ingredients:

1 kg of fresh ripe tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons organic olive oil
A touch of sugar
Salt and pepper
500 g of fresh cod
250 ml / 1 cup of fish stock
2 onions, peeled and sliced up
350 g of quality Spanish chorizo

1) De-skin and cut your tomatoes if making use of fresh ones. Peel and grind two cloves of garlic and then heat just two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy based pan.

2) Cook and sweat the garlic within the olive oil on a very low heat for one or two minutes, at that time add in the chopped up tomatoes with a flavoring of salt and pepper with a pinch of sugar. Cook your tomatoes using a low heat for about an hour or so right up until they become a thick sauce.

3) Prepare the fish, doing away with any skin and bones and then slicing it into chunks. Chop the chorizo into bite-sized cuts or even chunks and then chop the remaining 3 cloves of garlic finely.

4) Heat just one tablespoon of olive oil in any frying pan and include the chorizo, cooking it for a few moments. Add the onions and sliced up garlic to the chorizo and cook lightly up to the point the onion begins to soften.

5) Heat up the fish stock. As soon as the tomato has finished cooking, put in the ingredients of the chorizo pan and the fish stock. Cook over a medium temperature for approximately fifteen minutes or so.

6) Add the pieces of cod to the pan and then cook for around another 5 minutes so that the fish is cooked through.

7) Sample the stew for flavoring. Serve in bowls with chunks of bread to mop up all of the juices. 

Tortilla De Patatas Recipe

The Tortilla or Spanish omelet is an ancestral and typical recipe from Spain. This dish is always tasty: warm in winter or fresh out of the fridge for a snack outdoors in summer. Its available to anyone, as it is very easy to cook and does not require much time: in 20 to 30 minutes it is ready to serve.

The dish does not require much work or much expense: potatoes, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and olive oil is all you need to surprise your guests. We can experiment with a wide variety of elements to make our tortilla unique.

The Tortilla is among the ten favorite dishes of the Spaniards; it is present on the Spanish tables since the eighteenth century and is one of the most requested dishes by foreigners in Spain.

The secret of a good Spanish Tortilla is to use good potatoes, fresh eggs and good quality olive oil. But one thing is certain: None will be equal. And there is no secret, just doing it with love.

Ingredients for tortilla de patatas

We estimate for each person the following amounts for the typical tortilla:

• 100 to 150 grams of potatoes
• 1 egg and a half (It depends in how you like the tortilla)
• 50 grams of onion (and a clove of garlic who likes)
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil

Preparation:

1. Peel and clean the potatoes in the moment when you are going to fry them, because if they are peeled in advance, they will become black. Cut potatoes and onion into thin layers.
2. Put plenty of oil into a frying pan, heat well and add potatoes and onion; fry until the potatoes starts to soften.
3. Once soft, take potatoes and onion out of the pan, drain the oil.
4. Beat eggs and add the above preparation and mix well.
5. We put a couple of tablespoons of oil in the pan and when hot, we move it so that the oil is distributed throughout it, including walls.
6. Incorporate the preparation of potatoes, onions and eggs. The fire should not be very strong, but strong enough for the Tortilla to thicken.
7. After a couple of minutes it is time to turn it around. To flip a tortilla is not difficult; it only requires a certain skill. We use a plate of the same or larger diameter than the pan. We put it on top and hop! turn.
8. Slowly put the tortilla into the pan again and let it thicken on the other side.