Pescado en Adobo Andaluz (Andalusian Marinated Fish)

This dish is such a treat.  You marinate pieces of fish overnight in a spanish adobo, then flour and fry them the next day.  The smell of the kitchen when you are cooking this dish is sure to stir up appetites.

Ingredients:
500 g (1/2 lb) white fish (cod, whiting, etc)
teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt
water
oil

Clean the fish and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Place fish into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Use water if the fish is not completely covered by the fish.  Marinate overnight.

The following day, remove the fish from the marinate, discard excess marinate.  Pat the fish pieces dry and roll in flour.  Deep-fry or pan-fry in oil until lightly browned.  Serve with lemon slices.

Espaguetis con Atun y Salsa de Tomate (Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomate Sauce)

This is a dish from a collection of recipes from Almonte, Andalucia, Spain.  It is a very simple dish, you can use store-bought tomato sauce, or make your own.

Ingredients:
400 gr. (1/2 lb) Spaghetti
can of tuna
can of tomato sauce (or homemade)
grated cheese
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
bay leaf
ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

In a large pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic.  As soon as they start to turn golden, add cooked spaghetti, ground nutmeg, tuna (broken-up with a fork) salt and pepper.  Then add the tomato sauce and mix.

Serve with grated cheese and chopped parsley.  You can also put the finished product in a casserole and bake until crispy on top.

Sopa de Arroz con Menta (Chicken Soup with Rice and Mint)

This is a typically Andalusian dish.  My mother used to put mint in soup when I we feeling a bit ill, the tastes is very nostalgic.  Ideally one would use self-made chicken stock, but using pre-made stuff is alright if you don't have the time.  You may also omit the chicken if you just want something to quickly warm the soul.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 liter chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice
150 ml plan yogurt (small container)
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 cup cooked chicken (can be omitted)
butter
fresh mint, chopped

Put the chicken broth in a pot and bring to a boil, add the rice and boil slightly until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.  In a separate saucepan, mix yogurt with flour and egg, slowly add 2 cups (250ml) water and bring to a boil, once the mixture is boiling, pour into large pot of chicken broth.  Let the soup simmer an additional 5 minutes.  Add the cooked chicken and heat through.  At the end, place a small pad of butter and a teaspoon (can be a little more if you like) of the mint in a bowl and ladle in the soup.  Enjoy...

Pasta all'Amatriciana

This is a very simple pasta dish that originates in Rome. It is originally made with guanciale (cured pork-cheek) but can also be made with either smoked or salt-cured bacon.  You can either use homemade or canned tomato sauce.  Be careful when adding salt as the bacon is pretty salty.

Ingredients (Serve 3 to 4)
90 g (about 1/2 cup) Guanciale or smoked/salt-cured bacon
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
500 g (1 lb,) pasta or your choice (spaghetti, rigatoni, etc)
pecorino or pecorino romano

In a skillet, fry the guanciale or bacon until lightly crispy.  Add the tomato sauce and let simmer.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta according the box instructions.  I usually cook the pasta one minute less than the box indicates to ensure that it is al dente.  When the pasta is done, drain and mix it into the sauce.  Serve with plenty of grated cheese on top.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4 to 6

Mexican comfort food at its best.  This dish can be made more or less spicy, just adjust the amount of chili powder and ground red pepper.  This dish can also be made ahead, just prepare as follows but do not top the dish with cheese.  When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to about 350F (175C) and head for about 20 minutes, then raise the heat to 400F (200C), sprinkle the cheese on top and heat for an additional 10 minutes.

2 large onions, chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 28.oz, cans tomatoes, drained
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken
12 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (4 oz)
olive and vegetable oil

In a large skillet combine onions, peppers and garlic and cook until they begin to brown, about 7 minutes.  Add in the chili powder, ground cumin and red pepper and cook for an additional minute.  Then add the 2 cans of tomatoes and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.  Then with a food processor or immersion blender, puree the sauce.  Combine 1/2 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken.  Preheat the oven to 400F, lightly brush each of the corn tortillas with oil and arrange on a baking sheet, slightly overlapping.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes.  Pour another 1/2 cup of the sauce of the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. To make each enchilada, spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoon of chicken in the center of each tortilla and roll tightly.  Arrange the tortillas seam down in the baking dish.  Cover with the remaining sauce and bake until bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Hungarian Stuffed Peppers (Töltött paprika)

This is a very hearty and delicious Hungarian meal.  Here in Germany its possible to find the long 'corno' peppers from Hungary, otherwise any long and green pepper will do.

Ingredients:
8-10 green peppers (sweet or mildly hot)
500 g (1 lb) ground beef and pork
1 small onion, grated
50 g (1 3/4 oz) lard (or butter)
50 g (1 3/4 oz) rice
1 kg (2 lbs) tomatoes, chopped
40 g (1 1/2 oz) flour
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the top off the green peppers, remove the seeds and ribs.  Add the onion in some lard or butter, stirring frequently.  Mix the ground meet with the rice, onion, salt and pepper.  Loosely fill the green peppers with the stuffing and make a hole in the middle with the end of a spoon so they have room to expand.  Place the stuffed peppers in a pot and pour hot, salted water on top and cover them.  Cook on low heat for 50 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a another pot, cook the tomatoes with a little water and reduce to a pulp, pass through a food mill or blend with an immersion blender.  Prepare a roux from the flour and some lard (or butter), stir in the tomato puree. flavor with sugar, salt and pepper.  Then pour over the stuff green peppers and cook for another 10 minutes.  Serve with boiled potatoes or dumplings.

Hungarian Bean Soup

I am a huge fan of bean soups.  Recently on my trip to Budapest I bought a Hungarian Cookbook.  This soup is very hearty and should be served as a main dish.  I served a small green salad with Hungarian-style dressing as a starter to this meal.

Ingredients:
200 g (7 oz) dried beans (pinto or other small bean)
2 bay leaves
1 medium carrot, cut in small cubes
1 medium parsnip, cut in small cubes
1 slice celery root, cut in small cubes
1 peppers, chopped
1/2 lb. smoked sausage (if you can't find Hungarian, than Polish Kielbasa will work as well)
butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon white vinegar (helps prevent gas from beans)
sour cream
chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Soak the beans overnight.  The following day, put the beans in a big pot, with the sliced sausage and 1 1/2 liters (1 1/2 qts) of water and the bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, let cook until the beans are tender, between 45-60 minutes.  When the beans are tender, add water to the level where it was when you began (there is usually a residue line). Add the carrot, parsnip, celery root and pepper and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the onions and garlic and saute until tender, then add a bit more butter and add the flour.  Cook until the flour is a light golden color.  Remove from heat, then stir in the teaspoon of paprika (this is done to prevent the paprika from turning bitter).  Add this mixture to the soup and bring to a boil, the soup will thicken slightly.  Salt and pepper the soup to taste and add a little vinegar and sour cream, continue cooking on low for about 3 minutes.  Serve in deep plates with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of paprika on each serving.

As mentioned, I served this with a small green salad.  Its basically Romaine lettuce with sliced green peppers.  The dressing was 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed well with a little water and salt added to make it go further, seems simple but makes the salad taste very fresh.  I also served this dish with a nice Hungarian red wine, it was a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot cuvee. jó étvágyat!