Gazpacho - a refreshingly cold, raw tomato based soup from Spain

A delicious, healthy and refreshing chilled soup from Spain.

Made predominantly from raw tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion and garlic blended together with sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, this soup can be anything from a starter, to a main or a tapa - and on a hot summer's day it's wonderful to be able to just reach into the fridge and pour yourself some out!

 

 

Makes approximately 1.3 litres (or see Notes for double), hence it makes six servings of 220ml.
820 calories for the full batch including extra virgin olive oil (or if you're fasting, you can leave it out, and it will then be 286 calories for the entire quantity).

Hence 136 calories for a 220ml/g serving including the extra virgin olive oil (or 48 calories for a 210ml/g serving excluding extra virgin olive oil) - obviously adding chopped up salad toppings will add a few more calories, and adding a drizzle of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) will add around 120 calories per tbsp.

Pollo al Chilindron - (Spanish) Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes

Simple and tasty at its best, Spanish-style...

I've blogged this recipe, which I've had in my 5:2 group for a while, because it is how I learnt the real name of a 'Half Man, Half Goat'... make of that what you will!!! This is a classic Spanish dish, originating from Aragón. You can choose whether you use all red bell peppers (which are sweeter, and some say is the most traditional), or a mixture of red and green, or even all green for a slightly more peppery flavour. Choose chicken thighs for moist and succulent tasty meat, or chicken breast for a leaner, slightly quicker option.

Chilindron - the pepper and tomato sauce - is simple and yet soooo good - great hot or cold, and delicious with meat, chicken or fish - and if you're a vegetarian, you could just make the sauce and crack some eggs into it to poach shakshouka style for a delicious brunch, and mop up with crusty bread.

Serves four as a main meal, 275 calories per serving (if using chicken breast and Serrano ham. Add an extra 23 calories per portion if using skinless, boneless chicken thighs, and an extra 32 calories per portion if using rindless streaky bacon instead of Serrano ham). For a vegetarian version, with four medium eggs cracked in, it would be 178 calories per person.

Spanish Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Prawns (or Mushrooms) - Revuelto de Esparragos con Gambas

Fantastic lunch or light meal, simple ingredients but absolutely delicious!

When quick, easy and totally tasty is the objective, this is a dish that ticks all the boxes and not only that, it's deceptively healthy despite tasting rather decadent!
             
 
Serves one, easily doubled. 295 calories per serving made with prawns, 251 made with mushrooms (for the vegetarian option). 

You could just use one egg, and ½ tbsp milk and knock off 91 calories if you prefer, for a lighter snack (196/152 calories), but two eggs makes it into more of a satisfying dish with a nice amount of protein. Mix it up with different vegetables and/or Serrano ham, Chorizo, or even some smoked salmon (not quite so Spanish!) scattered over the top at the end!

Spicy Chorizo, Chickpea and Spinach Soup (includes Thermomix method)

A delicious, hearty and filling soup, with spicy, smokey chorizo flavours, nutty chickpeas and fresh spinach.

Chorizo really is a star ingredient, packed full of flavour which is released in the oils when you cook it, which is enhanced in my spicy chorizo, chickpea and spinach soup by the fresh garlic, chilli and smoked paprika in it (which means that even if you chose to leave out the chorizo, to make this soup vegetarian, it would still have the delicious chilli, smoky paprika and garlic flavours in it). There are many different varieties of chorizo - some cured and eaten as they are, others for cooking, with regional varieties containing subtly different herbs and spices.

           

And then there's the question of pronunciation. Is it 'choritho', 'shoriso', or 'choritso' or something else - a certain feisty Spanish lady, Maria at Feisty Tapas is quite adamant it's 'cho-ree-thoh', and I'm certainly not going to disagree with her!

This hearty soup serves six - and if you have leftovers they will freeze beautifully - or the next day, you could transform them into a meal, by adding a tin or two of your favourite white beans to them (e.g. butterbeans, or cannellini etc., rinsed and drained) or some roasted vegetables and topping with a chunky, pan-roast cod fillet. Delicious!

177 calories per serving, if you're counting. [Calories in square brackets]

Pinchitos Morunos - Pork Kebabs (with Green Peppers)

Tasty pork kebabs, flavoured with Moorish spices - popular in many Tapas bars.

With warm and heady spices, these are beautiful grilled (USA broiled), and perfect for cooking over a barbecue - you could even griddle them if you want to catch the smoky, slightly charred flavour. Delicious served over rice (or cauliflower rice) with my Artichoke, Asparagus and Fennel salad.

Makes four main portions, or serves six to twelve as tapas. 228 calories per serving (three skewers), 76 calories per skewer.The little green Padron peppers take on a smoky flavour when cooked under a home grill (broiler) on the pork kebabs. If you can’t get hold of Padron peppers (or other small cooking peppers, I picked up the Padron peppers on a whim as the shop just so happened to be selling them as peppers suitable for Spanish tapas dishes that day), then just cut up regular peppers into large dice and thread onto the kebabs.

Artichoke, Asparagus and Fennel Salad with a Lemon Dressing

This is a beautiful, Spanish-inspired dish, which really takes salad to a whole new level.

It makes great use of what some would consider luxury ingredients, and with the Spanish slant, goes wonderfully with things like grilled chicken, fish and seafood, or my Moorish-Spiced Pork and Padron Pepper kebabs, and makes a stunning dish on a table of food to share with friends.

Serves four as a side, 91 calories per portion.
Feel free to chop and change the ingredients according to what you’ve got! [Calories in square brackets]

Courgette (Zucchini) Ribbon, Goats' Cheese and Petis Pois Tortilla with Fresh Herbs

Inspired by the lighter Andalusian version of the traditional Spanish Tortilla

...which uses courgettes (zucchini) instead of potatoes, I made this version using blanched courgette ribbons, rather than fried courgette slices, complimented by soft  and salty goats cheese, contrasting sweet bursts of flavour from petit pois and highlighted with the flavour of fresh herbs, with a base of lightly caramelised spring onions.

Not only is it delicious, it's light on the calorie and carb front too, without potatoes. Lovely served with some small tomatoes on the vine, roasted for 10-12 minutes in a medium oven, and a green leafy salad with a drizzle of balsamic or lemon juice and olive oil.

The tortilla serves 4-6, depending on appetite, at 157 calories per serving (between six), or 235 calories each between four. [Calories in square brackets, if you're counting!]

Octopus, Chorizo and Red Peppers, with Cauliflower Two Ways

Also delightful with scallops, or fresh squid rings...

Finally, I've pulled together the blog for this relatively simple to make, but delicious dish, after three other blogs which were necessary for the components (honest, it is simple and quick once you've cooked the octopus)!

Slow-braised octopus is tossed in a pan with crispy chorizo and red peppers, and served with a silky-smooth, garlicky cauliflower puree, which contrasts with a scattering of sautéed mini-cauliflower florets, cumin and almond crunch.

Serves two as a light lunch, or generous starter, easily doubled.  351 calories per serving.

Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs) Two Ways - With Tomato Sauce or Almond Sauce (including Thermomix method)

It's everyone's favourite tapas dish, with a healthier twist!

Serves five as a main course from only 271 calories per serving, or ten to twelve as a tapas dish (113 to 136 calories per portion).

          

Albondigas is a very popular dish in Spain, found in many tapas bars. It is usually made of a mix of meats (commonly pork and veal originally, to stretch the veal further), but you can choose whether you mix your meats or just use solely pork or beef. I prefer to use both for the flavour.

Romesco Sauce (Roasted Tomato and Almond Sauce)

Here's a 'littlie'...

A lovely, easy sauce to quickly put together - just throw three of the ingredients under the grill (broiler) and blitz - delicious with fish, chicken or vegetables.

Salsa Romesco (Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Almond Sauce)

Serves three as a sauce/accompaniment to a main meal. From 90 calories per serving.

This is a classic Spanish sauce, perfect for serving with fish (such as grilled sea bass, cod, monkfish etc.), vegetables and meat. If you’re not able to eat nuts, you could always thicken the sauce with fried (or toasted) bread instead (providing you're not allergic to gluten/wheat etc. - if so, use GF), which was also used in the past for those who didn’t have access to almond trees/almonds.



Ingredients

• 2 large vine tomatoes (about 220g) [44]
• 4 garlic cloves (unskinned) [24]
• 20g blanched almonds* (you could use slivered, or ground, but the flavour and texture will be a little different) [126]
• ½ tsp sugar (optional) [8]
• ½ tbsp red (or white) wine vinegar [2]
• ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or more to taste on non-fast days!) [65]
• Salt (initially try ¼ teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste [1]

Method
Pre-heat the grill (broiler) to medium and line a baking tray with foil. Put the tomatoes, garlic cloves (in their skins) and almonds on the tray, and put under the grill. Initially, you will need to keep a close eye on it, as the almonds will start to brown very quickly and need turning before they burn – you only want to brown them a little. 

Remove them once lightly browned and set aside into a food processor (or blender - you could do this all by hand in a pestle and mortar, but it will be hard work!). Continue to grill, turning occasionally - the garlic will be cooked next, once it is browned and the tomatoes will take up to about twenty minutes once the skins are wrinkled and coming off.

Remove the skins from the garlic and tomatoes. Chop the bottom end off the garlic, and cut the skinned tomatoes in half, and remove the tough green part where the stalk is. Add the garlic to the nuts in the food processor and blitz to a paste. Add the tomatoes and other ingredients, and then blend to a creamy sauce – it will have a slightly rough texture from the nuts, it is not meant to be smooth. Serve warm with fish, vegetables or meat.

If you're not counting calories, you could add extra olive oil – it will take up to another tablespoon and a half, or to taste.

*You can use hazelnuts instead of almonds, or a mix of the two. You can also use a slice of fried bread (gluten free if making this for coeliacs) to thicken the sauce if you are unable to or do not wish to use nuts.

Salt Cod Stew, with Chickpeas, Spinach and White Beans

So, having put up my Salted Chillies recipe, I was reminded of my Salt Cod Stew recipe which we had last night, re-heated from the freezer (which it does rather well!).

The best thing about this dish, is that you don't have to buy salt cod and soak it overnight - you can make this with fresh cod, using my easy method of salting and cooking it, which takes just over an hour and gives you tender, moist, subtly salty cod flakes!

It also makes enough for six to eight people (or many more if serving as a selection of tapa), stretching an expensive fish a long way, and... freezes well!

So, why not have a go?

Potaje de Garbanzos, Judías Blancas, Bacalao y Espinacas
(Chickpea, White Bean, Salt Cod and Spinach Stew)

Serves six as a hearty meal, eight as a lighter meal, and probably a good dozen as tapas! Freezes well, so you can portion it up for future meals in small bags.  347 calories per serving between six (261 calories between eight, 174 between twelve).

Don’t be put off by the idea of salt cod – it’s really easy to make the equivalent to de-salted salt cod (Bacalao), with just an hour’s salting, and 30 minutes soaking and it’s delicious! Use any combination of chick peas, butter beans and white beans you fancy, as long as they add up to around 850g cooked weight.

Salt Cod - how to quickly make your own 'Bacalao' (Spanish salt cod)

Although you can buy (dried) salted fish in the UK it's more likely to be the kind you'd use in Jamaican cooking. A lot of people can find salted fish of this variety a little, well... too salty, and not be overly fond of the texture.

It's certainly not the kind of salted fish you'd want to use in Spanish cooking.

This however, is a fantastic substitute for 'Bacalao', tender and moist with just the right levels of salt - and you don't have to 'de-salt' it overnight to use it, and can prepare it from fresh to finished in under two hours, cooked and ready to eat or use in recipes. Delicious in my Chickpea, White Bean, Salt Cod and Spinach Stew.

Just two ingredients are needed - cod fillets (preferably with skin on) and enough coarse sea salt to evenly cover the flesh. 500g of fresh cod will give you the equivalent of 250-285g de-salted, soaked Bacalao (salt cod).

Method
Place the cod fillets in a single layer, skin side down, on a plate or dish which will catch liquids that are released from the cod when it is salted. Sprinkle reasonably generously (as in photo) with coarse sea salt (don’t use fine salt, or it will be too salty) and leave for an hour (no longer). By this time, the cod will have released some liquid and absorbed some of the salt flavour. Rinse off all of the salt, then place in a large container with plenty of cold water for 30 to 45 minutes, changing the water twice (after 10-15 minutes, then again). Remove, pat dry and it is ready to cook.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, turn the heat right down to low, and add the salted cod to the water for 5 or 6 minutes, until only just cooked, then remove and put on a plate for a couple of minutes, until cool enough to handle. Use your hands to gently break the cod into large flakes, discarding the skin (and any bones you find), then gently stir into your dish, trying not to break up the flakes too much if for example, it's a stew, or incorporate more firmly into Spanish style fish cakes, before cooking.

Alternatively, you could cook for a few seconds longer, and serve whole with something like my Chilindron sauce (a spanish garnish of onions, peppers and tomatoes, popular served with chicken and fish dishes).

Sea Bass in a Spanish Cider Sauce

Theme of the day today, seems to be Spanish, so here's another delightful fish dish you might not have tried before. You don't have to use sea bass - hake, bream, cod, haddock, monkfish or your favourite fish will all go delightfully with this subtle cider and tomato sauce, which compliments white fish beautifully.

Lubina a la Sidra

(Sea bass in a cider sauce)

A delicious way to serve sea bass (or your favourite fish – don't forget to adjust cooking times accordingly), shown served with roasted vegetables with oregano (73 calories per serving) and roasted new potatoes (110 calories per serving).

Serves two, 258 calories per serving for the sea bass and cider sauce.  331 calories if served with the roasted vegetables, and 441 if you have the potatoes as well.

You can serve any white fish you like with this, grilled, oven-baked or even steamed (just remember to weigh it and adjust the calories as appropriate).

Zarangollo - Courgettes (Zucchini) slowly cooked with Onions and Oregano, and optional Eggs

Immensely popular in Spain, you'll find it served at many a tapas bar as an appetiser. It's delightful with eggs stirred in at the end, to lightly scramble them and make it into a dish in itself, or without the eggs as a side dish to accompany other dishes, or as part of a selection of tapa (with or without eggs).

Zarangollo

Serves two as tapas (or a light accompaniment to a fish dish without the eggs), or one as something light to eat. Easily doubled.

With eggs (recommended): 168 calories per serving between two as a tapas dish (335 calories as a light dish for one).

Without eggs (more of a side dish than a meal): 80 calories per serving between two (159 calories as a very light dish for one).

Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Another popular Spanish side dish...

And a great quick dish to rustle up from the freezer and storecupboard, if you haven't got fresh spinach to had, lovely with fish dishes (such as my cod with romesco sauce, or sea bass with cider and tomato sauce), or as a selection of mixed or vegetarian tapa. I've included a microwave cheat for when you need to throw something together last minute to impress - slug in extra oil for authenticity if you're feeling extravagant, and double up the ingredients if you want a good portion for yourself - don't be shy now!

Espinacas con Pasas y Piñones
(Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts)

Serves two as a side dish or tapa, easily doubled. 87 calories per serving if made with frozen spinach, 100 calories per serving if made with fresh spinach.

Roasted Vegetables with an Oregano, Sherry Vinegar and Olive Oil Dressing

Just a quickie...

A very simple side dish which is delicious alongside fish or poultry, or as one of a number of tapa. I've used onions, peppers and courgettes here, you could put in whichever are your favourite vegetables, such as mushrooms, fennel wedges, aubergine etc. and add whole garlic cloves if you like, squeezing out the soft, caramelised insides after they're roasted. You could even chop them up smaller, then stir through some cous cous soaked in vegetable stock with chopped olives, and crumble some feta cheese over it to make it into a meal...
                  

Mediterranean vegetables roasted in a sherry vinegar, olive oil and oregano dressing. Great as a side dish with fish, chicken or pork, or as part of a selection of tapas dishes. 

Serves two as a side dish or tapa, easily doubled. 73 calories per serving. A lovely accompinament to my cod with Romesco sauce, or sea bass with a Spanish cider and tomato sauce.
[Calories in square brackets next to ingredients]
 

Cod with Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce is delicious with many different things...

...and the great news is, if you haven't yet had the fortune to try it, it's extremely simple to make - you just grill and blitz!

I've included it in a recipe with cod here, but it's delicious with any white fish (especially seabass, bream or monkfish) as well as with chicken or even roasted vegetables. You can even make it ahead and warm through, if you prefer. It's also a nice crowd-please if you've got people over for dinner - in fact, all of this is good to entertain, as it's generally well-recieved, quick to put together at the end, and you can prepare your vegetables, potatoes etc. ahead, prior to cooking them (the vegetables can even be cooked ahead and re-heated, if cooking roasted vegetables such as my roasted vegetables with oregano, and if serving with my Catalonian spinach with raisins and pine nuts, that only takes minutes to make).

If someone has a nut allergy, you can thicken the sauce with fried bread instead of nuts (the Spanish did it both ways, depending on their access to almonds!), you can use hazelnuts instead of almonds, or a combination of the two, and you can use additional olive oil to thin the sauce out a little, if you wish.

Bacalao en Salsa Romesco
(Cod with a Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Almond sauce)

A delicious way to serve cod, shown served with spinach with raisins and pine nuts (87 calories per serving) and roasted new potatoes (110 calories per serving).

Serves two (with an extra portion of sauce leftover if you don’t eat it!) only 225 calories per serving for the cod and Romesco sauce. 332 calories if served with the potatoes and spinach dish as shown.

Stuffed Aubergines (Eggplants) with Moorish Spices and Manchego Cheese

This is actually a form of distraction from chocolate...

Not this dish, per se, but posting it here. Which is passing some of the time before I can rescue my box of Troffel Chocolates from their hiding place after the children have gone to bed. More on that later, as you want to know how to cook delicious stuffed aubergines, not how to eat chocolate truffles!

Aubergines get a bad press sometimes, because they are guilty of being the type of vegetable which can soak up a lot of oil if you let them. Not that all oils are bad, but certain things are best in moderation.

That's not a problem with this Spanish dish, because the aubergines are partially steamed first, to tenderise them before finishing off the cooking process.

Steaming aubergines can give meltingly tender results, when you cook them all the way through, and I have a couple in the fridge waiting to be experimented upon to see whether I can do this to make 'fish fragrant' aubergines, a popular Sichuan dish. But I digress, you're after these juicy-looking cheese topped aubergines, so here is my stuffed aubergines recipe...

Berenjenas Rellenas de Carne (Aubergines stuffed with meat)

Serves four as a main meal with side dishes (or use really small aubergines to serve this dish as tapas), 244 calories per serving as a main.

Aubergines are popular in the Balearic Islands, and in this dish they are steamed in a pan with a little water before being stuffed, which means that unlike in many aubergine dishes, they do not soak up oil like sponges, and the flesh and the skin come out meltingly tender. However eating stuffed aubergines with cheese on the top feels incredibly decadent, and you’d never believe they were under 250 calories, when you taste them!