Lentil and Chorizo Stew

Hello everyone! Here you have one of my favourite dishes for cold days. This Spanish traditional stew is full of flavour provided by several spices and it is also very easy to cook. Legumes are an important part of our Mediterranean diet. Lentil is a legume high in minerals, mainly iron, protein, vitamin E and B- complex vitamins. Chorizo, cumin and paprika give this dish that characteristic Spanish touch different from other ways of cooking this legume.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

400 g brown lentils
1 l of water
1 chicken stock cube
200 g diced unsmoked bacon
200g sliced chorizo ring
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
100 ml extra virgin olive
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
Salt to taste

Difficulty and cooking time:

Easy
45 minutes

Method:

Rinse the lentils under running cold water, then put them in a large pot with cold water, add salt to taste and bring to the boil.

In the meantime, dice the bacon and slice the chorizo.

Remove any froth with a spoon and add the chicken stock cube.

Then add the bacon and chorizo, stir well, cover with lid and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Additonal cold water can be used in case the stew becomes too thick)

Peel and chop the garlic and onion.

Put the extra virgin olive oil on a frying pan, stir fry the garlic and onion until golden brown, reduce heat and then add the paprika.

Pour the resulting sauce in the pot with the lentils.

Stir well, then add the ground cumin, cayenne and black pepper. Simmer for a couple of minutes and our dish is ready.

Serve piping hot, specially in winter.

I hope you like it!
See you soon,

María

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Cabbage Stew

Hi everyone! As it seems summer's definitely gone in Scotland I cooked this cabbage stew for lunch today. This dish is usually served in Spain in autumn and winter. This traditional dish combines legumes, vegetables and meat. All these ingredients have different cooking times, so the secret for a perfect result is simple, just add them gradually depending on how long they have to be cooked. I've used chorizo and pork belly slices to cook this dish, however chicken or beef shank can also be used following the same steps.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

250g dried chickpeas
500g pork belly slices
400g Spanish chorizo ring
12 small potatoes
1 cabbage
Salt to taste

Difficulty and cooking time:

Easy
1 hour and a half

Method:

Soak the chickpeas in cold water for about 10 hours or overnight.

Rinse the soaked chickpeas, place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt to taste and bring to the boil. Remove the resulting froth and simmer for an hour.

In the meantime, rinse the belly slices and the chorizo ring with cold water and save them for later.

Peel and wash the potatoes. Wash thoroughly the cabbage (halve it and remove stalk)

 Increase heat and put the belly slices into the pot together with the chickpeas.

Then add the cabbage and boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Finally add the potatoes and the chorizo ring and cook for about 15 minutes over a medium heat.

And this delicious stew is ready.

Serve very hot.

I hope you like it!
See you soon,

María

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Fabada (Bean Stew)

Hi everyone! Today I have been cooking a traditional dish for you all. Fabada is an ancient recipe which is mainly prepared in Asturias, in the north of Spain. It's a delicious meal high in vegetable protein provided by legumes. It is easy to cook and healthy. Moreover it is a great choice for cold days during the winter and a full meal as well. This recipe can be prepared the day before and it can also be frozen once cooked, keeping all its flavour and properties. Sliced black pudding can be added to this recipe too, however I prefer to prepare it only using chorizo and bacon.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

500 g. dried beans
125 g. Spanish chorizo
125 g. diced bacon
1 chicken stock cube
2 cloves of garlic
half an onion
1 teaspoonful of sweet paprika
ground cumin
ground black pepper
ground cayenne pepper
salt
100 ml. extra virgin olive oil

Difficulty and cooking time:

Easy
2 hours

Method:

Soak the beans in cold water for 8- 12 hours or overnight.

Slice the chorizo and dice the bacon.

Drain and rinse the beans. Put them in a large pot with cold water, salt to taste and boil for 10 minutes.

Remove froth with a spoon or a skimmer.

Add the chicken stock cube.

Put the diced bacon together with the beans.

Then add the sliced chorizo, cover with lid and simmer for an hour.

In the meantime finely chop the garlic and onion.

Put the extra virgin olive oil on a frying pan and stir- fry the vegetables until onion is golden brown.

Then add the sweet paprika.

Pour out the resulting sauce in the pot.

Stir and add the ground cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

Simmer for 5 minutes and our dish is ready.

 Serve it very hot.

I hope you like it!
See you soon,

María

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Chickpeas with Chorizo and Spinach

Today I'm going to show you how to prepare an ancient recipe from Spain. It's one of the most typical dishes of our Mediterranean diet. This dish is high in vegetable protein provided by legumes, together with all the vitamins and antioxidants from spinach and olive oil. It is delicious, easy to cook and healthy. Moreover it is a great choice for cold days during the winter and a full meal as well. This recipe can be prepared the day before and it can also be frozen once cooked, keeping all its flavour and properties.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

500 g dried chickpeas
300g fresh spinach
125g Spanish chorizo
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoonful of sweet paprika
ground cumin
ground black pepper
ground cayenne pepper
salt
100 ml. extra virgin olive oil

Difficulty and cooking time:

Easy
2 hours

Method:

Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 8- 12 hours or overnight.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a pot with cold water, salt to taste and boil for 10 minutes.

Remove froth with a spoon or a skimmer.

Slice the chorizo

Wash the spinach

Put the sliced chorizo, together with the chickpeas and simmer for an hour and a half keeping the lid on the pot.

Then add the spinach

Chop the garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the garlic turns golden.

Then add the sweet paprika

Pour out the resulting sauce in the pot

Stir and add the ground cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes and our dish is ready. Serve it very hot.

Enjoy this healthy dish!
Hopefully see you soon.

María

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