Noble Nourishment

Tapas Night

Feb 22nd, 2012 by Catherine

It always surprises folk when they learn a grubber like me has never been to a Tapas Restaurant. I scour the menus online and everything looks tasty enough, but I’ve yet to set foot in one. I suppose I’ve always imagined the dishes to be too meagre; the lure of a larger meal has always swung it for me!

I’ve had Patatas Bravas on my “To Do” list for a good while now, so when my brother had a Tapas Night at his home recently, I offered to make and bring some along.

I used this recipe (I know… I’m aware there are other food websites out there: it’s a website addiction, I tell ye!). The only deviation was using normal paprika instead of the sweet variety. Smoked paprika would be good too, I think.

Oh, and I used chilli flakes as opposed to chilli powder. Careful with those flakes… they sting the nostrils!

Naturally, I doubled the amount, cos we’re all gannets!

I made sure to get all my peeling and chopping done in advance. Preparation makes the rest of it go smoothly

I fried my onions for a few minutes, then added garlic, tomatoes, purée, paprika, chilli flakes, and sugar.

I seasoned then left to simmer for 10 minutes. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead. I made it about 5 hours ahead, but see nothing wrong with making it for immediate eating!

I preheated the oven to 200 degrees and drizzled my diced totties with some olive oil, salt & paprika. I roasted for 1 hour, and tried not to eat them all.

The sauce was reheated then poured over the potatoes. My humble dish joined this mammoth bunch of tapas delights:

Here’s a list of all the other Tapas delights, made by the Lovely Lindsay!

Spanish Meatballs
Chorizo in Red Wine (to die for)
Chicken with Peppers
Paella
Garlic Mushrooms
Chilli Prawns
Frittata

Impressive!

I can happily ignore my earlier perception of Tapas food being meagre: we were all full to the brim!

What’s your favourite Tapas dishes?

Have a lovely week x

Tags: easy tapas recipe, make ahead tapas, patatas bravas, spicy tomato sauce, tapas dinner party, tapas food, tapas potato recipe

Posted in Dinner Party, Eating Out, Food, Tapas, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | 2 Comments »

Classic Leek & Potato Soup

Feb 1st, 2012 by Catherine

Hellooo! I hope you are all well

Today, I’ll be posting a recipe I use time and time again… always a good sign of a winning dish!

This soup could not be easier. The ingredients are so cheap; especially leeks as they’re in season.

I love leeks. I love it in pies, in sauces, and especially in this soup.

Irene and I call this soup Leekoto: kind of a mash-up between leek and potato (I know, our sanity is questionable).

You can blend this soup for a rich, thick soup. I like to keep mines chunky and texturised. It fels like more of a meal that way.

This soup is also freezable; just watch you don’t cut yout potato chunks too small, or they’ll disintegrate in the microwave (it’ll still taste nice, though!)

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 4… easily halved/doubled/quadrupled if you must!)

2 leeks, sliced to your preferred chunkiness (I like mines quite thin)

1 onion, diced

3 large potatoes

4 chicken stock cubes

1.7 litres water

150ml cream/milk (optional)

First, I sauteed the onions and leeks on a low, making sure they didn’t brown, whilst I peeled my potatoes.

I chopped my potatoes into large chunks, around 2″ squared, then popped them into the pot:

I dissolved my stock cubes into 1.7litres boiled water, then poured into the pot and brought to the boil. I then simmered until the potatoes were ready (around 20 mins).

I don’t always do this, but on this occasion, I took the pot off the heat and added 150ml single cream. You can use 150ml milk if you like, or even none at all. I just think it gives it a nice richness.

And here it is, ready to devour.

I made this after work one night last week, when I was craving the comfort of a hot bowl of fresh, homemade soup, but didn’t want to spend ages grating and stirring and waiting.

This is a perfect, simple, comforting soup. It’s a lot healthier than it tastes, as well!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Enjoy x

Tags: easy leek and potato soup, easy soup recipe, leek and potato soup, simple midweek soup, three ingredient soup

Posted in Budget Friendly, Comfort Food, Food, freezer friendly, Frugal Food, Lunch, menu planning, midweek meal, Soup | No Comments »

Breaded Haggis Balls with Neep & Tattie Rösti

Jan 25th, 2012 by Catherine

Happy Burns Day, everyone!

Did you all have a bit of haggis this evening? How about some lovely neeps & tatties?

I wanted to try something a bit different this year, since I’ve already posted the traditional haggis with clapshot.

Having recently eaten “crisp haggis balls” at the Red Leaf restaurant, I was determined to give them a go! To accompany them, I opted for a Neep & Tattie Rösti.

I used the following recipe for the Haggis Balls.

I used this recipe for the Neep & Tattie Rösti.

Here’s a little photo display of how I made my Burns Meal:

The uncooked haggis was very easy to mould into little balls

My little production line…

Popped into the fridge whilst I made my Neep & Tattie Rösti

And the grand finale…

Served with some green beans, red cabbage and a dollop of wholegrain mustard!

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race! Aboon them a’ yet tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o’a grace As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin was help to mend a mill In time o’need, While thro’ your pores the dews distil Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight, An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin’, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive: Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive, Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve Are bent like drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad make her spew Wi’ perfect sconner, Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash, As feckles as wither’d rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash; His nieve a nit; Thro’ blody flood or field to dash, O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his walie nieve a blade, He’ll mak it whissle; An’ legs an’ arms, an’ hands will sned, Like taps o’ trissle.

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o’ fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer Gie her a haggis!