Spain & Portugal

Menu:

Patatas Bravas (Spain & Portugal)
Escalivada (Spain)
Tomato Rice (Portugal)
Broa (Portugal)
Citrus Sangria (Spain)
Valencia Orange Pie (Spain)

In Portugal, for obvious reasons, they have fish or seafood in the majority of their meals. Their approach to cooking keeps it simple using locally fresh and available ingredients. It was a bit more challenging to find something suitable for my menu, but I stumbled upon a Tomato Rice dish that I think really represented that simple yet brilliant thing the Portugese do with food. I absolutely loved this rice and admittedly hid all the leftovers so no one else could take any home (sorry guys).

Portugal is also the home of an amazing corn bread called Broa, which I'm sure I could make, but cheated and bought at a local bakery.

It was really easy to find Spanish recipes that were vegan-friendly, especially when it came to tapas. The hard part was choosing which ones to make. So I went with what I already knew: Sangria, Valencia for oranges (thank you Starbucks), and of course tapas.

The first tapas recipe I made was Patatas Bravas which I understand hails from both countries. It is basically like upgrading fries with ketchup from coach to first class. My apologies to the fine folks at Heinz but I have this recipe memorized now and may never turn back.

The second was Escalivada. Escalivada is roasted vegetables. Delicious roasted vegetables. Need I say more?

I absolutely love tomatoes so up to this point I was in love with this meal. I also happen to love lemons so the Citrus Sangria seemed an obvious choice. For those who weren't drinking that day I squeezed the citrus slices into all natural concord grape juice, topped it with soda and served it over fruit and ice. It doesn't pack quite the same punch but you can certainly knock back a few. Sangria however...well that's a whole other blog.

The Valencia Orange Pie just didn't want to set. I ended up putting it in the freezer and that basically did the trick. Unfortunately I had already garnished it so the mandarin oranges froze too. If I were to attempt this recipe again I would reduce the juice, or replace it with extract, or even eliminate it altogether. A little agar agar could also be the solution. If all else fails serve the sangria first, no one will notice the frozen fruit. Salud!

Patatas Bravas

2 lbs potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.
3. Coat in oil and season with salt (I shake them in a sealed container).
4. Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
5. Turn over and bake for another 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.

Sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
796 ml can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in pan over medium heat.
2. Saute onions until soft.
3. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings.
4. Bring to a boil while stirring.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Serve over roasted potatoes.
The sauce can be made in advance and reheated. It tastes even better the next day.
(adapted from BBCFood)

Escalivada
1 bulb garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small eggplants
1 bunch scallions (5-7 in a bunch)
2 red peppers
2 large tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Cut top off garlic bulb just enough to expose each clove.
3. Pour olive oil over exposed garlic and wrap completely in foil.
4. Cut remaining vegetables into fairly large pieces, similariy sized.
5. Coat vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper (I shake them in a sealed container).
6. Place vegetables and garlic on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
7. Roast for 30 minutes, turning part way if needed.
8. If you want to remove the skins, place peppers and eggplant in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam, about 10 minutes, then peel (I only peeled the peppers).
9. Remove garlic cloves from the bulb and toss in a serving dish with the other roasted vegetables.
10. Serve warm.
(adapted from SpainRecipes)

Tomato Rice

1/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp margarine (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 a large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
796 ml can whole tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Drain the tomatoes. You will only need about 5-6 tomatoes, chopped (I save the liquid and extra tomatoes for soups).
2. Heat oil & margarine in a saucepan until melted over medium heat.
3. Saute onions until soft.
4. Add garlic and saute another minute.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Add broth and bring to boil.
7. Add rice, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until cooked.
8. Salt and pepper to taste.
(adapted from WorldRecipes)

Citrus Sangria
Step 1:
26 oz bottle dry red wine
1/2 cup Cointreau
1/2 cup brandy (we used cognac because we had it on hand)
Juice of 1 large orange
Juice of 1 medium lemon
Juice of 1 medium lime
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar

Step 2:
1 small orange, sliced thin crosswise
1 small lemon, sliced thin crosswise
1 small lime, sliced thin crosswise
Club soda to taste
Ice

1. Mix ingredients from step 1 in a large pitcher and refrigerate overnight.
2. Right before serving, add fruit slices, club soda. Serve over ice.
(adapted from SpainRecipes)

Valencia Orange Pie
1 prepared chocolate cookie crumb pie crust
2 x 227g packages soy cream cheese

4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp orange juice
Small can manadarin oranges
Chocolate shavings (I used orange infused chocolate)

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar & orange juice until combined.
2. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate for four hours (I put it in the freezer).
3. Decorate with mandarin slices and chocolate shavings.
(adapted from SpainRecipes)