Mulled Wine or Glögg

It has been winter wonderland in Madrid. A snowfall of 50 cm. A perfect moment to learn how to make mulled wine. 

INGREDIENTS:

-1 litre of red wine. 
-1 orange in slices.

.6 cloves.

-2 or 3 small lemon peels.

-6 black pepper seeds.

-40 ml of brandy.

-6 frozen cherries.

-2 cardamon.

-1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.

-3 teaspoons of brown sugar.

-1 stick of cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon of powder cinnamon.

STEPS:

1. Pour wine and everything inside in very low heat for 30 minutes and stir every once in a while.

          

2. DO NOT LET IT BOIL! When you see it smoking it is ready. All the flavors will have come together by then.

Enjoy, this drink took me back to Vienna and Krakow. 

Bratwurst & Mustard Appetizer

 Freezing cold all over Europe. 

Hate winter, but some pleasures are at hand, like German market food. I saw this idea in Instagram and then lost track of the post but headed to the market today for some Bratwurst. 

Not cheap but totally worth it and so fast! Yummy with two mustards. There is no recipe here other than cutting the sausage in slices and then serving it with mustard and toothpicks.

Yummy! and G-R-E-A-T  potluck dish.

                                                                                                 

How to make Chocolate a la Taza (thick chocolate)

1st of January, tradition in Spain, chocolate a la taza. I had to learn to make this one from scratch. So easy. I followed this recipe but cut it in half for 2 people, if you want it for 4, double amounts.

INGREDIENTS:

-125 grams of chocolate with high amounts of cocoa.  

I used half of each in the photo.

-500 ml of milk.

-1 spoonful pretty heaped of cornstarch.

-1 teaspoon of sugar (or even 2!).

-1 pinch of salt to release chocolate flavours.

STEPS:

1. Heat up milk in a stove stirring constantly and bring it to a boil.

2. Once it is boiling add the chocolate that you have previously cut in pieces. Continue stirring, and lower fire until it all dissolves. Keep stirring. 

3. In meantime, dissolve the cornstarch in some milk, like 10 ml. Now bring the chocolate mix to a boil and then add the cornstarch dissolved in milk. 

4. Keep stirring and mix it everything well, put a pinch of salt and continue stirring for about 1o minutes and it will start to thicken, and now again and for the last time, this would be the third time, bring the mixture to a boil. 

5. That's it. Remove from stove and serve. You can add sugar if you want now. My husband added sugar to his chocolate, but sugar is really optional to each person's taste.

                                                                    

   

 

 

Muscles with white wine or Moules Marinieres

       

 Happy 2021 readers. 

A very easy recipe to open up the year, I think Julia Child would have been proud of me. I have a feeling she must have done this one in her years in Marseille. Easy, tasty and satisfying. How amazing is white wine?! And how cool does Moules Marinieres sound?? 

INGREDIENTS: 

-1 kg grams of prepared muscles. 
-1 cup of white wine.

-1 onion.

-3 cloves of garlic. 

-a big spoonful of butter.

-salt and a bay leaf.

STEPS:

1. Melt butter in pot.

2. In the meantime, julianne onions and the 3 cloves of garlic and add to the melted butter. 

3. Sautee for about 10 minutes in low heat until it all softens. 

4. Now add white wine and a pinch of salt (important) and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until onions become real real soft.

5. Now bring it to a boil and as soon as it boils add the prepared muscles and put the lid on.

6. The temperature will go down like crazy so keep on the stove to minimum temperature with the lid on for about 20 minutes and the steam of the wine will begin to open the muscles. 

7. Stir every once in a while so that the muscles are well coated in that amazing liquid. 

  

That's it. A french classic. I think it's a good one for the prospect of moving to France this year. 

How to make Croutons

Do you ever wonder how much you get ripped off in this life by the amount of stuff you buy that you can easily do?  This recipe will make you feel like that, cause it is so easy and so good.

INGREDIENTS: 

-1 load of bread.

-6 or 7 spoonfuls of olive oil.

-some sprinkles of garlic powder.

-some sprinkles of italian herbs.

-salt.

STEPS

1. Dice up the loaf of bread in small dices. Preheat the oven to 200.

2. Now place them in a tray where it is easy to toss them around and sprinkle them firstly with the olive oil and then with the spices. 

3. Toast them in oven in 200 degrees (top and bottom) for about 15 minutes. After 10 minutes toss them around so that they are toasted from different angles.

4. Now let them cool off in an open tray over night so that any humidity is gone and they harden even more.

5. Put them in a bag and keep in cool place.

Honestly after they were done I ate a quarter of them. They were so good. Also I tried two different spices, half of the loaf I I did it with garlic and italian hebrs and the other I did them with onion powder and rosemary. The garlic/italian herbs were my favourite.

          

Artichoke&Spinach Cheese Dip

Of all the dishes of Christmas, my nephews loved this one. I'd say we did too.  Simply delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

-200 grams of cream cheese.

-200 grams of grated cheddar cheese.

-200 grams of mozzarella grated.

-100 grams of artichokes.

-a bunch of spinach.

-2 spoonful of mayonnaise.

-1 teaspoon of onion powder.

-some Italian herbs.

STEPS: 

1. Put the cream in bowl and mayonnaise until it is fluffy with a hand mixer. 

2. Then fold in the chopped spinach and artichokes as well as cheeses. 

3. Add the onion powder and italian herbs. Mix it all well in bowl.

4. Transfer to a baking dish in melt in 200 degrees for 30 minutes. 

5. When it is bubbling and looking slightly toasted transfer to a serving dish.

 

What a dish. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. Serve with crackers. 

               

Red Cabbage Christmas Salad

Found this super Christmasy salad in Smitten Kitchen. So easy and so pretty. Really any time there is feta cheese involved there is a snow party.

INGREDIENTS:

-Half a red cabbage or one quarter  

 but basically 300 grams.

-100 grams of feta cheese.

-20 seedless dates.

-a bunch of cilantro.

-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.

Vinaigrette:

-2o ml of olive oil.

-2 spoonfuls of balsamic vinegar.

-3 spoonfuls of fig jam.

-salt and pepper.

STEPS: 

1. I mean no steps. Slice up cabbage, add dates, sprinkle feta cheese, the chopped cilantro and the sesame seeds. 

2. Add all the ingredients to make the vinagrette and stir hard and let the guests serve their own dressing. 

 

Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Ball

 This was a fun and tasty dish for our Christmas dinner. Easy too.

INGREDIENTS:

-300 grams of cream cheese.

-2 stalks of green onion.

-10 jalapeños pepper diced (not fresh the canned ones)

-30 grams of grated cheddar cheese.

-100 grams of bacon.

-1 teaspoon of cumin.

-2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce.

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

-salt and pepper.

For the coating of the cheese:

-50  grams of pecan nuts.

-1 stalk of green onion.

-30 grams of bacon.

STEPS:

1. Put the cream cheese in a bowl and add the diced green onions with the diced jalapeños, the cheese, bacon, cumin, Worcester sauce, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Stir it all and make a ball with your hand.
2. Now crush some peacan nuts and make a mix of the nuts with the green onions and bacon in another ball and basically roll the ball in this coating. 

3. Place the ball in plastic film to give it form and then put in fridge for 30 minutes to give it form. 

4. That's it. Serve in a pretty plate with crackers. 

NY Buffalo Chicken WIngs

NY Buffalo chicken wings are amazing. I mean basically you wanna eat even the bones, that is how good they are.

I did this recipe this summer and forgot to jot it down here. My recipe is a mix of this recipe and this recipe because I baked them. So here it is.

INGREDIENTS:

-15 chicken wings cut in half.

-Salt and pepper.

-1 heaped spoonful of flour.

-1 heaped spoonful of baking powder.

-1 teaspoon of teaspoon of cayenne powder.

-1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika.

-1/2 teaspoon of spicy paprika.

For the sauce:

-2oo ml of ketchup.

-75 grams of butter.

-1 teaspoon of sugar.

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

-1 teaspoon of cayenne powder.

-1 teaspoon of spicy paprika.

-1 spoonful of tabasco sauce.

-1 spoonful of cornstarch.

-some pepper.

STEPS:

1. Mix the chicken wings with salt and pepper and then with the rest of the ingredients above, flour, baking powder, cayenne powder and paprikas. Coat all of them well. The trick for them to be crispy is to use baking powder.
2. Stick them in oven for 30 minutes to 200 degrees (with fire from below) and then turn on the grill and grill for 30 minutes at 200 degrees. Once they are golden get them out.

3. In the meantime prepare the sauce. Melt the butter first and then add all the ingredients and stir for 10 minutes until it is all come together.

4. Now get the wings out of the oven and add them in the hot sauce and coat them well, stir well. 

5. Now place them in the oven tray in foil paper and put them in the grill of the oven for 200 degrees until they caramelize for about 20 minutes. 

And that's it. They are soooooooooo good.