ilovealfredos...food, thoughts on food & recipes

INGREDIENTS FOR TWO PEOPLE 2 BAGELS HALVED AND TOASTED LIGHTLY / HALF A WHITE ONION CHOPPED FINELY / HANDFUL OF BLACK OLIVES SLICED -rinsed if from a can / TBSP CAPERS / CAN OF TUNA / MAYO / PINCH OF DRIED OREGANO / PINCH OF DRIED CRUSHED RED CHILLIS / 8 CHERRY TOMATOES SLICED CHOPPED (discard the seeds) BALSAMIC VINEGAR / OLIVE OIL / PARSLEY CHOPPED – OR YOU COULD USE CORIANDER / SALT AND BLACK…

A stunning supper recipe for two….

INGREDIENTS – FOR TWO PEOPLE

2 cod fillets / haddock or any white fish of choice, skinned

200 ml fish stock

1 teaspoon paprika – picante not dulce

1 teaspoon of zatar

1 fresh red chilli-deseeded and cut into strips

250 gm chick peas rinsed

2 carrots halved then cut into 4 batons each

1 small white onion

1 long red pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces

3 cloves…

Slow Cooked Red Cabbage with Chicken

Seriously tasty and well worth the time and effort – a dish for a cold snap, full of wintery flavours and scents. And so adaptable to any meat really.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil / 1 kg chicken – I used breasts skin on but legs or thighs would work / 1 large brown onion sliced / 2 cloves of garlic sliced / 1 red cabbage sliced / 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar / 1 tbsp dark brown sugar / 1 tsp…

This dish is a take on the standard Thai chicken curry but for me, it packs more flavour and has a tropical touch. It is based on a recipe from the BBC Good Food magazine and I strongly recommend you to try it! Simple to cook though you need to get all your prep done carefully first so it is all ready to go!

SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS

Oil of choice

8 skin on bone in chicken thighs

1…

  This is a popular first course at my local bar in Malasaña. (Click on the link to see my barrio !) Alcachofas a plancha con jamón iberico. It is so easy to replicate at home and really really tasty. All you need is a good tin of artichokes – if not ready sliced, drain them well and slice. Get around 50 gm to 100 gm of, if possible, jamón iberico diced, if not any decent lardon cubed or even…

Recommended Madrid Tapas and Wine Tour!

    Check this link BELOW to the page of Andres Jabo – Madrid Tapas and Wine Tour – this is his bio – a really enterprising guy who is providing a quality product in the wine and tapas tour field – I will report back  more after the weekend but I highly recommend it when you are in Madrid next. ‘In 2ooo I posted a message on a travel board inviting people visiting Madrid to join myself and my…

Harira (lamb, chickpeas and spinach soup)

  Made this the other day for supper and it is absolutley incredible! I got the recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi. He says in the intro ‘This is a variation on the traditional Moroccan harira soup, flavoured in the same way but without the extra carbs that are often added in the form of rice or pasta. Traditionally a meal for breaking the Ramadan fast, this hearty dish is perfect on a cold winter’s…

Worth another look at this one!

A Sea Bass and Giant Cous Cous Supper

I created this recipe, like so many of us do, to use up some ingredients I had lingering in the fridge and store cupboard. But they had to go with the 2 sea bass filets I had just bought! Ingredients for 2 to 3 100 gm Giant Cous Cous – I use Merchant Gourmet brand A little olive oil 1 tulip shallot diced A bunch of flat leaf parsley 400 gm tinned tomatoes 1 red chilli deseeded and sliced thinly 2…

A perfect wintery lunch! This is one of Nigel Slater’s favourites. For 2 2 large portobello mushrooms, peeled and the stalk removed 3 knifefuls of unsalted butter – about 75 gm A little water A pinch of dried thyme Some crumbled blue stilton – or any blue crumbly cheese really A handful of chopped walnuts All you do – pop a casserole dish on a medium heat, add the butter and when it melts add…

Fennel and Chicken Soup

A fabulous combination! And a great way to use up left over chicken…oh and one of my very favourite vegetables! Ingredients 1 fennel bulb – trimmed and cut roughly into 3 or 4 chunks. 1 tulip shallot – or a small onion if not available 1 litre of chicken stock A pinch of saffron A pinch or two of smoked paprika A clove of garlic crushed About 100 gm left over chicken meat – no skin A little olive…

Poached Plums in Red Wine with Walnut Mascarpone

Perfect summer pud!

A Fabulous Melange of Green leaves, Salmon and Giant Cous Cous!   Simplicity itself! Arrange salad leaves of your choosing on a large platter. Pan fry 100 gm of giant cous cous in a little olive oil for about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Then add 200 ml of cold water. Add  pinch of cumin seeds and a pinch of smoked paprika and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring often. You may need to top…

Spicy Sea Bass on a Basmati and Quinoa Bed

A Perfect Summer Supper or lunch for two! INGREDIENTS – for two 2 Sea bass fillets  1 tin of chopped tomatoes 125 gm quinoa 125 gms brown basmati rice 6 baby plum tomatoes 1 clove garlic chopped A small bunch of basil and stalks 1 level tsp each of thyme,rosemary and oregano Pinch or two of dried crushed red chilli -up to you how much heat you like! Handful of grated parmesan Rock salt and black…

Salmon and Asparagus Kedgeree

  Spring meets India meets salmon…..meets my needs! A fab way to say hot smoked salmon and asparagus with a cheeky hint of lime! INGREDIENTS Fine for 4 – or a good supper for 2 with a little for the next day! 300g basmati rice 100g unsalted butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp hot curry paste or curry powder will do (Madras) 1 small onion, finely chopped 225g hot smoked salmon, cut into chunks or…

A sprout is for life…not just Christmas

A great Saturday supper dish!

PORK, LEMON AND THYME POLPETTINE As Nigel Slater describes them in his Kitchen Diaries 1 – ‘a meatball to bet them all!’ This is one of my favourite supper dishes of the meat variety. Perfect served with noodles. Please give these a go. You will be so glad you did! INGREDIENTS 70gm white breadcrumbs 500 gm pork mince A lemon Parsley leaves – large handful Several sprigs of fresh thyme 2 heaped…