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vintagelov
I am planning on hosting a spanish dinner and I need some help with creating a tasty but simple manu
For starter I obviously want to cook tapas but I'm not sure which ones so please suggest some
The main I am cooing paella and I have a recipe for that
Are there any spanish deserts except churros? I don't think that they will finish the meals well
I am also making sangria to accompany the meal
Your suggestions and reipe ideas will be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Answer
Here's a big list of tapas. At times I've made all of them. Yesterday I went to a paella party and brought the olives, the meatballs and the dates (spanish devils). Those 3 made a really nice group. And yes - be warned - long post ahead ;-)
TAPAS
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Roasted Bell Peppers with Honey & Almonds (some of the best roasted pepper you can have)
8 red bell peppers, quartered
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 oz flaked almonds
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers, skin side up in single layer on a baking sheet. Cook under broiler 8-10 minutes until skins are blistered and blackened. Transfer to plastic bag, tie off and let cool. Peel skin when cool and chop into bite-size pieces. Place in bowl. Heat olive oil in large heavy-bottom skillet. Add garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until golden. Stir in the almonds, honey and vineagar, then pour mixture over bell pepper. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper, toss well. Serve at room temperature.
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Olives with Orange & Lemon (again, awesome olives and they look really cool)
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 ¼ cup black olives
1 ¼ cups green olives
2 tsp grated orange rind
2 tsp grated lemon rind
3 shallots, finely chopped
pinch cinnamon
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice (I used more - juice of one orange)
1 tbsp chopped mint
1tbsp chopped parsley
Fry the fennel and cumin seeds in a small heavy bottom skillet, shaking frequently, until they begin to pop and give off aroma. Remove from heat and let cool. Place olives, orange and lemon rind, shallots, cinnamon, and toasted seeds in a bowl. Whisk vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mint, and parsley together in a bowl and pour over olives. Toss well and refrigerate.
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Spiced Almonds (yum, though the seasonings didn't stick as well as I'd liked)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound blanched almonds
Preheat oven to 350°. In medium bowl, mix all spices. Add almonds and toss to coat with the spice mixture (does this need olive oil to help make it stick?). Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, stirring halfway through baking, until lightly toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Spanish Devils (freaking AMAZING - everyone loved these, even non-date eaters) Note: these use the pre-cooked Chorizo (for eating as opposed to for cooking as was explained to me at the Spanish store)
24 Medjool dates (approx 1 lb. package)
2 ounces dry chorizo, skinned and finely chopped (1/3 cup)
3 ounces Italian Fontina cheese, shredded ( 1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 350°. Make a small slash in each date and remove the pits, keeping the dates intact. Mix cheese and chorizo together in a bow. Fill each date with chorizo and cheese, pinch them closed and set them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. If they are large, cut each date in half crosswise, transfer the Spanish devils to a platter and serve warm. The stuffed dates can be refrigerated overnight. Bake them before serving.
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Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce (again AMAZING - really different, we did have one person who wasn't blown away, but the rest of us fought over the leftovers the next day)
MEATBALLS:
2 oz bread, crust removed
3 tbsp water (or a little more)
1 lb ground lamb (or beef)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
1 egg, beaten
nutmeg
flour
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
ALMOND SAUCE:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 oz bread
4 oz blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 ¾ cup vegetable stock
salt & pepper
For meatballs: In bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes. With hands, squeeze out water and return bread to bowl. Add meat, onion, garlic, parsley and egg. Season with grated nutmeg and salt & pepper. Knead together to form smooth mixture. (you might want to cook a pinch in a frying pan to test taste)
Spread some flour on a plate. With floured hands, shape into about 30 meatballs, roll each in flour until coated. Heat olive oil in large heavy bottom skillet. Add meatballs in batches and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.
To make sauce: heat olive oil in same skillet in which meatballs were fried. Break bread into pieces then add to skillet with almonds and cook gently, stirring frequently until the bread and almonds are golden brown. Add garlic and fry for an additional 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and boil for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Pour in vegetable stock and process until smooth.
Simmer meatballs in sauce for 25 minutes. Add salt & pepper if necessary.
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Patatas Bravas (a classic Spanish dish - there are tons of recipes on the internet - this was okay, but basically just roasted potatoes with a hot tomato sauce - a VERY spicy hot tomato sauce)
Potatoes:
1 ½ lbs potatoes, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil
Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground cumin
½ - 1 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
dash Tabasco
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
For sauce: heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and simmer for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick. Process the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth.
For potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the potato pieces in a 12x8 inch baking dish, pour the oil over, sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat. Bake in the top half of the oven for 40 minutes, turning once, until the potatoes are cooked through and light brown.
To serve: Heat sauce in pan, stir in the Tabasco, parsley and some salt. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and serve hot.
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Garlicky Wild Mushroom Sauté (nice, simple, really good for the less adventurous eaters)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound oyster mushrooms, tough stems trimmed, large mushrooms halved
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps quartered
1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, halved
1/2 pound enoki mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to each skillet and heat until shimmering. Add half of the oyster, shiitake, chanterelle and enoki mushrooms to each skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook without stirring until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Stir and cook until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until all of the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to 1 of the skillets and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over low heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the sherry and bring to a simmer; pour over the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve the mushrooms warm or at room temperature.
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Chorizo with Figs (I couldn't find canned figs, but fortunately I found fresh and cooked them in wine - oh yum - very popular) Note: this uses the other kind of chorizo - the for cooking type
1 pound chorizo, cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red wine
1 can figs
½ cup sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 stick cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the chorizo and garlic; sauté until garlic in golden brown. Add red wine, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves and simmer 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the drained figs. This can be made in advance and reheated just before serving.
Here's a big list of tapas. At times I've made all of them. Yesterday I went to a paella party and brought the olives, the meatballs and the dates (spanish devils). Those 3 made a really nice group. And yes - be warned - long post ahead ;-)
TAPAS
__________________________
Roasted Bell Peppers with Honey & Almonds (some of the best roasted pepper you can have)
8 red bell peppers, quartered
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 oz flaked almonds
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers, skin side up in single layer on a baking sheet. Cook under broiler 8-10 minutes until skins are blistered and blackened. Transfer to plastic bag, tie off and let cool. Peel skin when cool and chop into bite-size pieces. Place in bowl. Heat olive oil in large heavy-bottom skillet. Add garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until golden. Stir in the almonds, honey and vineagar, then pour mixture over bell pepper. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper, toss well. Serve at room temperature.
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Olives with Orange & Lemon (again, awesome olives and they look really cool)
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 ¼ cup black olives
1 ¼ cups green olives
2 tsp grated orange rind
2 tsp grated lemon rind
3 shallots, finely chopped
pinch cinnamon
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice (I used more - juice of one orange)
1 tbsp chopped mint
1tbsp chopped parsley
Fry the fennel and cumin seeds in a small heavy bottom skillet, shaking frequently, until they begin to pop and give off aroma. Remove from heat and let cool. Place olives, orange and lemon rind, shallots, cinnamon, and toasted seeds in a bowl. Whisk vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mint, and parsley together in a bowl and pour over olives. Toss well and refrigerate.
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Spiced Almonds (yum, though the seasonings didn't stick as well as I'd liked)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound blanched almonds
Preheat oven to 350°. In medium bowl, mix all spices. Add almonds and toss to coat with the spice mixture (does this need olive oil to help make it stick?). Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, stirring halfway through baking, until lightly toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.
__________________________
Spanish Devils (freaking AMAZING - everyone loved these, even non-date eaters) Note: these use the pre-cooked Chorizo (for eating as opposed to for cooking as was explained to me at the Spanish store)
24 Medjool dates (approx 1 lb. package)
2 ounces dry chorizo, skinned and finely chopped (1/3 cup)
3 ounces Italian Fontina cheese, shredded ( 1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 350°. Make a small slash in each date and remove the pits, keeping the dates intact. Mix cheese and chorizo together in a bow. Fill each date with chorizo and cheese, pinch them closed and set them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. If they are large, cut each date in half crosswise, transfer the Spanish devils to a platter and serve warm. The stuffed dates can be refrigerated overnight. Bake them before serving.
__________________________
Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce (again AMAZING - really different, we did have one person who wasn't blown away, but the rest of us fought over the leftovers the next day)
MEATBALLS:
2 oz bread, crust removed
3 tbsp water (or a little more)
1 lb ground lamb (or beef)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
1 egg, beaten
nutmeg
flour
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
ALMOND SAUCE:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 oz bread
4 oz blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 ¾ cup vegetable stock
salt & pepper
For meatballs: In bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes. With hands, squeeze out water and return bread to bowl. Add meat, onion, garlic, parsley and egg. Season with grated nutmeg and salt & pepper. Knead together to form smooth mixture. (you might want to cook a pinch in a frying pan to test taste)
Spread some flour on a plate. With floured hands, shape into about 30 meatballs, roll each in flour until coated. Heat olive oil in large heavy bottom skillet. Add meatballs in batches and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.
To make sauce: heat olive oil in same skillet in which meatballs were fried. Break bread into pieces then add to skillet with almonds and cook gently, stirring frequently until the bread and almonds are golden brown. Add garlic and fry for an additional 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and boil for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Pour in vegetable stock and process until smooth.
Simmer meatballs in sauce for 25 minutes. Add salt & pepper if necessary.
__________________________
Patatas Bravas (a classic Spanish dish - there are tons of recipes on the internet - this was okay, but basically just roasted potatoes with a hot tomato sauce - a VERY spicy hot tomato sauce)
Potatoes:
1 ½ lbs potatoes, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil
Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground cumin
½ - 1 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
dash Tabasco
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
For sauce: heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and simmer for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick. Process the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth.
For potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the potato pieces in a 12x8 inch baking dish, pour the oil over, sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat. Bake in the top half of the oven for 40 minutes, turning once, until the potatoes are cooked through and light brown.
To serve: Heat sauce in pan, stir in the Tabasco, parsley and some salt. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and serve hot.
__________________________
Garlicky Wild Mushroom Sauté (nice, simple, really good for the less adventurous eaters)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound oyster mushrooms, tough stems trimmed, large mushrooms halved
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps quartered
1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, halved
1/2 pound enoki mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to each skillet and heat until shimmering. Add half of the oyster, shiitake, chanterelle and enoki mushrooms to each skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook without stirring until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Stir and cook until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until all of the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to 1 of the skillets and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over low heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the sherry and bring to a simmer; pour over the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve the mushrooms warm or at room temperature.
__________________________
Chorizo with Figs (I couldn't find canned figs, but fortunately I found fresh and cooked them in wine - oh yum - very popular) Note: this uses the other kind of chorizo - the for cooking type
1 pound chorizo, cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red wine
1 can figs
½ cup sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 stick cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the chorizo and garlic; sauté until garlic in golden brown. Add red wine, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves and simmer 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the drained figs. This can be made in advance and reheated just before serving.
Hosting a semi-formal dinner party for 10 people, what are good foods to cook and what kind of tablewear?
Gretchen M
I have never done this before but i would like to invite friends new and old to my new house so we can have a little fun, they can all meet eachother and enjoy a good time. Should I do a theme? What kind tablewear is the best to get, china, plastic or styrofoam? What are the best foods to cook for such an occasion? THANKS GUYS
Oh! goodness! I forgot to mention answerer #3 that I am a vegetarian! Some of my friends are not so I am trying to find some different recipes.
Answer
A lot of this depends on your skills as a cook. Assuming you are not a novice and know your way around a kitchen, I'd suggest a sit down affair with plates and flatware, wine glasses, etc. Set a nice table. I would also suggest a buffet table for snack foods during a cocktail hour. I'm not going to list fifteen miles of recipes. But you can always get good suggestions for recipes on the Food Network website. Here's what I would suggest:
Buffet Table, some combination of these:
Prescuitto wrapped melon;
Shrimp Cocktail;
An olive dip;
Cheeses and fruit plate (grapes and brie are great together)
Caviar (depending on budget, you can do it for twenty bucks or hundreds. It's just a nice touch!)
A vegetable Pate'
DINNER
A tossed salad is fine. I make my own vinegrette, but some bottled vinegrettes work well. I usually put the salad dressing in gravy bowls or whatever so people can put their own on to taste. If you want to get fancy, you can do a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, or a strawberry based dressing.
A pasta dish is always good. Try this one. Pasta and brie. You dice tomatoes, garlic, brie and butter. Put all of it in a big pasta dish. Cook ziti or ditalini or whatever you like. As a pasta dish, a pound should be enough. Maybe a pound and a half. Drain. While the pasta is still hot, pour it over the brie, butter, tomato mixture and toss until it all melts together. This is great stuff and very easy.
Entrees:
I cant help you with veggie food. Sorry. Some suggestions are Game Hens with rasberry/cabernet reduction (sauce)
Steak Au Poivre
Baked stuffed shrimp
Shrimp skewers
Serve with whatever veggies you want. A suggested side is sweet potato. Everybody eats them at Thanksgiving and forgets them the rest of the year! Big mistake!
For desert, nothing is better than Fresh Strawberries (I put them in a nice wine glass) that have been marinated in brown sugar and marsala wine, topped with a schlag (sp) which is heavy cream, brown sugar and marsala. You whip the mixture but dont whip it into whipped cream. It's more the consistency of a sauce.
Let me know when you are having your party. I'll come over and help ya out!
A lot of this depends on your skills as a cook. Assuming you are not a novice and know your way around a kitchen, I'd suggest a sit down affair with plates and flatware, wine glasses, etc. Set a nice table. I would also suggest a buffet table for snack foods during a cocktail hour. I'm not going to list fifteen miles of recipes. But you can always get good suggestions for recipes on the Food Network website. Here's what I would suggest:
Buffet Table, some combination of these:
Prescuitto wrapped melon;
Shrimp Cocktail;
An olive dip;
Cheeses and fruit plate (grapes and brie are great together)
Caviar (depending on budget, you can do it for twenty bucks or hundreds. It's just a nice touch!)
A vegetable Pate'
DINNER
A tossed salad is fine. I make my own vinegrette, but some bottled vinegrettes work well. I usually put the salad dressing in gravy bowls or whatever so people can put their own on to taste. If you want to get fancy, you can do a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, or a strawberry based dressing.
A pasta dish is always good. Try this one. Pasta and brie. You dice tomatoes, garlic, brie and butter. Put all of it in a big pasta dish. Cook ziti or ditalini or whatever you like. As a pasta dish, a pound should be enough. Maybe a pound and a half. Drain. While the pasta is still hot, pour it over the brie, butter, tomato mixture and toss until it all melts together. This is great stuff and very easy.
Entrees:
I cant help you with veggie food. Sorry. Some suggestions are Game Hens with rasberry/cabernet reduction (sauce)
Steak Au Poivre
Baked stuffed shrimp
Shrimp skewers
Serve with whatever veggies you want. A suggested side is sweet potato. Everybody eats them at Thanksgiving and forgets them the rest of the year! Big mistake!
For desert, nothing is better than Fresh Strawberries (I put them in a nice wine glass) that have been marinated in brown sugar and marsala wine, topped with a schlag (sp) which is heavy cream, brown sugar and marsala. You whip the mixture but dont whip it into whipped cream. It's more the consistency of a sauce.
Let me know when you are having your party. I'll come over and help ya out!
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Title Post: What should I cook for a Spanish dinner?
Rating: 93% based on 9658 ratings. 4 user reviews.
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Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 93% based on 9658 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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