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Rachel L. Webb's BlogPosted by Rachel L. Webb 4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) a small splash of vanilla extract 1 large coffee mug Put the dry ingredients to mug and mix them together well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well,add the choc chips if you're using them. Put the mug into the microwave and cook 1000 watts or high for 3 mins. The cake will rise up and maybe over the top of the mug, but will settle again. Enjoy! Share if you will! Posted by Rachel L. Webb Summers here again and the scorching days of blistering sun in Andalucia combined with a little extra heat the orange alert heatwave we're having right now just screams for ice-cold gazpacho. What a glorious healthy smoothie! It's one of those things you can slurp without feeling guilty but actually feel good about it and yourself. Read the gazpacho recipe here plus a report on its stress-reducing possibilities. Posted by Rachel L. Webb If you ever thought baked potatoes were boring then think againg and try again. This Spinach and Seafood filled Jacket Potato is a feast in itself - filled with a revuelto of eggs, prawns, squid, mussels and spinach its a classic. Posted by Rachel L. Webb Making paella on a bbq is a great fun way to try this classic dish - it's not difficult, really filling and an impressive sight if you've a proper paella pan. Here is the latest Paella Recipe Spanish Vegatarian Paella Posted by Rachel L. Webb For a deep experience this summer without getting wet, check out Europe's deepest under water viewing tunnel. Mingle with sharks and fish - try out the slime chamber and hands on interactive displays. Where to take the kids this summer? Underwater the The Deep, the worlds only subquarium! Posted by Rachel L. Webb As the weather finally breaks into summer take a healthy boost - the traditional Spanish Gazpacho Soup is a tasty way to help combat stress. See the article and recipe here. http://spanish-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/eat_your_way_to_less_stress Posted by Rachel L. Webb Mediterranean Escapes by Rick Stein is a beautiful book in more ways than one. I've discovered, not only the man himself but the nooks and crannies of his travels which he brought vividly to life. And then there's the wonderful recipes - a great all in one book. Take a trip - to the Med or read my review of this recent addition to my ever grwoing library of cookbooks. Posted by Rachel L. Webb I'm scanning and collecting recipes for cauliflower (although I'll be doing my favourite curried cauliflower soup - hot weather or not), aubergines and peppers. My gardens growing well - I've got more in there than ever before and it's exciting. I can literally watch those tiny pea sized tomatoes growing day by day. The strawberry plants are looking good and the peppers shooting up. Oh for some rain. But the daily watering is very satisfying as a time for contemplation, pulling the odd weed and seeing the phonomenal growth. Salad days here we come!! Posted by Rachel L. Webb Jamon is just so Spanish so seeing pigs out in the open in fields of holm oak trees doing what pigs do best - eating - is a joy. For what makes a really good jamon see my latest article on Jamon. http://mediterraneancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/spanish_jamon_the_best Posted by Rachel L. Webb It's posted a recipe from Slow Cooking from Around the Mediterranean, have a look here http://mediterraneancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/tunisian_sweet_potato_casserole This is just one of the great recipes is this slow cooking series, great books for seasoned slow cooker users or inexperienced but keen like me! This recipe is reproduced with kind permission from Carolyn Humphries and Foulsham books. Posted by Rachel L. Webb If you've never used a slow cooker, you've got one in the back of a cupboard somewhere or you're a slow cooking expert this new book I've been pouring over has something for you. Slow Cooking from around the Mediterranean by Carolyn Humphries is a smashing crash course for beginner and even an eye opener for experts (I'm presuming here, as I'm definately no expert). From starters to sweets Humphries has obviously put a slow cooker or two through its paces. See my review of Slow Cooking and watch out for a recipe or two from the book. Posted by Rachel L. Webb I love lentils - not because I really enjoy eating them but because they are a fantastic cheap and quick ingredient that every store cupboard should have. You can add a few lentils to almost any stew to add that bit more bulk or nutrition, or make an entire dish based on lentils. My favourite of the moment is Spicy Moroccan Lentil Soup that is stiil a hit with my eldest son and hubby or what about a hearty Spanish Spicy Sausage and Lentils winter warmer. Lentils can help that budget stretch a bit further and fill hungry bodies with a protein-rich meat alternative. Posted by Rachel L. Webb Bacalao is a relly versatile food to have in your store cupboard, but it is no way a last minute quick dish to prepare. For best results it must be soaked between 24-48 hours and the water should be changed at least three times. To soak the bacalao Put the pieces of fish into a container with the skin side down. Completely cover with cold water. Place it somewhere cold, preferably the fridge, changing the water at least thrice. Leave it for a minimum of 24 hours before a final wash and using. Use it to make bacalao al pil-pil, croquetas, tortillas, albondigas, bacalao in salsa verde, breadcrumb or batter it - all are delicious and nutrious. Some bacalao recipes will be posted soon. Posted by Rachel L. Webb The rain is here, and welcome. The winter has been pretty dry, the reservoirs far too low and the gardens crying out for refreshing rain. The olive harvest isn't over yet but it's good for those trees that have been picked to have a soaking ready for the flowering season in May. It's not so good for the olives that are still on the tree as many will be knocked off, and if we get a lot of rain, may be lost in mud. The bit I'm excited about is that the wild asparaus will shoot up everywhere, it was just waiting for the rain, and so was I. A few days of rain, followed by some sunshine and I'll be walking home with bunches of wild asparagus Esparragos Salvaje in my clutches - I can't wait. My favourite way of using them is to make a revuelto which is a dish of mixed vegetables may bewith some leftover prawns or bits of chorizo or chicken. It's a great little supper dish for using up bits or starting from scratch. Cover the base of your frying pan generously with olive oil, when hot, fry 1 clove of crushed garlic, add the leftover bits or asparagus, green beans etc. which have been blanched. Break one egg per person into a small bowl, season and whisk, add it to the frying pan with some choppped parsley and cook gently until the egg is almost cooked. Serve on toast. The eggs carry on cooking so turn off the heat when they are slightly underdone so that they remain moist. Posted by Rachel L. Webb I headed south one sunny but very chilly morning towards the warmest spot not only in Spain but in Europe. My destination? The 5* Intercontinental Hotel Mar Menor Golf Resort & Spa. I didn't play golf, but I did try the signature treatment from Espa the luxurious international spa chain found within the Intercontinental Resort. If you like to be pampered and your other half likes to play golf then I don't have a higher reccomendation than the spot that offers over 300 days of sunshine a year. The hotel is in the premium but not-in-your-face luxury market and has a gym, indoor and outdoor pool as well as the gym. And as for restaurants - well tons of choice, unfortunately I didn't stay long enough for the Aqua restaurant to finish it's winter break but the I certainly managed to try a sample of the Nomad Restaurant serving it's Mediterranean Cuisine menu. Would I go back? Oh yes, but I'm afraid it would have to be when the Aqua Restaurant with it's 4-fork rated Modern Spanish Cuisine menu and a water list of 111 choices of bottled water from around the world. - Can't wait. Murcia - home of the sun - article. Posted by Rachel L. Webb I've a new recipe book and it's really good. Casa Moro the second cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark arrived today. I love the simplicity of their books, it's not bright and glossy with shimmering photo's it's down to earth, practical and understated like their recipes. Before I made it to the end of the book I'd started one of their recipes - Empanadillas which are like little pasties of a mixture between bread and pastry. The filling I chose was of sardines with red and green peppers, I made them really small just a mouthful as a finger tapas and they were really good. When I've got through the book in a little more detail I shall write a review - but I know already it's a good one! I've done it - my review is here http://mediterraneancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/casa_moro_cookbook_review No that doesn't mean I've tried every recipe - yet. Although I do intend to, and this is the first cookery book I've said that about. Why not tell me about your favourite cookbook - join in the discussion here http://mediterraneancuisine.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/8790 Posted by Rachel L. Webb The days of winter of here, my favourite tree at this time of year has to be the persimmon or caqui as it's called in Spain. Caquis go from orange to a deep-reddy orange when ripe, they are the only colour on an otherwise bear and lifeless looking tree, and the fruit look very much like an orange tomato. They also have some other comon names such as Oriental Persimmon, Japanese Persimmon and Kaki. Caquis grow best in areas where there are moderate winters and mild summers. What to do with Caquis? My neighbours literally eat them out of their hands. They cut open the top, hold the fruit in the palm of one hand and scoop the flesh out with a teaspoon. - That didn't work for me! Caqui Jam is more my style, try this easy recipe
Wash the fruit and cut off the stems. Push the fruit pulp through a sieve. Put the pulp, lemon juice and pectin in a pan, bring to the boil without stirring, leave to boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir to cool, skim off any residue on the surface. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal. Makes about 8 jam jars full. Drying Caquis
Takes 4-6 weeks. Posted by Rachel L. Webb A little spice on a cold day goes down a treat. I made this Moroccan Spicy Lentil Soup and was amazed that hubby asked for more and even my lentil-allergic teenage son ate it all. I'm now more inspired than ever to spice up our meals and try out different recipes. My latest creation was chicken with rosemary and again my boys ate it and liked it. I'm beginning to enjoy delivering diffferent dishes to the table and find that if I say - this is something new and I followed a recipe they're more likely to give it a try!!!! Chicken and Rosemary Bake Recipe coming up soon............... |
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