Sweet Potato Cakes

Pastelitos de boniato

          You will need:

Pastry:
½ a glass of flour
½ a kg of ground almonds
¼ a kg of sugar
Lemon rind

Method

To make the filling, first season the sweet potato with salt, boil and then mash into a purée.
Dissolve the sugar in a little water and add the sweet potato purée and the lemon rind.
Keep this mixture on a low heat and stir until it thickens and becomes creamy.
To make the pastry, boil the sugar in a little water until it dissolves.
Add the almonds, the lemon rind and the flour.
Stir on a low heat for 7 or 8 minutes, until you achieve a fine and compact batter.
While the batter is still warm, sprinkle some flour on a work top and make small circles of the batter.
Put the sweet potato filling in the centre of each circle and close them like a pasty.
Spread some beaten egg on top and cook them in the oven until they brown.

Spicy Mediterranean Dip

A mildly spicy, smooth, light dip perfect for an aperitif or buffet.

            You will need:

            1 large jar of chickpeas (not dried)
            175 ml olive oil
            Salt
            1 teaspoon pepper
            2 tablespoons cumin
            2 teaspoons hot paprika

Method

•Place the chickpeas and the olive oil into a large bowl and blend into a smooth puree.

•Add the salt and pepper and the cumin and blend again.

•It is important to taste as you go, adding more cumin as necessary.

•Pour into a dish or traditional Spanish cazuela, sprinkling the top with a little more cumin and the hot paprika. Then place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set slightly.

•Serve with slices of raw carrot, cucumber, peppers and celery.

Chicken and Prawn Paella

Paella Mixta

Serves 8 - 10

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

500g (18 oz) uncooked prawns

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1 medium red pepper

1 medium green pepper

2 large tomatoes

150g (5 oz) fresh frozen garden peas

500g (18 oz) paella rice

1 ltr (2 pints) chicken stock

¼ teaspoon saffron

Salt and pepper

Peel and clean the prawns and cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Peel and chop the onion and garlic, chop the peppers and tomatoes.

Heat the olive oil in a medium paella pan, add the garlic and onion and cook gently until soft then add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides

Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the rice using a soup ladle, counting as you go (you need to add 3 parts water to one part rice) and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock again ladle by ladle, season and bring to the boil. (Do not stir). Reduce the heat cover and simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Then add the prawns, peas and the saffron and continue cooking for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.

Turn off the heat, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Sticky Toffee Pudding a la Glennys

Fiesta winning recipe!

Pudding:-

1 ¼ cups chopped dates

1 ¼ cups water

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

60g (2oz) butter

¼ cup castor sugar

2 eggs

1 cup SR Flour

Sauce:-

200g (8oz) brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup fresh cream

20g (1oz) butter

Method:-

Grease a deep round cake tin. Line the base with paper. Grease both the pan and the paper.

Combine dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add soda and stand 5 mins. Blend or process until smooth.

Cream butter and sugar in a small bowl with a mixer until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour, then date mixture.

Bake in moderate oven for about 50 mins or until cooked through.

Allow to cool slightly and then turn onto a rack over an oven tray. Pour ¼ cup of sauce over the pudding and return to the oven. Bake uncovered for 5 mins more.
Serve with sauce and whipped cream.

Toffee sauce:-

Combine sugar, cream and butter in a saucepan and stir over heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 3 mins stirring all the time.

This is the recipe that I used……however I had to improvise in Spain as the ingredients seemed a little different and we needed a larger amount. I added some chocolate powder to the cake mix, and I baked it in a large dish, not a tin, without turning out and over. I just poured some extra sauce over the top and then cooked it for a few extra minutes and served direct from the large dish.

Enjoy!!

Glennys