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Inspired by all my talk of tapas (see below for Jaleo, Jose Andres, The Sample Room, and cocktails with Kim & Suz), I’ve been flipping through Chef Andres’ Tapas A Taste of Spain in America for a nice Sunday evening menu. The book is chock-full of tempting tasties (I’ve posted several in the past, including Catalan Pork Sausage with White Beans, Tomato Toast with Manchego, and Artichokes Sauteed with Ham), but these four Spring-ed out at me as appropriate for this finally-sunny, almost-warm day. Don’t balk at the chocolate-salt combination, it’s a classic, and it’s delicious. For proof, lick a small piece of dark chocolate, dip it in a flake or two of sea salt, then pop it in your mouth and let it melt. Sloooowwwwly. Yeeeeaaaah, they’re gorgeous together.
Sunday Evening Tapas Menu
(each serves 4)
Potatoes Rioja-Style with Chorizo (I posted this recipe a couple of days ago)
Green Beans with Tomatoes and Pearl Onions
Apple and Murcia Cheese Salad with Walnuts
Rustic Bread with Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Salt
Recipes posted in comments, below, and at right, under Recipes, Baby!
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Twin Cities Chef’s Table
I’m Stephanie A. Meyer…
…a recipe developer, cooking instructor, author, food photographer, and health coach. Whether through my posts here, Project Vibrancy Macro Reset, Project Vibrancy Meals meal plans, my cookbooks, or working with you one-on-one, I love nothing more than helping you transform your health through cooking nutrient-dense, flavor-bomb meals at home! See Recipe Index for AIP, Whole30, paleo, gluten-free, etc.
Scharfen Berger's latest cookbook has the most incredible shortbread cookie recipe: dark chocolate with sea salt. Indeed, one of the most surprising and satisfying combinations. Hit it with a swish of a big cabernet like Cakebread, and yeow!
Rustic Bread with Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Salt
From Tapas A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres
Serves 4
4 ½-inch-thick slices rustic bread (good country bread with a thick crust and light interior)
4 oz. good dark chocolate or other chocolate you enjoy
4 Tbsp. Spanish (or other best quality) extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt to taste
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Toast the slices of bread in a toasted until brown. Using a knife, break the chocolate into small pieces. Scatter them over the toasted bread, and the place in the oven until the chocolate melts, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle a little salt on top, and serve.
Apple and Murcia Cheese Salad with Walnuts
From Tapas A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres
Serves 4
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes
6 oz. Murcia cheese aka “drunken goat”, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ Tbsp. chopped chives
8 walnuts, shelled and chopped
1/4 c. Spanish (or other best quality) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
salt to taste
Combine the apples, cheese, chives, and walnuts in a bowl. Add the oil and vinegar and mix together. Add salt to taste, and serve.
Green Beans with Tomatoes and Pearl Onions
From Tapas A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres
Serves 4
¾ lb. green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp. Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 pearl onions, peeled
4 cherry or baby tomatoes, halved
3 springs fresh thyme
salt to taste
3 oz. jamon Serrano (Spanish cured ham; use bacon or prosciutto if you can’t find it), torn into ribbons
Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water, and set it near the sink. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until they are slightly al dente, 4-5 minutes. Drain the beans in a colander, then immediately immerse them in the bowl of ice water. When they have cooled, drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until slightly brown. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to brown slightly, 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to become soft and release their juices, 1 minute. Add the blanched green beans and the thyme, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the beans are cooked through. Season with salt to taste, mix in the pieces of ham, and serve immediately.