Instructions
Plunge tomatoes briefly into boiling water, then skin, halve and deseed them.  When cool, coarsely chop the flesh.  Peel and finely chop onion. 
Cut bell pepper into quarters, remove seeds and ribs.

Then cut into strips about ¾ inch wide.  Cut zucchini about the same length and size as green peppers.

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion until transparent.  Peel and crush garlic cloves and add to pan.  Stir in bell peppers and  zucchini, sauté briefly.
Stir in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. 

Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

Wash and dry parsley.  Chop finely and stir into mixture at very end. May be served hot room temperature or cold.  Can be a “tapa” or a side dish.

Instructions
In a 12 inch Paella pan or heavy flat bottom, flat sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.  When oil is simmering, cook chorizo until golden.  Transfer on to plate with slotted spoon.

Add remaining oil, saute onions garlic, red bell pepper and smoked paprika, season with salt and pepper.  Cook until golden or about 5 minutes.

Stir in rice, broth and saffron. Bring to rolling boil uncovered.  Reduce heat and simmer covered until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Then, add shellfish and cook covered until clams or mussels open wide and shrimp are cooked through.  (throw out any clams or mussels that did not open.)

Remove from heat and stir in frozen peas and add the chorizo back to dish.  Cover with clean kitchen towel and let stand until all liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle flat leaf parsley and serve with lemon wedges. 

Instructions
Finely chop onion and garlic.  Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add paprika and pepper to bring out aroma of spices.  Add and saute onions and garlic until soft.
In the mean time, plunge tomatoes briefly into boiling water, then skin, halve and deseed tomatoes.  Chop the flesh and add to skillet with the onion/garlic/spice mixture.  Cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and trim zucchini.  Slice zucchini into ¼ inch  thick circles.  Season flour with salt and pepper then coat zucchini.  In skillet, heat 3 tbsp of  olive oil over medium heat and fry zucchini until golden brown.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

Grease an ovenproof dish with the remaining oil.  Arrange zucchini on the bottom and pour tomato sauce over zucchini.  Place sprigs of fresh thyme on top of mixture and then sprinkle Manchego cheese over entire dish.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Buy these ingredients at Comida España

Instructions
Heat half of the olive oil in a deep, non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and the potatoes.  Cook for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not brown.  Season with salt and pepper. When done remove from pan and allow the potatoes and onions to cool slightly.

Scramble the eggs until foaming and season with salt and pepper.  Add eggs to the potatoes and onion trying to not break apart the potatoes.  

Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet. Over low heat, add the potato/egg mixture and cook for about 6 minutes.  Gently shake pan side to side so eggs can set evenly.

Remove from heat and place plate on top of the skillet.  Flip the “tortilla” or omelet on to the plate.  If necessary, add more oil to the skillet. Then, place the omelet back in the skillet and cook the other side.   Cook for about 6 to 8 more minutes or until cooked completely.  Flip back on plate and cut in to wedges.  Dish can be served hot or cold.

Instructions
Roast peppers in 475 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until skins are scorched or blistered. (flip peppers at the half way mark so they roast evenly) Place in bowl and cover with dish clothe to steam peppers. This will make the skin come off easier. When they cool, peel off the skin by hand or with a paring knife. Cut peppers in half, remove ribs and seeds. Then cut into ½ inch strips.

Peel garlic cloves and slice them into thin slices. In a saucepan over medium heat, add paprika to activate the spice, when you smell the initial aroma from the paprika, add approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the garlic for a quick sauté, about 2 to 3 minutes. Garlic should be tender with brown edges. Then, add the peppers to coat and mix the oil/garlic mixture. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. It can be served right away cold or at room temperature, or for added flavor, refrigerate for at least 2 hours covered.

Romesco sauce can be used in several types of dishes.  In Spain, it accompanies fish dishes among many others.  It is a very versatile sauce:

Instructions
Toast almonds briefly in dry skillet until golden.  Skin tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water briefly. Remove from water.  Remove skin, cut in half and deseed.  Peel garlic.
In a food processor combine almonds, garlic and tomatoes. Process until well blended. Stir in oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and add Cayenne pepper to your liking. Ready to serve or let sit covered in refrigerator overnight for more infused flavors.

Gilt-Head Bream is a fish from the Mediterranean and may be hard to find in certain areas. You may substitute this fish for any Sea Bass or Snapper. The Romesco sauce is used with this dish. This sauce can be made ahead for better infusion of flavors. (Please refer to this recipe on the website)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse and pat dry whole fish. Sprinkle with lemon juice inside and out. Season with Salt and white pepper. Peel and cut garlic in half, length-wise. Stuff the garlic and thyme inside the fish.

Cover the bottom of a roasting pan or ovenproof dish with about ½ the sea salt. Make sure it is even and completely covered. Lay fish on top. Use the rest of the salt to “bury” the fish, making sure the fish is completely covered with the sea salt. The salt will form a crust while baking, therefore, steaming the fish inside. P

lace in the center of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully break off the crusted layer and lift fish out of dish. Remove the skin and pull the meat away from the bones. Serve with wedges of lemon and the Romesco sauce.

Pincho Mix

One evidence of Spring is that barbeque season has begun! Put a little “español” in your grilling by using this unique spice blend. The Spanish use a seasoning called Pincho that was originally introduced by the Moors. It can be used as a rub on meats or sprinkled over veggies before grilling or roasting. Here is a basic Pincho mix that can be stored over a few months:

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients in spice mill or food processor, grind until mixed and finely grounded. If you are using this as a rub, coat meat and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to marinade the meat. 

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Recipe provided by: Chef Shellie Kark from KitchenCUE. We are KitchenCUE; a company developed, devised, and dreamed by people who believe that we can help people utilize their inherent skills to create delicious, healthy meals with ease. We distill techniques down into easy steps and give you the ability to create hundreds of dishes using a simple process. Make your recipe books better, enjoy your kitchens more and easily add variety to your meal routine with this fun, educational, interactive DVD series. Visit us at www.kitchencue.com to join our community and download your FREE Pantry Resource Guide. © 2010 Kol Ha’kavod, LLC. The information here is not to be used or reprinted without permission.

Instructions

In a medium bowl, place garlic, salt and the egg yolk and whisk until the yolk lightens in color. Add the oil gradually, in a tiny trickle, while whisking vigorously. As the mixture begins to thicken, you may add the oil slightly faster, in a thick thread, always continuing to whisk. When aïoli is thick, add lemon juice to loosen, and continue to whisk in the remaining oil. Loosen aïoli with a little more water or lemon juice, if needed and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Clean mushrooms with a dry brush or towel and gently break or cut into visually appealing pieces. The goal is to highlight the visual beauty of the mushroom as well as their natural flavor. Keep mushroom varieties separate, as they will be sautéed individually.

In a medium sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. When foam subsides, add one variety of mushrooms in an even layer (doing batches if need be), a pinch of salt and sauté, without stirring, until mushrooms give up all their liquid and begin to color. Stir, add a pinch of garlic, some ham and a healthy dose of parsley and continue to sauté until fragrant. Remove to a large bowl and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat process with remaining mushrooms, accumulating them in the single large bowl.

When all mushrooms are cooked, de-glaze the pan with wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add the veal stock and reduce to glaze consistency. Pour over mushrooms and reserve in a warm place. Film croutons with aioli; top with a generous helping of warm mushroom and ham mixture. Serve immediately.

Instructions
1: Put the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, oil and bread into a blender or food processor. If you want to dilute it, add a glass of water.
2: Put the mixture into a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and leave the gazpacho to chill for at least an hour. If you want to eat it straight away, you can put some ice cubes in to cool it down. Gazpacho is a Summer dish, which is meant to hydrate and cool down your body. So the colder the better
3: Serve the gazpacho en soup bowls, with the portions of diced tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, croutons etc on the table, so that everyone can add them to their bowl, as they prefer. Tip: you can also sprinkle diced Serrano ham or hard-boiled egg.

Use quality ingredients:
Spain produces excellent fruit, vegetables and salad foods, so try and buy good quality ones. Go to the local market instead of your nearest supermarket, where you can get the freshest produce. If it isn't summer and you can't get plum tomatoes, go for the ripest and juiciest ones available.
Tips/Secrets: Make sure you have enough time to put it in the fridge so that you can serve your gazpacho really chilled. Use quality produce. Vary the ingredients according to your personal taste. Gazpacho makes a delicious starter to a meal.
Modified Recipe from Euroresidentes.com. 

When we were in Merida for our brief 2.5 hours, we had a great dish that we put on everything from our salads to our main course: Migas. Migas has been served by village populations as a peasant food for centuries. Basically, the recipe derived out of necessity of not wasting food. It really represents all of the rich, earthy flavors of rural Spain.

Instructions
In an oven proof, 12 inch pan, Add paprika to dry pan, remove as soon as you smell it’s fragrance. Coat the pan with olive oil, over medium to medium high heat, sauté garlic until golden. Add Jamón until fat is rendered. Add Chorizo and onion until onions are translucent. Add the paprika back into mix, stir for about one minute.Add bread and mix to coat the bread with the mixture. Add 1 cup of water or chicken stock and toss. Add remaining liquid and cover with lid or aluminum foil. Place in oven for 10 minutes covered, then remove lid or foil for additional 10 minutes or until crispy on it’s top. Again, it can be served with anything!

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Instructions (Makes 6-8 cups o mocha)
Thicker and richer than ordinary cocoa, Spanish cocoa powder is prepared with additional cocoa solids for an extra thick consistency. This makes for a great cup of mocha coffee, that is if you are a coffee lover!

To begin, prepare first the cocoa mix as follows:

Add the entire package of Chocolates Torras in 8 ounzes of cold milk or water, your choice, and mix it thoroughly.

In a separate pan, add 3/4 of a quart of milk to a boil. Pour the entire cold mix of chocolate to the 3/4 quart pan of boiling milk and stir continuously for about 1-5 minutes. Don't stop stiring.

Pour the mix on coffee mugs (about 6-8 cups). Next, with an expresso machine, make 2 shots of dark roast coffee for each mug and stir.

Serve and enjoy with your friends the best cup of mocha you have ever experienced!

Enjoy it with cookies or sweets.

Instructions (Serves 4)
In a saucepan, Put paprika and thyme in dry pan to activate the spices. Remove when the spices release their aroma. Then add to the pan, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and onions. Stir until onions are soft. Turn off heat and add paprika and thyme, stir to distribute all of the ingredients. Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

In a large skillet, add more olive oil for frying the potatoes. Lightly salt the diced potatoes and add potatoes to hot oil. Be careful of splattering oil due to the salt. Cook until potatoes are golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Drain potatoes on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Mix the potatoes with the sauce quickly and serve immediately so the potatoes will maintain their crispness. Garnish with Parsley.

"España Meets Italia"

Instructions (serves 6-8)

*Can be made a day ahead for best flavor infusion; add basil and cheese before serving

Soak chopped chorizo in 1 cup of sherry or wine for about 30 minutes to soften Chorizo.

Heat deep skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add shallots and garlic. Cook until lightly brown. Add Chorizo (keep sherry/wine liquid) and cook until lightly brown also. Reduce heat to low. Add sherry/wine and 3 cups of chicken stock or water. Deglaze pan with liquid. Add beans and bring to boil. Add penne pasta. Stir occasionally. (add more liquid if necessary to cook pasta) Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes.

Before serving, stir in chopped fresh basil and top with freshly graded Manchego.

Serve with good-crusted Italian bread and a “robust” red wine.