English Toffee

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tb. water
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp.pure vanilla extract (I use vanilla bean paste for a more intense vanilla flavor)
1/2 cup chopped almonds (or walnuts or pecans if you prefer)
1/2 bag of bitter-sweet chocolate chips (I used a mixture of chocolates I had left over...just make sure they are dark)

 
Make a foil tray about 10 X 10 inch square with 1 inch sides and put on a cookie sheet.

 
In a heavy medium saucepan heat the butter, sugar, salt and water on medium heat until the sugar dissolves then stir occasionally until the mixture reaches 305 degrees on a candy thermometer. 

Remove the candy from the heat and stir in the vanilla quickly and pour the candy into the foil tray. Let toffee cool for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile...

Chop the nuts.

 

Melt chocolate in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until melted, or melt over a double boiler. Spread melted chocolate evenly over the top of the toffee.

Sprinkle nuts over the chocolate layer and lightly press into the chocolate. Let cool or put in refrigerator until set.

Slice the toffee into squares, and enjoy!

Adapted from "You Made That?" food blog. 

Raspberry Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
One 10 to 12-ounce jar raspberry jam
1/2 cup blueberry jam (or more if desired)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan. 

Cut butter in to small cubes.

Raspberry jam, brown sugar, oats, flower, baking powder, blueberry jam.

Put all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.

Mix together.

Mix together the raspberry and blueberry jam.

Spread half of the oats mixture onto the pan, then spread the jam on top of that layer, and then sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture on top, and pat lightly.

How it should look when you pop it in the oven.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 F / 176 C.

Take out of the oven when golden brown.

Once out of the oven, let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

Recipe adapted from "The Pioneer Woman" at Foodnetwork.com 

Merendero

Yesterday I spent my entire afternoon (2-9) at a Spanish barbeque.  Well, there's not too much mystery to it, but I thought I'd share some of the different foods, and activities you'd find at a Spanish barbeque.  First of all, in case you end up going to an event like this, when someone says "hey, let's meet at 2pm," they really mean we're going to arrive at 3 and eat at 4 or 5, so don't go in expecting to eat lunch at 2pm.  Second, if you don't eat meat, or any kind of pig product, then plan on eating salad and potato chips for lunch.  

La Golochera is the name of one of Javi's friends "Bodega".  A "Bodega" is a wine cellar, but it's not what you think when you hear the word wine cellar.  It is a place for family and friends, who often times share the rent or have bought the bodega together, to have meals and spend time together.  Every weekend, Javi and I have lunch with his dad's side of the family in their family "Merendero".  A "Merendero" is basically a bodega but it usually includes a living room area and does not have to include a wine cellar.  

Chorizo a la Sidra:

1. Cut 3 chorizos in half.
2. Put a bottle of Asturian sidra in a pot and boil with the chorizo for about 10 minutes, or until chorizo is tender and cooked to your preferred "doneness". 
3. Cut the chorizo into small slices and serve in the sidra.
4. Enjoy!

Javi making chorizo a la sidra.

Chorizo a la sidra.

Chorizo a la sidra being boiled.

Sidra.

The barbecue: pigs head, ribs, pancetta.

Javi and Suar barbecuing ribs, pigs head, and pancetta.

Uco and Santi in the Bodega.

Fresh tomato from a friends garden, with minced garlic and olive oil on top.

Javi...enough said.

Javi's friend Santiago enjoying one of my chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.

Javi's friend Suar enjoying one of my chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.

Chewy chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.

The gang relaxing after a delicious lunch.

Chicken Paella

The finished product!

Ingredients: (For 5-6 people)

Two chicken wings
2 chicken thighs
2  chicken drumsticks
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 cloves of garlic
1 green pepper
2.5 cups white rice (brand Sos)
6 cups water
Olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
Salt

Start with the chicken:
In a medium size pot, heat some olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) on medium-low heat until hot.
Add the chicken pieces (all of them), and turn them until coated with olive oil.
Turn heat to low, and let chicken cook for about an hour, checking it frequently, and turning it when necessary (if it looks like it's sticking to the pan, add more olive oil, and a bit of white wine if necessary).
Add 1/2 diced white onion, and stir to blend with oil.
Let onion caramelize, add some salt. 
Add 1 clove of minced garlic, cook for 1 minute. 
After chicken looks tender and cooked all the way through, take off heat and set aside for now. 
Take out a large frying pan.
Cut the green pepper into small slices.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in frying pan on medium-low heat.
Add green pepper slices.
Stir-fry for 10 minutes or until tender.
Add pieces of cooked chicken to the green pepper pan and mix together on low heat for 5 minutes.
Take off heat and set aside for now.

Chicken with green peppers before adding rice.

Rice:
Using the pot you used to cook the chicken, add 6 cups of water (the same cup you use to measure the rice later on) and a pinch of salt.
Warm up for 5 minutes on low heat to mix the flavors of the pot with the water.
Put the pan with the chicken and green peppers on the stove on low heat.
Add 2.5 cups of rice to the frying pan with the chicken and green peppers (same cup you used to measure the 6 cups of water).

Add rice.

Mix very gently.

 

Add the 6 cups of water.

IMPORTANT: Do not stir! It will make the rice mushy! 
If you like roasted red peppers, which are a common ingredient in many Spanish dishes, add 10 slices of them to the pot at this point. (Pili makes them herself on the stove, but you can find them at the supermarket too).

Heat the rice mixture for 5 minutes on high heat and then drop the temperature to low for 25 minutes.
After 10 minutes, cover with top.
After 30 minutes are up, check the consistency of the rice to make sure it has absorbed all the water.
If you prefer the rice to crisp a bit (as Javi's family does), let the rice cook a few minutes longer.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Abuela Pili frying up some pimientos rellenos...recipe coming soon!