Category Archives: garlic

gambas al ajillo

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Possibly the simplest recipe on here (which is maybe why I haven’t posted it before now). Ideally these should be made in a clay cazuela (see below) which can be used on either an electric or gas cooker, but sadly not on an induction cooker (like mine!). But the good news is that you can just as easily make them in a small skillet. I’ve done them both ways and they turn out great either way. I like making them very simply (and traditionally) with just four ingredients. I’ve never added extra seasoning (the prawns are salty enough) and I just think anything else would take away from the simple goodness of this dish. Make sure you have some nice crusty bread on hand for mopping up all that gorgeous garlicky olive oil.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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garlicky spinach & feta (with optional bacon)

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I first thought of this as a way of using up some almost off baby spinach, and I happened to have some feta and plenty of onions and garlic, so this is what happened. Since then I’ve been having it on toasted breads of various types, but you can also use it as a stuffing for grilled mushrooms or chicken breasts (kiev style). And while this started off vegetarian as an open-faced sandwich on toasted “chapata cristal”,  later on I tried it with crispy bacon added to the mix and turned it into a fabulous grilled sandwich on sourdough rye. As you can see, it’s pretty versatile.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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gambas al ajillo salad

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So this was something simple and delicious. Wanted some gambas, wanted a salad, so this happened. I actually show two versions here. The original is above, which was made with chopped cashews. The other one I tried with just a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Both were great. And it’s fast and easy. This is just for one person, so just up the quantity for mre.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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pollo al amontillado

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pollo amontilladoSo this isn’t a lot different (preparation wise) from my other pollo al ajillo recipe, other than I use amontillado sherry rather than fino sherry. Also, in this recipe I have opted for the more traditional skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces, using everything but the breasts (you could add those too if you like, but you’d need a way bigger pan, or use two). So it does actually ends up quite different flavour-wise. But it’s an easy-to-make one pan meal that you can serve with rice or potatoes. I actually like it just on its own with a side of veggies.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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espinacas con garbanzos

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espinacas con garbanzos
I can’t believe I’ve never made this most traditional dish before now, and it all came about because Kerstin @MsMarmitelover asked if I had a recipe for espinacas con garbanzos. And well, I could have found all kinds of recipes that sounded good, but knowing Kerstin, she would want a tried and tested one. So when my friend Fede @Lerele sent me a photo of a recipe on Twitter and said it was the best spinach he’s ever had… well I had to try it.

The first time I made this I didn’t quite have all the right ingredients. Rather than a large bunch of fresh spinach I had baby spinach leaves, and instead of garbanzos cooked in a puchero I just had some in a jar. Also, I only had fresh bread from the bakery, not the day-old stuff the recipe called for. But it still turned out great. I’ve since made it a few times with mostly the “proper” ingreadients. The recipe below is Fede’s recipe, with a few of my own adjustments. Another modification was using my little blender since I don’t have a mortar and pestle. And it was even better a couple of hours later once it had cooled off – amazing flavour. I have to say that Fede was right – great recipe.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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sausage sarnie

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sausage sarnie
So there I was with a sudden craving for a meatball sandwich (something I haven’t had in YEARS) and all I had was some chorizo criollo in the fridge. It was time to improvise! The addition of spinach meant (to me) that there wasn’t any need for a side veg or salad, making it a super-simple all-in-one kind of dish, which I served open-faced as I prefer more filling/topping than bread. It also had a whack of parmesan sprinkled on top but was more photogentic without it. Makes 2-3 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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pollo al ajillo con espinacas

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pollo ajillo espinacasIt’s been awhile since I’ve posted something here that wasn’t a rice or noodle dish. But today I came up with this variation on pollo al ajillo which could be served with rice or, as a low-carb option, is perfectly tasty on its own. If you don’t fancy spinach you can just leave it out. Likewise the guindilla (hot chilis). From start to finish it takes about 45 minutes.

Unlike traditional pollo al ajillo recipes, which use the whole chicken chopped up into stew-size pieces, I am using boneless chicken breast. I’ve also made something similar to this with chicken thighs. So you can see it’s pretty versatile. I throw in my garlic right at the beginning, but those who prefer less “toasted” garlic should add it with the peppercorns (and chilis) after turning the chicken pieces to brown on the other side.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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pollo al ajillo

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pollo al ajillo = chicken with garlic

This is a very typical Spanish dish that you can find in many tapas bars, traditionally made with stewing chicken pieces, garlic, olive oil and dry fino sherry. My version is a bit spicier and uses boneless chicken breasts.  I’ve also added some portobello mushrooms & baby setas.

[click on collage to enlarge]

Recipe and instructions below…

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