Spanish scrambled eggs with spinach and chorizo

 

Breakfast is something i struggle with on days i have to head into work. I usually take the easy way out and have a bowl of cereal, or toast with some hummus or egg mayo or some days i don't even have breakfast, leaving me hungry by around 12 and with a bad headache. I promise myself i will never do it again, but thinking about being able to sleep that extra 10 minutes by skipping breakfast seems much more appealing when you turn off the alarm.

Ro on the other hand will not go a single day without breakfast. I really wonder how someone can have the same darn thing every single day for the past couple of years. Just recently he decided he wanted to alternate between fruits and toast and in spite of me saying id make him some hot breakfast (secretly hoping he'd say no) he declines.

 

Its only on weekends that we indulge a bit and make eggs (with bacon or sausage sometimes) or have a slightly more elaborate brunch with French toast, pancakes and the like. I love eggs in any form and given a choice would have it every day. So i was very happy to be selected as one of the Taste 100 #happyeggtastemakers by The Happy Egg Company, who pride in the fact that happier hens lay tastier eggs. Every month we are given a couple of activities to do and even though I've been thoroughly using the eggs in my cakes and bakes, I've not really been able to take part in those due to something or the other cropping up last minute. Today is the last date to submit this challenge and i thought i should somehow meet deadlines at least this time.

The challenge was to come up with a scrambled egg recipe of your own incorporating a vegetable or source of fish or meat, a herb or spice and a surprise ingredient of choice. I broke my head a bit and did come up with some interesting combinations but it all went down the drain when i saw a pack of chorizo half price at Sains. Its my favourite and i immediately decided to do Spanish style scrambled eggs instead. Its spicy, flavourful and so easy to whip up. Have it for breakfast on toast or with some Indian flat bread for dinner. We loved it both ways.

Serves 2

 

Chorizo- 1/4 cup, diced finely

Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped

Garlic- 3 pods, roughly chopped

Spinach- a generous handful

Peppers- half of one, diced

Paprika- 1/4 tsp

Eggs- 3 large

Milk- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Spring onion- 1 tbsp of just the greens to garnish (optional)

Cook the chorizo in a frying pan till done. 

Drain on to paper towels and keep aside. 

If there is a lot of oil that has oozed out of the chorizo, drain some of it and use the remaining to continue cooking. \its really flavourful oil, you don't want to throw it off.

throw in the shallot and garlic and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes, till the onions start sweating a bit. You don't want them golden brown.

Simultaneously, whisk together the eggs and milk in a bowl until slightly frothy. Keep ready

Add the spinach and peppers to the frying pan, and continue cooking till the spinach has wilted. The peppers need to retain their crunch.

Add the paprika and salt to taste and give a quick mix.

make a well in the centre and pour in the whisked eggs.

Let it stay for a about 15 to 20 seconds without stirring and then using a wooden spoon stir it up and fold, while mixing all the other ingredients.

Continue the stirring and folding till your eggs are cooked and they look fluffy. Don't over do the cooking or else they'd turn dry. 

Transfer on to serving plates, garnish with spring greens and serve with toast.

Notes: You can use prawns or even shredded chicken or pork instead of chorizo

Some Monterey Jack cheese would have been a fab addition, but i didn't have any.

Garnishing with coriander leaves give it a sort of Mexican flavour which i absolutely love.

With thanks to The Happy Egg Co. for the voucher to be redeemed against a carton of eggs.

Satay & Sangria

...is a weird combination, I know! But with the grilling season fast approaching I couldn't help but give this a go over the weekend. Sangria is my all time favourite drink and with a never ending supply of wine at home, I kinda whip up this cocktail ever so often.

I always went for the traditional sangria using red wine whenever I made it at home, but this time I thought of trying out the white sangria or the Sangria Blanca using white wine. The fruits used can be anything, but because of previous not-so-pleasing outcomes, I decided to go all citrussy. I have used apples, peaches, nectarines, blue berries etc. before, but the problem is, after they stay in the liquid for a while, it kinda ferments and the taste sucks. So what I'd suggest is..make them a wee bit before you want to serve, so it can chill for a while in the refrigerator and try and finish it all at one go (oh yes we were super drunk by the end of the meal), so you don't have to drink fermented and slightly horrid tasting sangria later on. And since you'd put so much effort (and alcohol) into it, you don't want to pour it down the drain as well. It works best if you are serving this at a brunch or BBQ party, cos then you have made just enough for everyone to have a glass or two max.

Satay on the other hand is making its way through to my kitchen for the first time. Although I've had them plenty of times at Malaysian and Indonesian restaurants, I have never tried them at home thinking its quite a tedious task. It was at the back of my mind to try it out some time, but wasn't breaking my head over it.

That's when one of Ro's cousins, a brilliant cook from what I hear, passed on a satay recipe which he said he'd perfected while he was in Louisiana for 2 months on work. He had an outdoor grill at his hotel and after playing around with the recipe he finally settled on this one. Good for me I should say, cos I didn't have to waste my time googling for recipes...which incidentally takes more time for me, than making any dish. He was so clear with his recipe that I didn't even harass him with doubts. He even gave substitutes which was great because I would have wasted significant amount of time researching. He's tried to be as close to the authentic as possible and I have tried to stay as close to the recipe as possible.

Ajoy's Satay recipe

Chicken boneless breasts- 2 pounds or approx 900gms to 1 kg

Wooden/ metal skewers- about 10 to 12, soaked in water for at least an hour

Marinade:

Shallots- 1/3 cup finely minced (I kinda chopped it finely)

Minced lemon grass- 1/3 cup (I bought lemon grass paste from the store)

Ginger paste- 1/2 tbsp or 1 to 2 inch ginger piece minced

Garlic- 1/2 tbsp or about 3 cloves, minced

Cumin powder- 3/4 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Oyster sauce- 1 1/2 tbsp

Soy sauce- 1 1/2 tbsp

Fish sauce- 1 tbsp

Molasses- 2 1/2 tbsp (I used brown sugar)

Rice vinegar- 2 1/2 tbsp (use tamarind paste mixed with water as substitute)

Cooking oil- 2 tbsp (use peanut oil for a more authentic taste)

Sambal chilli paste- as per taste (I used 1 tsp of red chilli powder). Substitute with paprika or chilli flakes

Wine or sherry- 1 1/2 tbsp (optional)

Salt- add only if needed

Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise, about 1 inch wide. My chicken breasts were really thick, so I placed them on a cling film, wrapped it up and pounded with a mallet to thin it out a bit.

Mix/ blend together all the ingredients under the 'marinade' section.

Mix the meat with the marinade making sure they are all evenly coated. Marinate overnight for best results or at least for 2 to 3 hours.

Thread each marinated strip on to the skewer, leaving about 2 to 3 inches at the top and bottom of the skewer free. I gave the job to Ro to thread the meat so he managed to do about two strips on to one skewer.

Pre-heat the grill for about 10 minutes and line a roasting pan, that can hold the skewer vertically, with a silver foil.

Place the chicken skewers vertically on the roasting pan, so that the skewer edges rest on the pan edges and the juices from the chicken get collected in the pan. You can also just place it on a normal baking pan, but this way its easier to turn them over without a mess.

Cook each side for 4 to 5 minutes, basting them in between if you have left over marinade.

Serve with some peanut sauce (recipe follows).

Dipping sauce:

Chunky peanut butter- 3 tbsp

Thick coconut cream/ milk- 1/2 cup or as required (blend in equal parts with peanut butter to get thick gravy-like consistency

Honey- 1 to 2 tbsp, depending on how sweet you want it to be

Thai green chilli- 1, chopped fine or to taste

Shallots- 2 tbsp, minced

Garlic- 2 tbsp, minced

Salt- to taste

Blend together all the ingredients together and serve with satay and wedges of lime.

Notes: You can use thin cut boneless pork cut against the grain at 1 inch width or even beef skirt steak cut against the grain at the same width. Both need to be pounded to about 1/4 inch thickness.

This is best cooked on a BBQ grill, but I did it in my oven in the grill mode and it turned out fine. I'm thinking an electric grill like a George Foreman would also do the trick. Ajoy also says it can be broiled.
I didn't make the peanut sauce, but since I had the recipe I thought I should post it.

Sangria Blanca (serves about 10 to 12 glasses, adapted from here)

Sugar- 1/2 cup

Orange juice- 1 cup

Vodka- 1/2 cup

Brandy- 1/2 cup

Dry white wine- 1 bottle (750ml) I used a Chardonnay 

Lemonade- 350 ml

Lime- 1 half, thinly sliced

Orange- 1half, thinly sliced

Lemon- 1 half, thinly sliced

In a glass pitcher stir together the sugar, orange juice, vodka and brandy till the sugar has dissolved.

Add the white wine and throw in sliced lime, lemon and orange.

Just before serving top with the lemonade and serve cold. Add ice cubes if required.

Notes: You can do a non alcoholic version of this using white grape juice. 

Like I mentioned before, you can throw in apples, peaches, apricots, blue berries, strawberries etc.


Sending the Sangria Blanca to Radhika's Fun n Sun event over at Tickling Palates.

Spanish- style prawn and chorizo skewers

We have a George Foreman Grill which we put to continuous use...especially to grill burger patties and now, we even make pancakes in them. Since the weather in this part of the world is quite unpredictable, and since we've had bad luck with bbq's all the time, we have to depend on indoor grills like these to feel all summery. 

What i love about this grill is, how everything gets cooked so fast. I would also have to agree its a much healthier option, since the oil drips down. It has indeed made us highly fond of grilling and this prawn and chorizo on skewer is such an easy bbq/ grill idea that the whole thing is ready in a matter of 15 minutes, i.e, if you are really not keen on a half hour marinating period (like us) 

All said and done, George Foreman Grill or not, these can be whipped up in the oven or on stove top as well. So the next time you have a bbq planned, make sure this is def. on your menu.

King Prawns- 250 grams or about 25 to 30, deveined but preferably with tail on.

Mild paprika- 1 tsp

Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Garlic cloves- 2, lightly crushed

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Chorizo sausages- about 15 to 16 small slices

Chopped parsley- 2 tsp (I used about 1 tbsp dried parsley)

Pepper powder- to taste

Chilli powder- 1/4 tsp (optional)

Wooden skewers- 8, soaked in cold water for atleast 1/2 an hour

Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and marinate the prawns and chorizo in it for half an hour or more. I didnt have the patience, so i used it immediately and it tasted just fine.

Thread the prawns and chorizo, alternating, on to each skewer.

If using an electric grill or bbq cook for about 3 to 4 minutes max on each side.

If using the grill mode in the oven, then preheat the oven to 175C and grill for about 6 to 7 minutes, each side..the oil from the chorizo oozes out, so keep a baking paper on a tray and do the needful.

On stove top, heat a large enough frying pan or griddle pan and do the 3 minute on each side cooking method...again loads of oil will ooze out of the chorizo. Drain on paper towels if necessary.

You can squeeze a lime on top if needed...season with more pepper and serve as an appetizer.

Notes: Chorizo can be replaced with veggies as well..peppers, zucchini, onions etc.

I had guests waiting to dig in and so couldn't take pics of the end result.

Spanish favourite- Paella (two ways)

Did you guys see the Spain- Germany game? I secretly wanted Spain to win and voila they did. And as coincidence would have it, I made this Spanish favourite of ours today, and what better way to say 'way to go Spain' than with this utterly delicious all in one paella (pronounced paeya), a wholesome meal.

I was introduced to Spanish food two years back and there was no looking back. However, it was the Chorizo and seafood paella at Borough Market (Monchichi of 'Not another big menu' has given a nice description of Borough Market) that blew my mind away. Ro and myself used to frequently have lunch dates at Borough Market and if it wasn't the Thai curry stall, then it was definitely Paella and Sangria for lunch on Fridays. I never in my dreams thought I'd actually attempt making paella at home, but after doing some research online, I decided to give it a shot anyways, only to realize its one of the easiest meal preparations, especially because you can add in veggies and meat and what not and have it on its own. There was no hassle of gravy or side dish, just a glass (well a bottle in our case) of Rioja wine and we were happy!

Now, I have made two versions of it. One is the veggie version and the other a chorizo and shrimp version, both equally tasty and not out-of-the-way difficult.

Mixed veg. paella

White onion- 1, thinly sliced

Garlic- 4 pods, crushed and chopped into tiny slices

Courgette- 1 medium, sliced into small cubes

Red pepper- 1, cut into long thin strips (I used one red sweet pointed pepper)

Button mushrooms- 1/2 cup, cleaned and sliced

Jalapeño pepper- 1 large, roughly chopped (optional)

Tomato- 2 large, roughly chopped

Paprika- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp (more if you want a stronger colour)

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Dried chilli's - 4, crushed

Paella rice/ risotto rice- 1 1/2 cups

Vegetable/ chicken broth/ water- 3 cups (hot)

Frozen peas- a handful

Spring onions/ scallions- 4, white part roughly chopped

Parsley- a few sprigs for garnish (optional)

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Heat the olive oil in a container (big enough to hold the rice) and sauté the onions till soft and fragrant.

Add the garlic and continue sautéing for a few more minutes.

In goes the courgette, red pepper, mushrooms and jalapeño pepper. Cook on medium heat till the veggies are slightly cooked, stirring in between.

Add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring. Cook till the oil starts to separate.

Add the paprika, turmeric and cumin powder, dried chilli flakes and salt. Combine well, making sure the veggies are all coated well.

Add the paella rice and mix well, stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes, till the rice begins to slightly crackle.

Add the hot stock/ water at this point. Give it a mix, close the lid and cook on medium to high flame till the rice is cooked through. If its starts burning or sticking to the vessel, pour some more water. Its ok if the mix is lightly mushy and loose, that's how the consistency should be.

Check for salt spice, add if required.

Add the frozen peas towards the end, about 3 minutes before you take it off the flame. Stir well and just before serving throw in the scallions and garnish with parsley leaves.

Non- veg version

Spanish chorizo- 3/4 cup, diced

Shrimp- 200gms, de-veined and cleaned

In a frying pan, cook the chorizo slices for 5 to 6 minutes or until soft.

Add the shrimp to this and cook on high heat for a few minutes. The oil oozing out of the paella will give a nice flavour to the shrimp and will also cook it.

Drain on paper towels. Keep aside.

At the stage where you add the green peas to the rice mix, add the cooked chorizo and shrimp and give it a final stir.

Edited to add: this pic got tastespotted and foodgawked:)

Notes: Any vegetable of your choice can be used, for example, zuccini, asparagus, beans etc.

Any meat and seafood of your choice can also be included. Mussels, squid, chicken etc. are very popular

I did not have stock with me, so I used water. It turned out perfectly fine. Next time however I would like to add about a half cup white wine as well.

Paella is actually made in a paella dish which I didn't have. I guess a heavy-based saucepan would be your closest bet.

Sending the Mixed veg. Paella to the AWED-Spain event hosted by Priya this month, brain child of DK  of Chef In You.

A twist (literally) on the Spanish Churros

Two posts in two days, I myself am surprised. Thanks to all who wrote in suggesting things to make with mango pulp. Have noted a few:)

Churros, I am not sure if you are familiar with it, is a Spanish/ Mexican dessert which resembles a doughnut with regard to taste. I actually have eaten it only at Mexican joints, but Wikipedia says it originated in Spain. Whatever it is, I love this unhealthy, oily piece of goodness. I first tasted it at the lovely Greenwich market filled with caramel and rolled in sugar and even though I could feel my waist expanding, I loved every bit of it. Even the caramel averse Ro couldn't stop at one bite. I have made it a point to try it at all the Mexican restaurants, but none has come to the Greenwich market standard. 

Now, they are supposed to be piped out..and should be a thick straight or slightly curled doughnut and dunked in melted chocolate. But the star icing nozzle I had was not too big and it churned out feather light churros which were breaking off, and so I decided to make small discs instead....cheeky huh? yeah you can call that 'no patience' also ;)

Full fat milk- 150 ml

Water- 150 ml

Sugar- 3 tbsp (optional)

Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Plain flour- 100 gms

Eggs- 2

Oil- for deep frying

For dusting:

Caster Sugar- 25 gms

Powdered Cinnamon- 1/2 tsp or more as per your taste

Bring the milk and water to a boil in a sauce pan. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Take it off the fire and immediately add the flour and mix vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon until smooth. Keep aside to cool.

Get the oil for deep frying ready at this point. It takes some time.

Add the eggs one after the other, beat well to form a nice fluffy mix, but not too stiff. It should fall off the spoon without much effort.

Scoop the mix into a piping bag with a star nozzle and wait for the oil to be super hot.

Hold the piping bag over the oil (be careful here) and squeeze out long thick strips of dough into the oil or twirl it around like how I chose to do...making small spiral discs.

Fry both sides for about 5 minutes, turning continuously and then drain it on kitchen towels. It should be crispy.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and just before serving, dust the churros with the mix.

If you want to dunk it in chocolate...make a ganache with dark chocolate and cream and serve along.

Notes: I added some sugar into the main mix because I loved it sweet. This is purely optional especially if you are eating it with melted chocolate.

You can also use about 20 gms of butter instead of milk (says Gordon Ramsey)

Pollo al Ajillo (Chicken & Garlic)

I have recently developed this love for Spanish food as well...the tapas dishes (appetizers) especially are a welcome change to the usual. There are Tapas only restaurants here in London and we used to frequent this one called La Tasca, till we kinda tried almost everything on their menu and now its boring. I am yet to try out some of the other tapas joints. My second blog entry was that of a tapas dish called Chorizo al Vino and a favourite of mine. The first time i discovered this ingredient called Chorizo was at La Tasca, and i had to try it out. Its such an easy thing to make, its difficult to screw up.

This dish, on the other hand, is a bit difficult..well difficult according to my standards. I don't know why, but i hate having to deep fry or even shallow fry anything. First of all i think I'm doing something wrong and the whole place is smeared in oil and what not. Second, I have always managed to burn my hand when I'm frying and three, the amount of oil that goes into the food and the rest of the oil that goes to waste..kinda puts me off the whole frying deal. So i try and bake whenever i have an option. But anyways, i managed to get through frying without the second part, but did the 1st and 3rd. But it was so worth all that trouble, the chicken and garlic combo was kick-ass.

Chicken- 1 kg, bone in pieces, no skin

Paprika- 3 tsp

Chilli pwd- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Pepper pwd- to taste

Salt- to taste

Garlic- 10 cloves

Sherry/ dry white wine- 150ml

Oil- to fry

Fresh parsley- to garnish

Clean the chicken pieces and marinate with paprika, chilli pwd, pepper pwd and salt.

Heat oil in a frying pan and add the pieces of chicken batch by batch along with two smashed garlic cloves. It brings out a nice flavour to the chicken, Now i covered the chicken and fried, for fear of oil splashing all over and burning my hands. In spite of doing all that, i still managed to mess it up and so you don't really have to do that. Shallow fry both sides till golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Either discard some of the oil or if there is very little left, add some more and throw in the rest of the garlic and continue frying. Add the chicken pieces and mix well.

Pour in the sherry and cook on low heat till the liquid is almost absorbed by the chicken...stirring in between and making sure it doesn't get stuck to the bottom. This might take some time..so patience is the answer.

Serve with some gravy over and garnish with parsley leaves and also raise a pitcher of Sangria to complement the meal.

Notes: Chicken wings can be used and i think boneless can do the trick as well.

I drained the chicken on paper towels due to fear of so much of oil intake..if you really don't freak out like me, then you can just add the garlic to the chicken pieces directly.

I used dry white wine instead of Sherry and the taste was very different. It was slightly sweet in spite of using dry wine. So use Sherry if possible.

Chorizo Quesadillas with Margaritas and Mexican Cookies

I am a big sucker for Mexican food and i can have it any number of times in a day and continuously for a couple of days..well that's a bit of an exaggeration, but i love Southern food so so much. Sunday lunch like i mentioned before was very southie...almost. We had the Buffalo wings, quesadillas and margaritas and Mexican cookies..yes I'd like to go all out when it comes to themes.

Quesadillas can have any sort of filling and you can basically jazz it up your way. Since i had already tried my hand at Chicken quesadillas, i thought id use Chorizo (Spanish/ Mexican cured sausages spiced with different seasoning etc) instead. Good choice, i must say. It was over in no time.

Flour tortillas- 4

Spanish Chorizo- 1 cup, diced (or you can remove the casing and use the meat only)

Spring onions- 1/4 cup (both greens and bulb)

Red pepper- 1/3 cup, diced (optional)

Monterey Jack Cheese- 1/2 cup

Mexican blend cheese- to garnish

Salsa- i cup ( i got ready-made ones)

Sour cream- 1/4 cup

Cilantro- freshly chopped, for garnish

In a frying pan, lightly cook the chorizo. There is no need to put any oil, as quite a bit of oil oozes out of the sausage. Make sure you do not over cook, as it becomes hard. Remove and drain on paper towels

Discard some oil and in the same pan, sautee the spring onions and red pepper till soft. Add the sausages to this and give it a final stir. Remove and keep aside.

Keep a stove-top grill ready. Assemble the tortillas, i.e., spread some sour cream and salsa evenly on the tortilla, load it with the chorizo stuffing (about 3 tbsp) and then layer with the Monterey Jack cheese (again about 2 to 3 tbsp). Grate some Mexican blend cheese on top, just for the flavour, garnish with cilantro and sandwich with another tortilla. Slightly press them so that the ends are sealed

Place on the hot grill and cook for about 2 minutes, each side. Carefully flip it and once the cheese has slightly melted, take it off and repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Serve with a dab of sour cream and salsa and some Mexican blend cheese.

Notes: If you do not have tortillas, you can use chappati's...yes you can..have tried it

You do not need a grill per se. You can do the same procedure in the frying pan, or in a pre-heated oven for a few minutes, or if you are extremely lazy, in a microwave...i have tried all three methods, and the best would be the grill.

The measurements given here are approx. You can increase, decrease the cheese, cream, filling etc. as per your choice.

I usually make my own Margarita, but since i knew i was going to be super busy i picked up a Sainsbury's Margarita (all mixed and ready to serve) instead. I brushed the glass rim with lime juice and dipped it in salt and topped the glass with the mix and some tonic water, since the mix was a little too strong for me. This is not how the real one is made, but i liked the fizz though.

The Mexican Cookies' recipe can be found here. It says Melting Moments, but this is more or less how it is.

Tuna and Pasta Bake and high on Sangria

Thanks to easy peacy cooking recipes like this, we are still surviving. I think UK has spoilt me in a lot of ways. If its not Indian cooking you are into, then i think being in a place like UK or US helps. The sachets of easy mix powders and gravy's and cut veggies and mixes, add to this luxury.

I am a big fan of the Coleman's brand and they have a various powders in sachets which you can just mix with milk or water and pour over anything from mashed potatoes to beef to chicken to vegetables to pasta. I bought a Tuna and Pasta bake sachet with the intention of using it for a simple bake, but instead decided to try out the recipe at the back of the cover. This is how it goes:

Pasta- 225 gms

Tuna- 200 gms (tinned)

Milk- 425 ml

Carrots- 1/4 cup cut into small bite size pieces

Green peas- 1/4 cup (frozen)

Onions- 1/4 cup (thinly sliced)

Pepper- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Cheese- to layer on top (I used Cheddar)

Regular bag of chips

1 sachet Coleman's Tuna and Pasta Bake

Oil- a wee bit

The onions, peas, carrots, pepper is my addition since i did not have sweet corn which the recipe asked for.

Cook the pasta as per instructions (with salt and enough water. Strain and keep aside)

In a heavy bottomed pan heat some oil, saute the onions till transparent and add the carrots, pepper and salt and cook till done. Toss in the tuna along with the green peas and pasta and mix well. If there isn't enough salt or spice you can add as per your requirement at this stage. Keep aside

In a saucepan, tip the contents of the sachet, add a little bit of milk and stir well so no lumps are remaining. Tip in the rest of the milk and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat and simmer for a minute. the sauce will be somewhat thick and creamy.

Pour this mixture on to the pasta/ veggie mix and make sure the cheesy sauce is blended well with the pasta mix. Take it off the stove and pour into a baking dish.

Crush some chips and layer it on top of the pasta, and then layer the cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at about 175C or heat on high in a microwave oven for 5 minutes or till cheese melts.

Note: The crisps added that zing to the dish and i loved the idea. I think children would love this dish

Its been really hot the last couple of days here in London and so i decided to make Sangria, the perfect summery drink and also because i had some leftover fruits i needed to finish.

Red wine- 1 cup

Rose wine- 2 cups

Orange juice- 1/2 cup

Gin/rum- 60ml or less according to your taste

Apple- 1 sliced into small cubes

Apricot- 3 sliced into small cubes

(Pears, oranges etc. can be added if you want)

Sugar- 3 tbs

Lime juice- 1/2 cup (lemonade if you need a fizzy drink)

Mix all these together in a bowl, pour into tall glasses and drink your heart away:)

Notes: The gin was a bit too strong and it kinda made us a wee bit tipsy after the first glass.

If you keep it overnight, the fruits will be infused with the flavour and will taste better i guess. We didn't have the patience though :)

Sangria is usually a red wine and rum drink, but i didn't have enough of red wine so i mixed it with the rose and it tasted just as good.

Chorizo al Vino

Don't get carried away by the name..its just chorizo in red wine and a very very easy dish to make. We discovered this at a Spanish tapas joint called La Tasca and fell in love with it. I was on the look out for chorizo and couldn't find fresh ones at the supermarket, so on one of our regular trips to Borough market we picked up a few at the Spanish stall. Here is the recipe:

Chorizo- 3, cut in small

Garlic pods- 3, thinly sliced

Dry red wine- 1 cup or even more depending on your taste

Olive oil- 1tbs

Parsley- a handful

Sizzle the olive oil in a hot pan. Once it starts to smoke, throw in the garlic and chorizo and sautee till they are slightly done. Pour the wine and mix well on low heat. The mixture should be semi gravy-like and the chorizo should take in the colour of the wine. Take it off the heat and garnish with parsley.

It can be served on its own or with small cubes of bread to dip in.

Note: Oil oozes out of the chorizo as well, so don't overdo the olive oil.

Be careful when you pour in the wine, it can flame up.