SPANISH TORTILLA WITH IBERICO CHORIZO

Is there anything better than enjoying a spanish tortilla just cooked  with a piece of bread???
Today I want to share with you one of the most popular recipes in Spain, but with the tasty touch that iberico chorizo brings to this delicious recipe.
The secret to cook the perfect Spanish tortilla is to have the highest quality ingredients,  good potatoes, farm fresh eggs, unique iberico chorizo and a good olive oil.


INGREDIENTS

• 5 Potatoes
• 1 onion
• 6 eggs
• iberico chorizo diced
• 2 tomatoes peeled and grated
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Peel the potatoes and cut in irregular chunks. 
2. Chop the onion very thin.
3. Heat plenty olive oil in a large frying pan, add the potatoes and reduce heat to medium heat( never fry potatoes a high temperature)
4. Add 1/2 onion and cook with the potatoes  for about 15 minutes adding some salt.
5. Stir occasionally until the potatoes are softened. Strain the potatoes and onions through a colander into a large bowl.
6. In a small saucepan add the rest of the onion and sauté for some minutes, add iberico chorizo and cook for some minutes at medium heat.
7. Put smoke paprika and stir quickly to avoid burning the paprika,  and add immediately the grated tomatoes and let everything reduce together. Season and set aside.
8.  Beat the eggs with a fork in a large mixing bowl, season well with salt and add the cooked potatoes and stir together.
9. Finally add the chorizo-tomato mixture and mix lightly with the potatoes and the eggs.
10. In a non stick saucepan heat a little of the strained oil, tip everything into the pan and cook on a moderate heat, using a spatula to shape the tortilla.
11. When almost set, invert on a plate and slide back into the pan and cook a few more minutes.
12. Slide on to a plate and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
13. Enjoy this delicious "spanish tapa".

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CRUNCHY IBERICO HAM

We are almost in Halloween, and although the weather is still warm it's time to start preparing some comfort soups recipes.
Today I tried a new recipe, and I really enjoyed with my family and this is mainly the reason that I want to share with you.
Butternut squash is one of the most common varieties of winter squash, with a hard exterior and firm flesh is chock full of vitamin A, potassium and fiber.
According to some nutritional studies, one cup of cooked butternut squash contains 82 calories, 0 grams fat, 22 grams of carbohydrate(6.6 g. fiber) and .8 g of protein.
Butternut squash is an excellent source of potassium, more than a banana(582milligrams/cup).
The ingredients that you will need for this recipe are:

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

• 4 oz butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 leek chopped
• 2 medium potatoes cubed
• 500 ml water or vegetable stock
•  3 oz cheddar cheese cubed
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 slices iberico ham
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. Sautee leek with olive oil for some minutes.
2. Add butternut squash and cook until lightly browned.
3. Add potatoes and pour the water or the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Add cheddar cheese in cubes.
6. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
7. Return to pot and season with salt and black pepper.
8. Heat a saucepan and cook iberico slices for some minutes until crunchy.
9. Serve the soup in small bowls and garnish with iberico ham on top.
10. Enjoy  

SPANISH GAZPACHO

Gazpacho is a soup made of raw vegetables and serve cold,  is eaten particularly during the hot summers. Most gazpacho recipes include stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, water and salt.

Gazpacho may be served with garnishes, served separately, such as boiled eggs, iberico ham, onion...

Gazpacho is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E, minerals, fiber and antioxidants like lycopene, with only 46 calories in a cup of gazpacho is a perfect soup as a first course for any meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/4 cucumber
• 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup spanish olive oil
• 4 slices iberico ham
• 2 eggs

PREPARATION

1. Rinse tomatoes and pepper, and take off the stems and cut them in pieces.
2. Peel the garlic cloves and onion and chop in pieces.
3. Peel the cucumber and chop it well.
4. In a food processor put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, pepper, cucumber, vinegar and salt.
5. Crush all up at the highest speed, until no piece can be noticed.
6. Add the water and blend for 3 minutes at high speed.
7. Add the olive oil and blend with the rest of ingredients at very low speed.
8. Pour it in a jar and let it chill in the fridge.
9. Garnishes may be made with hard boiled eggs or iberico ham previously dehydrate in the microwave or oven to get some crunchy iberico ham slices.

BAKED CHEESY MANCHEGO ZUCCHINI BITES

I love zucchini and usually I put them in everything, salads, soup, burritos, sandwich. It's clearly quite a versatile ingredient and also is a healthy one to have always in your fridge.
Most of the times I look for organic ones and before cooking I wash very well the peel of the zucchini and leave the peel for adding more fiber and vitamins to my food.
These cheesy zucchini bites are  healthier than zucchini fritter without sacrificing any flavor.
***It's very important to  squeeze out the excess water of the zucchini to get a very crispy zucchini bites.


INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup zucchini shredded
• 1egg beaten
• 1/2 cup manchego cheese and parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon basil
• salt to taste
• black ground pepper

PREPARATION

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle the shredded zucchini with a pinch of salt, and place in a paper towel to wring out all the excess of water. 
3. Place in a large bowl the zucchini and add the egg, manchego and parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
4. Mix until well combined.
5. Drop the mixture by tablespoofuls on the baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle some parmesan and manchego cheese on top of each one.
7. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes until golden.
8. Enjoy hot or cold, both are delicious.

TOMATO AND IBERICO HAM TARTAR

Tartare is the name of a dish of ground raw beef or also raw tuna or salmon, but today we will reinvent the dish with iberico ham and also it will be a delightfully recipe to serve as a main dish or an appetizer over some bread toast.
Tomatoes are present in Spanish gastronomy in several dishes, we drink them as salmorejo or spread in a toast with garlic and iberico ham or simply we make a wonderful salad to enjoy them in the summer when tomatoes are in season.
Avoid to put the tomatoes in the fridge, the cold temperature will affect the flavor and the ripening of them.


INGREDIENTS

Serves 2

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon Vidalia onion finely chopped
• some slices iberico ham

For the dressing

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon

PREPARATION

1. Carefully peel the skin off the tomatoes, then remove the seeds by cutting tomatoes in half.
2. Thoroughly drain the tomatoes in a strainer for at least 15 minutes and them dice them in small cubes.
3. Dice the avocado in small cubes and the onion finely chopped. Put all the ingredients in a bowl. 
4. Prepare the dressing mixing the mustard, soy sauce and the Worcestershire sauce.
5. Drizzle the olive oil slowly whisking continuously to emulsify the sauce.
6. Combine the dressing with the tomatoes and avocado cubes and keep in the fridge until serve.
7. Put some slices of iberico ham  in the center of one plate and the tomato tartar on top using a mold.
8. Remove carefully the mold
9. Decorate with some chives if desires and serve.
10. Enjoy!!!  

SPINACH, STRAWBERRY AND IBERICO HAM SALAD

This is a great easy summer salad that is a perfect addition to any summer celebration, and its looks pretty fancy and absolutely delicious.

Vitamin C and other organic acids in fruits like strawberries boost the absorption rate of iron contained in spinach, so this is a perfect pairing for a healthy and nutritional salad.

Iron is an important mineral that is required for healthy blood, oxygen distribution throughout the body, and energy production.

We complete our summer salad with feta cheese with a strong flavor and iberico ham with extraordinary nutritional qualities.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2

For the salad:

• 8 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
• 2 oz feta cheese or goat cheese, crumbled
• some slices iberico ham

For the dressing:

• 4 oz. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Black ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. First we will start preparing the dressing, heat the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, until is reduced in half of its volume for about 3 minutes. Reserve.
2. Combine the spinach, strawberries and feta cheese in a large bowl.
3. Stir the balsamic vinegar  and honey and slowly stream the olive oil into the mixture while whisking continuously.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Top with some slices iberico ham.
6. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving.
7. Enjoy!!!

CHILLED CANTALOUPE SOUP WITH IBERICO HAM

This cantaloupe soup is a very versatile recipe that is great for the summer, quick and easy to prepare,  and also very refreshing for the hot sunny days.
It's very important to serve the dish very cold, so when you finish preparing it, keep the soup in the fridge until the moment you serve it.
Cantaloupes are also commonly known as muskmelon, mush melons or Persian melons. Their high water  content helps ward off dehydration and the sweet and juicy flavor makes it perfect for the summer and it's a great snack to have during this hot season.
Cantaloupes are rich in antioxidants(zeaxanthin), beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, that contributes to benefit your overall health.


For this recipe we will need:

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz cantaloupe cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• pinch salt
• dash of ground black pepper
•  2 slices iberico ham

PREPARATION

1. Add cantaloupe to blender or food processor and blend it well.
2. Add greek yogurt, salt , brown sugar and dash of black pepper and blend again until well combined.
3. Refrigerate until well chilled.
4. Garnish with iberico ham on top before you serve it.
5. Enjoy very cold!!!

GUACAMOLE AND IBERICO HAM TOAST

Are you an avocado lover like me? If so, you need to try this recipe, full of flavor, and full of healthy ingredients that make an incredible toast that you will not be disappointed.
This toast is the perfect choice to start your day with a great combination of high quality protein and good carbohydrates.
Avocados are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, highly recommended to keep cholesterol in optimal levels.
Go for it!!!

For this recipe  we will need:

INGREDIENTS

• Homemade guacamole
• some slices Iberico ham
• 1 organic egg
• 1 slice whole wheat bread

PREPARATION

1. Prepare homemade guacamole
2. Toast one slice of bread
3. Poach one egg using boiling water, add salt and 2 teaspoon of vinegar into the water, crack and egg into a cup and gently pour it into the boiling water.
4. It will need around 4 minutes to poached, remove it to some kitchen paper to dry off.
5. Spread a good amount of guacamole over the toast, then iberico ham and top with poached egg.
6. Enjoy this delicious toast with a good cup of coffee or tea.

STUFFED POTATOES WITH IBERICO HAM AND CHEESE

There are  many times that you don't know what to eat, because you are tired of cooking same dishes every day.
Today I bring you a simple recipe that you could serve it as a side dish or even as a main dish with a salad, and it's simply delicious.
You can also make these potatoes the morning before you want serve them. Just prepare the potatoes and the stuffing and then when ready to serve, put them in a baking sheet, top with cheese and bake them.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Potatoes
• 2 eggs yolk
• 50 g butter
• diced iberico ham or serrano ham
• Emmental cheese(or Gruyere or Fontina)
• salt to taste 
• black ground pepper

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the potatoes without peeling until soft.
2. Cool them and slice a layer right of the top, take a spoon and gently scoop out the insides and put them in a bowl and mash them.
3. Add the eggs yolks and the butter and blend well.
4. Add the diced iberico ham and cheese.
5. Season with salt and  ground black pepper.
6. Fill the potatoes shelves with the potatoes mixture.
7. Cover with more cheese and grill them for about 10 minutes.
8. Serve inmediatly.
9. Enjoy!!!

BAKED EGG WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND CHORIZO

This recipe reminds me of my childhood when my mom cooked us this dish for dinner and drove my crazy, I really love it!!!
It has no secret to prepare but you need to have a good quality of ingredients, homemade tomato sauce, organic eggs and a really good chorizo.
If you have the tomato sauce prepared in advance you only need 15 minutes to prepare this delicious dish, do you want to try???

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons homemade tomato sauce
• 2 eggs
• chopped chorizo
• 1 green onion to garnish
• salt

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Spoon 2 tablespoon of homemade tomato sauce into each individual baking dishes with some chopped chorizo, and in the middle break one egg into each dish.
3. Sprinkle a little salt over the egg and place in the oven.
4. Cook for about 10 or 12 minutes depend how you prefer the egg.
5. Sprinkle some green onions on top.
6. Enjoy!!!

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE

 I usually cook tomato sauce once a week and keep it in the fridge for my weekly recipes either pasta dishes like spaghettis or lasagna or  meat dishes like meatballs or bolognese.
Tomatoes have a rich flavor, high liquid content, and the right composition to thicken into a sauce.

For this sauce we will need:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chopped tomatoes(1 pound)
• 1/2 diced onion
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• salt to taste
• black ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoon olive oil

PREPARATION

1. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic, cook until light golden brown, for about 8 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring often.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes until thick.
4. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
5. Add sugar to balance the acidity of tomatoes.
6. Blend the result to get a nice light tomato sauce.
7. Enjoy!!!

ZUCCHINI MINI BOATS WITH IBERICO HAM

This is a wonderful recipe to prepare zucchini, very easy recipe that only needs few ingredients.
Zucchini is a versatil vegetable with which you can prepare a soup, or make them in the oven like today's recipe or simply coat them with eggs and bread crumbs to enjoy a delicious crispy zucchini's bites.

For this recipe we will need:

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2

• 2 zucchini
• 3 oz. iberico ham diced
• 1 shallot
• parmesan cheese
• bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• salt to taste
• black ground pepper 

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Wash  the zucchini and  split each in half lengthwise.
2. Scoop out the seeds and pulp, and set aside in a bowl.
3. Steam the zucchini halves until almost tender,  for about 10 minutes.
4. While the zucchini is steaming, heat olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped shallot and saute until soft.
5. Add zucchini pulp and diced iberico ham and saute for some minutes.
6. Add Worcestershire sauce, stir the mixture and saute for about 10 minutes in a low-medium heat.
7. Taste and add salt and black pepper if it needed.
8. Pile the stuffing in the shells.
9. Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the zucchini.
10. Place the zucchini mini boats in a greased baking tray and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.
11. Enjoy!!!

SALMOREJO

Salmorejo is a delicious creamy soup, that is served cold and made only by a few ingredients: tomatoes, bread, garlic, olive oil,  and salt.

Salmorejo is similar to gazpacho but thicker and creamier in texture because of the bread.

It is served as a starter or first meal and accompanied with chunks of iberico ham and crumbled hard boiled eggs on top.

This recipe  is full of vitamins(vitamin C), antioxidants(selenium) and minerals because of the nutrient dense of tomatoes.

You can enjoy also salmorejo as a sauce preparing a toast with iberico ham on top, love it!!!

For this easy recipe we will need:

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

• 2 pounds(1 kg) ripe tomatoes
• 7 oz (200g) stale bread
• 9 oz (150ml) spanish olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt to taste
• 2 boiled eggs
• sliced iberico ham

PREPARATION

1. Wash tomatoes and blend them using a food processor or a blender.
2. Use a colander to remove some peel from tomatoes and seeds.
3. In a bowl put the "guts" of the bread and cover with the tomatoes puree for at least 10 or 15 minutes.
4. Add the clove of the garlic and blend all the ingredients(tomatoes, bread and garlic).
5. Add olive oil, little by little, and emulsify using the blender.
6. Add salt and taste it.
7. The result needs to be creamy and thick, with a beautiful orange color(taste the final result and add more olive oil or salt if it needs it).
8. Serve cold and garnish with diced boiled eggs and iberico ham on top.
9. Enjoy!!!.

MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH IBERICO HAM

I'm a huge fan of mushrooms, because of the taste and their health benefits. They are a good source of protein as well as antioxidants such as selenium, and vitamins as vitamin B12.

They are also cholesterol free and very low in fat, so it's a good point in you are on a diet or worried about your weight.

If you choose  white mushrooms for your recipe,  they are also a good source of  vitamin D.

It's very important that you cook mushrooms throroughly, in order to breakdown small amounts of natural toxins that they can have and their taste is better after cooking.

You can enjoy this recipe as an appetizer or as a side for a main dish, it's very easy to prepare and also you don't need too much ingredients to make it.

Serves 4

• 8 white mushrooms(brushed and clean)
• 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 garlic clove finely chopped
• 3 iberico ham slices finely chopped
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 50 ml tablespoon white wine
• salt to taste 
• black ground pepper

ELABORATION

1. Remove stems from mushrooms, and dice the stems. Set mushrooms caps aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat and add garlic and parsley and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add iberico ham and mushrooms steam, saute for some minutes and add white wine.
4. Add salt and black pepper and cook until there is no more liquid.
5. Set aside and reserve.
6. Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms cups for both sides.
7. Add salt and  ground black pepper to taste.
8. Stuff  mushrooms caps with the iberico garlic ham mixture.
9. Serve hot.
10. Enjoy!!!

GREEN PEAS WITH IBERICO HAM AND POACHED EGG

Peas can be cooked in a variety of methods, making a delicious and versatile vegetable for your table.There are generally three types of peas that are commonly eaten: green peas, snow peas, and snap peas.
Only about 5% of the peas grown are sold fresh(spring season), the rest are sold frozen or canned.
Frozen peas are able to retain color,  texture and  flavor better than the canned peas, so frozen is a better option.
Green peas have a sweet taste and provide us with nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits, and also are a reliable source of omega-3 fat.
There are several ways to cook green peas, but my favorite one is saute, because provides the greatest flavor and because of of the low heat allows to concentrate the nutrients.
This recipe could be served as a main dish or as a side in smaller portion, anyway is a good choice for our week menu plan.

For this recipe we will need:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 leek finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• iberico ham diced
• fresh or frozen green peas
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

ELABORATION

1. Chop the leek roughly and finely slice the garlic.
2. If you choose frozen peas, add water to a pot , set the pot on high, and let it boil.When it comes to boil, quickly add the peas and turn the heat down to medium high. Cook for about 3 minutes(be careful not to overcooked the peas because will lose their green color and flavor).
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the leek and saute for 1 or 2 minutes and then add the garlic and cook in a medium-low heat for a few minutes to soften.
4. Add the iberico ham and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly in a a low heat. Set aside
6. Heat  2 cups of water in a pot, add a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
7. Create a gentle whirlpool in the water to help the egg white wrap around the yolk.
8. Meanwhile, crack one egg into a small bowl and drop slowly the egg into the water and cook for three minutes.
9. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon, and drain into a kitchen paper.
10. Serve the peas with the poached egg on top
11. Enjoy!!!

ROASTED TOMATOES AND IBERICO HAM GARLIC TOAST

This recipe is so simple but full of flavor and I love how my kitchen smells so good  when I am cooking tomatoes and garlic in the oven.
When tomatoes are cooked in a healthy fat like olive oil, it increases the absorption of the lycopene.
The tomato is the primary food source of lycopene, a naturally red pigment linked to prevent numerous diseases.
Tomatoes also contain significant amounts of vitamin E, fiber, potassium and folate.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as the perfect appetizer in a family or friend gathering.

For this recipe we will need:

INGREDIENTS

4 toast:

• 4 tomatoes
• 4 head garlic
• 8 iberico ham slices
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• thyme
• oregano
•  pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.Meanwhile, hull the steams from your tomatoes and slice a shallow "X" in the bottom.
2. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and watch for their skins to start to wrinkle and split, for about 1 minute, and scoop them out with a spoon and transfer them to a bowl with cold water.
3. Once cooled, transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board, and use your fingers or a knife to peel back the tomato skins.
4. Slice the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds and cut them in small pieces
5. Preheat the oven at 300F and put the diced tomatoes, the garlic heads(no peeled), olive oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, thyme and oregano in a baking bowl.
6. Roast for about 1 hour.
7. Toast the bread in a toaster or in the grill.
8. Spread the garlic over the toast(the garlic is soft after roasting).
9. Spread the tomato jam.
10. Top with some slices of iberico ham.
11. Enjoy your delicious toast!!!

COCIDO MADRILEÑO

Cocido Madrileño is probably one of the most representative dish of Madrid cuisine. Cocido is a substantial dish prepared with meat, vegetables and chickpeas.
You can enjoy cocido during the winter  but is served all the year round in some typical restaurants in Madrid.
If you are planning to visit Spain, don't forget to visit a typical madrileño restaurant to enjoy this heartwarming dish, but be sure that you are really hungry!!!
Cocido usually is  served in 2 or 3 stages, the first course  is the stock  or caldo, and the second one are the vegetables with the meat  and the chickpeas or the veggies first and then the meat and the chickpeas.
The main ingredient in cocido are the chickpeas, a high protein legume, rich in fiber content and also rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc.
On the other hand, we have the carbohydrates coming from the vegetables to complete this nutrient dense recipe.
Today we will learn how to prepare this wonderful jewel of the Spanish cuisine.

INGREDIENTS
                                                           

Serves 6

• 14 oz.chickpeas
• 4 carrots
• 1 onion
• 2 leek
• celery
• turnip
• 1/2 cabbage
• 4 potatoes
• ham bone
• beef bone
• 1/2 pound organic beef stew meat
• 1/2 organic chicken
• iberico ham tip
• bay leaves
• olive oil
• salt

PREPARATION

1. Soak the chickpeas in warm water the night before(at least 8 hours) with some salt.
2. In a large stockpot put the meat, the bones,  and iberico ham tip, cover with 2 liters of water and bring to a boil.
3. Discard any scum that rises to the top of the water.
4. Add the chicken, chickpeas, carrots, turnip, onion, leek and cabbage and salt.
5. Simmer for about 2 hours on the lowest heat.
6. Peel and wash the potatoes, cut in half and add to the pot after two hours aprox.
7. Check pot often and add water if you need it.
8. After  aprox 3 hours the boiling time is completed. 
9. Remove the meats from the pot and slice them.
10. Prepare a warm soup with the stock or caldo.
11. In a bowl  serve the meat with the chickpeas and in another bowl the vegetables and potatoes.
12. Drizzle the vegetables with vinegar and olive oil and the meats with olive oil
13. Enjoy!!!

HOMEMADE IBERICO HAM AND MANCHEGO CHEESE BURGER

Is there anybody who doesn't like hamburgers? So, if you are a fan of them, you probably begin salivating at the mention of iberico ham and Manchego cheese in a tasty homemade burger

This is a simple hamburger, elevated into something that goes beyond "gourmet", and is the result of high quality ingredients  arrange in a way that brings pleasure to whoever taste it.
I have created  a burger featuring two of my absolute favorite tapas staples, Iberico ham and Manchego cheese ... Wow factor!

Serves 4 burgers

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound organic ground pork
• 1/2 pound organic ground beef
• 1 egg beaten
• 4 Manchego cheese slices
• 4 Iberico ham slices
• 4 burger buns
• 2 cups fresh arugula
• garlic salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• unsalted butter
• homemade mayonnaise

PREPARATION

1. In a bowl, marinate  ground pork and ground beef  adding one beaten egg, garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper, knead the meat with your hands for a few minutes, cover and reserve in the fridge at least 30 minutes.
2. Shape the meat into 4 equal-size patties and brush them with olive oil.
3. In a medium cast-iron skillet, cook the patties for 3 minutes on one side and flip to the other side and place the  Manchego cheese slice on the top of the already cooked side.
4. Meanwhile, in another skillet brush the buns with butter and place them, cut side down, over medium-high heat until nicely toasted, for about 2 or 3 minutes.
5. In the same skillet place the iberico ham slices to warm them.
6. Spread homemade mayonnaise onto the bottom half of each butter bun.
7. Place fresh arugula,  cheese melted burger patties and iberico ham on the top.
8. Serve hot and enjoy.

ZUCCHINI SOUP AND IBERICO HAM

Zucchini and leeks combine to make a delicious creamed soup, whose flavor is heightened by the iberico  ham.
This soup could be served hot or cold( depends on the season), but anyway it's a great choice as a main course.
I also included potatoes and cheese for creaminess and texture and the result is a light, healthy soup that you will add to your favorites family recipes.
Zucchini are low in calories and contains significant quantities of potassium, folate and vitamin A and also has a high water content and very rich in fiber.
The recipe takes about  40 minutes to prepare so you don't need to spend hours in the kitchen.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 or 2 leeks chopped
• 3 zucchini chopped
• 1 or 2 potatoes peeled and chopped
• 2 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese diced
• 4 iberico ham slices
• salt , to taste

PREPARATION

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the leeks until soft for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini, potatoes and vegetable broth or water. Cover and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 or 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
4. Add the cheese and puree the soup with a blender.
5. Season to taste with salt.
6. Next prepare the crunchy iberico ham, preheat the oven to 375F and lay the iberico ham on to a baking tray over parchment paper and roast them for about 5 minutes until crisp.
7. Serve the soup in bowls topped with iberico crunchy strips and a dash of olive oil.
8. Enjoy!!!

IBERICO HAM CROQUETTES

Croquetas in Spain are typical "tapas" dishes, usually filled with ham, chicken, fish like cod, but nowadays, many restaurants are offering different versions of croquettes with other fillings as ingredients like boletus(mushrooms) or different cheeses(brie, parmesan…) or even shrimps.
Croquette has the origin in France , but many countries in the world have their varieties and ways to prepare, like Germany, where the main ingredient is potato.
Croquetas, is a small fried roll , delicious inside because of the béchamel and the fillings and crunchy outside.
We can enjoy croquetas any time of the day like an appetizer , a side dish or even as a tapa.

To prepare iberico ham croquetas we will need:

 INGREDIENTS

• 1onion
• 1/2 pound iberico ham chopped
• 4 oz.butter
• 14 oz. iberico ham broth
• 20 oz. milk
• 1 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• olive oil(for deep frying)
• eggs(to cover)
• bread crumbs(to cover)

PREPARATION

Fist we will prepare bechamel:

1. Heat  butter in a saucepan and sauté  onion finely chopped and  iberico ham for about 5 minutes at low-medium temperature
2. Meanwhile, heat milk and  iberico ham broth to warm both liquids(we need these two liquids warm to make the béchamel)
3. Add  flour to the saucepan with  onion and iberico ham and stir everything with a wood spoon until the flour is well mixed 
4. Add  both warm liquids(milk and ham broth) , little by little,  to the saucepan, stirring constantly.
5. Stir for about 10 minutes in a medium-low temperature ( we can't stop stirring during these 10 minutes)
6. Add pinch of salt (usually it doesn't need too much because of ham broth) and pinch of nutmeg
7. Poured  béchamel into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until next day in the fridge

Second we will shape croquette mixture:

1. Beat 2 or 3 eggs in a bowl and put bread crumbs in another bowl
2. Roll  mixture croquettes into oval shape( you can use an ice cream scoop)
3. Roll  croquette into bread crumbs, dip into eggs and again into breadcrumbs to coat well
4. Transfer to a parchment paper baking sheet and repeat with remaining croquette mixture
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry croquettes in batches until golden brown
6. Transfer to a paper towel to drain the excess of oil
7. Serve hot and enjoy!!!

HAM BONE AND VEGETABLE BROTH

Is there anything better than  having a hot cup of soup in a cold day?

Many of us go directly to the grocery store to buy chicken or meat broth and we add the broth to enrich our food, but there's something really better…we can make this broth at home. Bone broths are easy to prepare at home and very inexpensive.

Bone broth has incredible and numerous health benefits, and today we will prepare our both from the iberico ham.

Iberico ham broths are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, and very rich in flavor and contain protein and minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb like calcium, magnesium, silicon and phosphorus. Also broth coming from bones contain chondroitin sulphates,  glucosamine and collagen that are beneficial for our joint health and our immune system.

Today we will need for our broth:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 or 3 celery stalks 
• 1 leek
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 onion
•  1 or 2 iberico ham bone(depending of the size)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• water (2,5 litres or 10 cups)

PREPARATION

1. First we need to blanch the ham bone from the impurities that could contribute to  give our broth a bitter flavor
2. Place bones into a large stock pot and cover with water, bring to a boil so the bones will pull out impurities
3. Discard this water, we can repite this operation twice
4. Fill  the stock pot with clean cold water and put the clean ham bones
5. Now it's time to add  celery, leek, onion, carrots, bay leaves and apple cider vinegar
6. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for  about 2 or 3 hours
7. Sometimes while is simmering there may be fat or scum on  top , we can remove it with a wood spoon
8. Low and slow cooking is necessary to fully extract the nutrients and also the apple cider vinegar helps to pull out minerals from the bones.
9. After cooling we need to remove the fat layer that it will appear on  top of the broth
10. Enjoy this wonderful broth to prepare soups or to enrich other recipes with a delightful flavor

BURRATA,CHERRY TOMATOES AND IBERICO HAM SHAVINGS

I love burrata!!! Fist time that I tried burrata it was some years ago in San Juan(Alicante) in an Italian restaurant, and it was love at first sight!
Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is mozzarella, while the inside is mozzarella and cream. The word burrata means "buttered"in Italian.
When the burrata is sliced open, the cream from the inside flows out. This cheese has a buttery, sweet and milky flavor that gently fills the palate.
Burrata cheese is traditionally enjoyed on its own, and today my recipe with sliced cherry tomatoes, olive oil, basil and ham shavings complete a delightful plate.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• Cherry tomatoes
• Burrata cheese
• Iberico ham
•  2 or 3 Basil leaves
• 5 raw almonds
• Olive oil(100ml or 1/2 cup)
• Bread toast
• Butter
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Put the raw almonds, basil leaves and olive oil in a blender cup or food processor and blend all together and reserve
2. Put the cherry tomatoes in a oven tray and roast them in the oven at minimum temperature  for at least 1hour or 90 minutes
3. In another oven tray we can prepare the iberico ham shavings, first put a parchment paper over the tray, then iberico ham and another parchment paper to cover the ham and bake the ham at 300F for 10 or 15 minutes
4. After this we can prepare our plate,  open burrata cheese ball in half and  put  roasted cherry tomatoes and iberico shavings ham inside the cheese
5. Drizzle the burrata cheese, tomatoes and ham with the basil olive oil that we had reserved.
6. Add salt to taste
7. If you like bread, you can prepare a bruscheta toasting the bread with butter in a saucepan, it's delicious serving burrata over the hot bread
8. Enjoy!!!

LENTILS WITH SPANISH CHORIZO AND VEGGIES

Lentils are a high quality protein and high fiber member of the legume family.Lentils grow in pods and can be found in different varieties: red, brown or green.
Low in calories and high in nutrition, are the perfect legume for each season, in the summer we can enjoy them in salads or in the cold winter we can prepare a soup to warm our body.
Compared to other types of dried beans are relatively quick and easy to prepare, so we can enjoy them even when we don't have too much time to spend time in the kitchen.

One cup of cooked lentils contains:

• 230 calories
• 18g protein
• 1g fat
• 40g carbohydrates(16g fiber and 4 sugar)

Also 1 cup serving provides folate,iron,manganese phosphorus, thiamin, potassium and vitamin B6.

Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like lentils decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Today we will cook the lentils with spanish chorizo and vegetables.

Usually I'm very careful with the ingredients that I use in my recipes and I found  iberico spanish chorizo, with no nitrites or nitrates added and only made with natural ingredients from iberico pork.

For this recipe we will need:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound lentils(250g aprox)
• 3.5oz(100g)red pepper finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 or 2 carrots(depending of the size)
• 1 or 2 potatoes(depending of the size)
  
• 1garlic clove peeled
• 1 tomato or homemade tomato sauce
•  3 tablespoon olive oil
• ham broth or water
• 3oz spanish iberico chorizo(80g aprox.)
• 1/2 teaspoon spanish smoked paprika
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• salt

PREPARATION

1. Rinse the lentils in a colander
2. Diced  onions, red pepper , tomato(if you use natural) and the carrots
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepot and sauté(low heat)the veggies finely chopped except the tomato
4. Add salt
5. After 5 minutes add tomato sauce or the natural diced tomato and cook  the veggies 3 or 5 minutes more
6. Add lentils and potatoes(cut in half) to the veggies and cook for another 2 minutes
7. Add ham broth or cold water to cover the lentils 
8. Add spanish chorizo, salt and  bay leaves
9. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 1 hour
10. When the lentils are cooked, we can sauté garlic and half teaspoon of smoked spanish paprika in a small saucepan with olive oil over low heat and add this to the lentils
11. Cook for another 5 minutes aprox. and serve very hot
12. Enjoy!!!

CARAMELIZED ONION, BRIE AND IBERICO HAM

Iberico ham is a jewel in the spanish gastronomy, and now we know that is a nutritional food that we can enjoy without any guilty.
The nutritional facts in the iberico ham are:

• Proteins(33g protein in 100g of iberico ham)
• Vitamins, especially Vit B,Vitamin D and Vitamin E
• Minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc
• Oleic fatty acid( only the olive oil has a higher content):positive effect on cholesterol in the bloodstream(improving HDL and reducing LDL)

We can include the iberico ham in our diet, even if we are worried about our weight, 100g of iberico ham are less than 250 kcalories and it's a good alternative to red meat.

For this easy recipe we only will need 3 main ingredients: onion, brie cheese and iberico ham.

Today we will learn how to caramelized the onion without using any sugar(this is a good one!!!).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 onion
• brie cheese
• iberico ham
• bread toast
• olive oil 
• 2 tablespoon of water

PREPARATION

1. Cut the onions in julienne and heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan.Add the onions to the saucepan and cook at medium temperature, stir the onion with the oil and reduce heat, stir the onion constantly.
2. We will cook the onion for about 30 minutes at low heat.Gently the onion will turn brown, because of the sugar in the onion.
3. Now it's time to add 2 tablespoon of water to the onion and stir evenly until we get the brown color in all the onion.
4. Toast our bread in a toaster or grill in the oven with a touch of butter.
5. We will spread the brie cheese in the hot toast, then the caramelized onion and the iberico ham on the top.
6. You can finish the appetizer with a touch of balsamic glaze.
7. Enjoy!!!