La comida espanola!

Completely based off the Mediterranean diet, the Spaniards eat so healthy. We eat fish everyday, and a lot of vegetables (not too much fruit, which is so opposite my life at home). And bread with olive oil is a must at every meal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can bet you are having bread with olive oil. They have a different food pyramid than the US (which never really occurred to me), for example, they don't value dairy like at all. Eggs they think you should only eat twice a week, and don't even ask them what they think of peanut butter. One lady told my friend that American kids are fat because they eat peanut butter and jelly every day. But anyway, these are my favorite Spanish dishes:

Croquets: Like a fried spinach tapa.

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 750 ml whole fresh milk
• Nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the fillings (spinach and mushrooms):

• 2 white onions
• 1 cup of fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 250 gr mushrooms
• finely chopped parsley
• salt, pepper and nutmeg

For the breading:

• 3 eggs and grated bread.

1. Sift the flour.
2. Start heating the milk at medium heat for about 5 minutes, without allowing it to boil.
3. Melt the butter at low heat.
4. Add the flour and mix well until it browns a little. This is called Roux.
5. Mix well with a wooden spoon and when it is all well incorporated, start to add the milk beating constantly to prevent that lumps get formed.
6. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg
7. Keep on stirring in a non-stop motion until it thickens at low-medium heat. Let it chill

Now the fillings:

1. Chop the onions finely. We will use half for one filling and half for the other one.
2. Clean the mushrooms with a humid napkin and chop finely as well.
3. In a pan we add some olive oil, cook the onions until transparen and add the mushrooms.
4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Cook until all the liquid the mushrooms release is reabsorbed.
6. For the spinach filling, cook the onions and add the spinach and raisins.
7. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Chop finely when it chills a bit.

Finally….

1. Add half of the bechamel to the mushrooms filling and the other half to the spinach.
2. Butter and flour two pyrex and add there each filling. Cover with film paper to prevent it from drying.
3. Leave in the fridge for at least a day. This would make it easy to handle.
4. For the breading, beat well the eggs and add salt and pepper.
5. With the help of two spoons thake some of the thick bechamel and start to from the croquetas, pass through the eggs and then the grated bread. I gave each one a different form so that later one could recognize them.
6. Place them in a plate and leave them in the fridge for about 1 hour before frying.
7. Fry in plenty oil until they are nicely browned..

Paella: I prefer it Marisco style, with sea food, but it can be done with meat or chicken as well.
 I am not going to post a recipe. It's easy to google.

Empanadas:  Like a bread crust and top layer, with tomatoes, eggs, and vegetables inside. Often with tuna as well. Obviously, here, they only eat it with a homemade crust, but I found this recipe that won't take nearly as long and you get the general idea of what is in it.

package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)

1  

onion (medium)

2 T

olive oil

1⁄4 t

salt

1⁄2  

green pepper

1⁄2  

red pepper

7 oz

tomato sauce

1⁄2 lb

tuna canned (in vegetable oil)

2  

eggs (hard-boiled)

1  

egg (beaten)

- See more at: http://www.thespanishcuisine.com/recipes/Spanish-tuna-empanada#sthash.eNuNa9lI.dpuf

1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp bittersweet smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup piquillo peppers, sliced
3 onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
1 lb yeast pastry or bread dough
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs

package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)

1  

onion (medium)

2 T

olive oil

1⁄4 t

salt

1⁄2  

green pepper

1⁄2  

red pepper

7 oz

tomato sauce

1⁄2 lb

tuna canned (in vegetable oil)

2  

eggs (hard-boiled)

1  

egg (beaten)

- See more at: http://www.thespanishcuisine.com/recipes/Spanish-tuna-empanada#sthash.eNuNa9lI.dpuf

package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)

1  

onion (medium)

2 T

olive oil

1⁄4 t

salt

1⁄2  

green pepper

1⁄2  

red pepper

7 oz

tomato sauce

1⁄2 lb

tuna canned (in vegetable oil)

2  

eggs (hard-boiled)

1  

egg (beaten)

- See more at: http://www.thespanishcuisine.com/recipes/Spanish-tuna-empanada#sthash.eNuNa9lI.dpuf

They also have amazing desserts. Canas are my favorite, its like a crossaint with chocolate cream inside it.  Desserts is a-whole-nother entry.