Dinner Party Ideas: Speedy Tapas

Sometimes choosing just one main meal from a menu of irresistible dishes can be quite torturous, which is why I am a fan of Tapas - a feast made up of a number of smaller dishes, which explore a range of flavours and textures that Spain has to offer.

As well as being the ideal feast to enjoy at a restaurant when having a catch up with friends, tapas can also be the perfect dinner party solution when entertaining at home!

 

***

 

When made together, the following dishes will allow you to serve up a tapas feast within 90 minutes. To ensure that there is enough to go round, I choose to serve the dishes in bigger portions. You could, however, make a wider range of smaller dishes for a more realistic Spanish meal experience (although this is likely to extend the time required for preparation and cooking). You could also modify the ingredients I have listed to create dishes that better suit the preferences of you and your guests.

 

***

 

Ingredients: (serves 6)

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

• 1 aubergine
• 1-2 onions, peeled
• 2 peppers (different colours), de-seeded
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled
• 1-2 Courgettes
• 1-2 tablespoons oil

 

Patatas Bravas

• 4 large potatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• 1 red onion
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cartons chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 50g grated cheese

Paella

• 300g risotto / paella rice
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion
• 1 pepper
• 2 chicken breasts
• 200g chorizo sausage
• 150g king prawns
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 litres stock cube (2 stock cubes – I use vegetable)
• Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, sliced into 8 pieces

***

Method

Although I have written separate methods for each of the dishes, so that you can make them on their own if desired, you will need to multi-task to make the feast within 90 minutes. For example, prepare ALL of the vegetables first, have the potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables roasting at the same time, and make the tomato sauce for the patatas bravas as the paella cooks.

For the Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables:

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Chop the vegetables into chunky pieces, ensuring that they are evenly-sized.

3. Place the vegetables on the baking tray and coat in the oil. Add seasoning, if desired.

4. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, shuffling the pieces every now and then to ensure that they cook evenly. Before removing from the oven, test that the chunks of sweet potato have softened.

5. Remove the vegetables from the oven and serve in a dish.

***

For the Patatas Bravas:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Peel and dice the potatoes, into even-sized pieces (1cm³). Place them on a baking tray and coat in 1-2 tablespoons oil.

3. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and softened. Make sure that you shuffle the pieces every now and then to ensure that they cook evenly.

4. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

6. Add the chopped tomatoes and chilli powder to the saucepan and allow to simmer and cook down for 20 minutes until a thicker sauce is made.

7 When cooked, remove the potatoes from the oven and place them in a serving dish. Pour over the tomato sauce and mix it through carefully to ensure that all of the chunks are coated.

8. Finish the dish with grated cheese, and serve.

***

For the Paella:

1. Finely chop the onion, and finely dice the pepper.

2. Chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks on a separate chopping board using a separate knife.

3. In a large frying pan, fry the chicken in the oil until sealed and white. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir through.

4. Gradually add the stock, stirring so that the rice cooks evenly and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

5. When half of the stock has been added, add the chorizo so that its flavours can be incorporated into the dish, then add the paprika and turmeric.

6. When all of the stock has been absorbed, test the consistency of the rice. If the rice is not quite cooked, add a little extra water, and test again when it has been absorbed.

7. At the last stage of cooking, add the prawns and cook the paella for a further five minutes. Keep stirring so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan (add a splash of extra water if necessary).

8. Serve the paella in a large dish. Arrange the lemon and sprinkle with the chopped parsley to finish.

***

 

For extra nibbles to enjoy, serve these dishes with some warm crusty bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and juicy olives.

 

Enjoy your evening of feasting, don't forget the home-made sangria, and please let me know if you add any other dishes to the line-up!

 

Adios!

Quick Review: Ha Ha Veggie Bar, Camden Lock



 

Ha Ha Veggie Bar Opening Times

 

Monday to Thursday, 9:30 to 17:30

Friday, 10:30 to 17:00

Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 to 17:30

 

 ***

 

On Saturday 6^th October I paid my first visit to Camden Lock - a cultured and interesting place, full of lots of different types of people, and fantastic stalls and stores.

 

In amongst the clothes, gifts, and general bits and bobs, were a host of street food stalls that immediately appealed to all senses with their offering of traditional dishes and flavours from around the world.

 

As one of the friends I was with is a vegetarian, she was naturally drawn to the Ha Ha Veggie Bar, and with a relatively varied and reasonably priced menu on offer, I decided to test it out too.

 

Run by a very charismatic, energetic and friendly gentleman, the stall offers freshly made vegetarian whole foods, including homemade vegan veggie burgers, available with a host of different toppings, vegetarian hot dogs, jacket potatoes, and falafel.

 

From the options, my friend chose the veggie burger with haloumi, while I opted for a pitta filled with falafel, salad and houmous. Both items were really delicious and full of flavour, proving that vegetarian food is anything but boring!! They were also satisfyingly filling for our hungry tums, giving us the lunchtime pick-me-up we needed to continue exploring.

 

Quick Assessment

 

Plus Points:

If you are in the Camden area I would definitely recommend seeing what Ha Ha Veggie Bar has to offer, as the owner's personality, and the way in which he interacts with Lock locals, makes the wait for your order as enjoyable as the consumption experience itself.

 

Negatives:

Although the burgers are homemade, I saw my falafel, as delicious as it was, come out of a packet. This did disappoint me slightly, and I would have been even more impressed if I had enjoyed a home-made experience like my friend!

 

***

 

I will be returning to Camden again soon, so if there are any other must-try food stalls, I would love to hear about them!

 

 

Product Review: Boursin Cheese

As someone that loves cheese, I was very excited to receive a special package from the lovely people at Boursin a couple of weeks ago. Being new to their products, I was intrigued to see what they tasted like, and was keen to explore how they could be used in different dishes.

With a creamy texture and delicious garlic flavour, I found that the cheese can easily be used to enhance the taste of a number of dishes. So why not test out the recipes below and see how Boursin can work for you?!

***
 

Savoury Scones

Perfect for a savoury afternoon tea, picnic feast, or lunchtime treat, savoury scones can easily be tailored to suit your taste preferences. The recipe below uses Boursin cheese and red onion, however you could add other ingredients for extra texture and flavour, or appreciate the taste of Boursin on its own.


Ingredients (makes 6-12, depending on cutter size)

• 250g self-raising flour
• 50g butter or margarine
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 60g Boursin Minis (half a tub), cut into smaller chunks

 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, and place a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray.

2. In a bowl, rub the butter / margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add the onion and Boursin cheese, and mix through.

4. In a small jug or cup, beat the milk and egg together with a fork. Add this to the breadcrumb mixture and mix in using a knife until a dough is formed.



Boursin and Red Onion Scones

5. Turn the scone dough onto a lightly flour work surface, and gently flatten it using the palms of your hands until the mixture is 1 inch thick.

6. Cut out the scones using a cutter and space them out on the lined baking tray.

7. Place the scones in the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes.

8. When risen and golden brown, remove the scones from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

 

 

For sweet scones, along with hints and tips, click here.

 

 

***

 

Risotto

Risotto is a very versatile dish, and the following recipe uses a limited number of ingredients so that the flavour from the cheese can be fully appreciated.
 

Sundried Tomato & Basil Boursin Risotto

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 150g Arborio risotto rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 litre vegetable stock 
• 1-2 tablespoons Sundried Tomato & Basil Boursin
• Tomatoes

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

2. Place the tomatoes on a lightly greased baking tray and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

3. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for two minutes. Add the rice and mix with the onion to coat the grains in oil.

4. Gradually add the stock, stirring so that the rice cooks evenly and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

5. When all of the stock has been absorbed, test the consistency of the rice. If the rice is not quite cooked, add a little extra water, and test again when it has been absorbed.

6. When the rice is cooked, add the Boursin cheese and mix through until a creamy appearance is achieved.

7. Plate up the risotto, and finish off with the tomatoes.

For more risotto recipes, click here.

 ***

Enchiladas

 

Enchiladas are a favourite of mine, and although the following recipe is suitable for vegetarians, you could easily add some meat to bulk up the dish.

The Boursin used here adds a subtle garlic flavour and creaminess throughout the filling, which is really scrummy.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

• 1 carton chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 courgette, cut into small, even-sized cubes
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small, even-sized cubes
• 1 pepper, chopped into small, even-sized cubes
• 50g rice
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• Pinch of salt
• Black Pepper
• ½-1 tablespoon Light Garlic & Herbs Boursin
• 2 tortilla wraps
• 40g cheese, grated

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and put the rice on to cook.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for 2 minutes until softened.

3. Spoon some of the onions into another pan and add the chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer and cook down into a thicker sauce. Season to taste.

5. Add the rest of the vegetables to the onions and cook for two minutes before adding 3 tablespoons of the chopped tomatoes mixture, 2 tablespoons of water, and the chilli powder. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the vegetables cook and soften.

6. Add the Boursin cheese to the vegetable mixture, then drain the cooked rice and stir this in as well. Remove the pan from the heat.

7. Spoon 2-3 heaped tablespoons of the vegetable mixture into the middle of each wrap. Fold opposite ends in and then roll the tortilla up neatly.

8. Place the wraps into an ovenproof dish and evenly spread the tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese, and place in the oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the visible parts of the wraps are a light golden brown.

 

***

 

Fishcakes

Some people may be deterred from making fishcakes, assuming that they are too complicated and messy. When you taste them freshly made however, the effort will be worth while, and I am sure that you will want to make them again and again.

I developed the following recipe when I was studying for my A level in Food Technology, and I hope that once you have tried the end result, you will be inspired to modify the list of ingredients to create your own unique fishcakes.

Ingredients (makes 4)

• 170g Cod, skinned and boned
• 170g Smoked Cod, skinned and boned
• 340g potatoes
• 10g parsley
• 1 egg
• 115g bread
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 115g Garlic & Herbs Boursin

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Peel, chop and boil the potatoes until soft. Once cooked, drain and mash to remove all lumps.

3. Beat the egg in a bowl/dish. Blitz bread in a food processor to form breadcrumbs, and place in another bowl/dish.

4. Finely chop the parsley, and chop the fish into small cubes.

5. In a bowl, mix the fish, potato and parsley together until fully combined.

6. Divide the mixture into 8-12 portions, depending on how big you want your fishcakes to be.

7. Dust a work surface and your hands with flour. Shape each portion into round balls, and then flatten them so that they are all evenly sized, but not too thin!

Smoked Cod and Boursin Fishcake

8. Spoon Boursin cheese onto the centre of half of the portions, and then place the other halves on top. Shape the fishcakes so that they are rounded, and ensure the two halves are sandwiched together.

9. Coat the fishcakes in the egg, and then the breadcrumbs until all are fully coated.

10. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and gently fry the fishcakes until golden brown on both sides (this will take 5-10 minutes). Then, place the fishcakes on a baking tray, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until crisp and golden brown all over.

You could substitute the cod in this recipe for haddock. You could also use 340g of smoked or 340g of unsmoked cod, instead of splitting the quantity 50/50.

 ***
 

So what are you waiting for? It's time to start cooking! And, when you do, please feel free to share any photos via Facebook or Twitter so that I can see your cheesy creations.

 

***

 

You can find Boursin products in leading supermarket retailers, but for more information about the brand, visit their website. You can also follow them on Twitter @BoursinCheese.