Victoria Twead's Blog, page 15

Really Easy Homemade Tomato Soup

[image error] From
'Mouth-Watering Spanish Recipes' 

by Victoria Twead and Gayle Macdonald





Roast Tomato Soup
Sopa de tomates asados
~Starter~Veg~ 
Serves 4
~ 5 minutes preparation ~ 
~ 70 to 110 minutes cooking ~


Ingredients:
6 large, ripe, vine tomatoes
2 large red peppers
2 large onions
1 litre (33.8 US fl.oz) chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
1) Preheat your oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
2) Slice the tomatoes in half, de-seed the peppers and slice into 4 pieces. Peel and slice the onion in half.
3) Lightly grease a large oven proof dish with olive oil and place the vegetables on the tray in one layer: tomatoes - skin side up, peppers - skin side down.
4) Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5) Cook in the oven for about an hour to an hour and a half until the vegetables are soft. (Don't worry if they blacken slightly – it all adds to the flavour!)
6) While the vegetables are cooking, warm up the stock (fresh made is best but prepared cubes are fine).
7) Once the vegetables are done, remove from the tray and place in a food processor, scraping off any bits stuck to the tray.  Blend until you get a nice, thick sauce.
8) Place the tomato mixture into a pan and add the chicken stock.
9) Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
10) Serve with lots of fresh bread.

Two Old Fools and Firewood

[image error] I blame Joe, of course.

"This year," said Joe, "let's order all our logs in one go. It'll be cheaper and last us all winter." 

So I agreed. Stupidly.

The lorry arrived in the morning and tipped its entire cargo onto the street outside our house. Joe and I gazed at it in horror, gulped, then set to work.  Luckily, it was a Wednesday and the village was virtually empty so we didn't inconvenience our neighbours too much. But we suffered. As the sun went down, we were still stacking like robots, log after log after log, and I didn't believe we would ever clear the log mountain. The wild birds and our chickens went to bed, the street-lights flickered on and we were still stacking. 

It took nine back-breaking hours to stack those logs and clear the street, but eventually it was done. For the next few days our bones and joints screamed in protest, and we were so stiff we groaned as we shuffled around doing our daily tasks.

The aches and pains have faded now, but the memory of the log mountain in the street, waiting to be stacked, is forever etched in my brain and memorialised in the photo above. Yes, we are very warm, and have enough logs for a year, probably more. But would we ever order a whole lorry-load again? No way, Jose!

Garlic prawns with paprika

[image error] This is one of our most popular recipes, frequently highlighted by Kindle readers, so we definitely need to include it in our new Spanish Recipes book!

From
'Mouth-Watering Spanish Recipes' 

by Victoria Twead and Gayle Macdonald





Fried Garlic Prawns with Paprika
Gambas al ajillo con pimentón

~Tapas~Seafood~
Serves 4
~ 10 minutes preparation ~
~ 6 to 8 minutes cooking ~

Fried garlic prawns with sherry and paprika, a perfect tapa. This Spanish tapas recipe combines some real Spanish flavours: prawns from the Mediterranean, Fino sherry from Jerez, and smoked paprika from La Vera. Particularly delicious eaten outdoors.

Ingredients:
1 kg (2.2lbs) prawns
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Olive oil
Black pepper
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
Splash of Fino sherry

Method:
1) Thoroughly wash the prawns. Peel, leaving the tails on.
2) Heat a generous slug of olive oil in a large terracotta cazuela or pan.
3) Add garlic, paprika and sherry, and fry for 2 minutes to infuse the olive oil.
4) Add prawns, season with black pepper and fry, turning regularly for four minutes, or until cooked through.
5) Serve on a bed of salad accompanied with fresh, crusty bread.

Cookie recipe disaster

[image error] All the recipes in our Spanish Recipe book are tested by Gayle Macdonald, and she learned the hard way not to get distracted by toddlers, particularly when the Pine Nut Crunches are in the oven. This is little Nico, with the result...
Oh, and the reason why Nico is looking bald is because he found the hair-clippers and decided to use them on himself. His Mum, Gayle, had no choice but to finish the job...
The Pine Nut Crunch recipe

Mouth-Watering Spanish Recipes coming soon!

[image error] Back in 2004, I nagged poor, long-suffering Joe into relocating to a tiny, remote mountain village in Andalucía, and my passion for Spanish food began. When I was writing 'Chickens', I wanted to include a few recipes given to me by the village ladies.

However, I wanted more. What a stroke of luck it was when I found Gayle and Iain! "Of course!" they said. "Help yourself! Use any recipes you want!" So I did, and ever since I have shamelessly plundered their recipes and expertise for my books.

There isn't much that Gayle doesn't know about Spanish cuisine and she tests and tries every recipe, whether traditional or new. Iain is the photographer, and his pictures are enough to make one's mouth water. Their knowledge of Spanish cookware, cured meats and customs is breath-taking and I heartily recommend their website, OrceSerannoHams.com.

I've been asked many, many times for a collection of Spanish recipes, and here it is... I hope you enjoy them as much as Joe and I do.

Victoria

Quiet village? Huh!

[image error] Firstly, I must thank the dozens of kind people who sent me emails of congratulations when 'Two Old Fools - Olé!' appeared on Amazon a couple of weeks ago. Thank you so much, and I'm sorry I couldn't reply to you all individually. I read and enjoyed each one hugely, thank you, especially the chatty ones, and the one with the picture of Dennis the Bionic Dog. (see pic)

Why does everything always happen all at once? This month has been crazy... So what's been happening?

1) The village fiesta. This is never a quiet affair. For the whole weekend, processions marched past our front door, (see pic) fireworks exploded and the dancing in the square carried on until 6 o'clock in the morning. We're still finding rocket sticks in our garden and the chickens have gone on strike, flatly refusing to lay. Frankly, I don't blame them. I couldn't lay an egg with that noise going on.

2) 'Two Old Fools - Olé!' was released. The telephone never stops ringing and my email inbox is full to overflowing. The paperback edition will follow shortly, but the Kindle edition is already doing astonishingly well. Thank you, kind readers!

3) The Gin Twins came for their annual visit. Of course they were as badly behaved as ever, (see pics) and I dread to think how many bottles of gin they consumed between them. But we had a blast. We went exploring villages, got lost numerous times, lazed by a friend's pool, played Rude Scrabble and ate and drank far too much. My face still aches from laughing.

4) Mysterious water started trickling out of the workshop wall. Joe investigated and smashed up a bunch of floor tiles, then dug into the wall until he found the cause. A piece of copper piping had developed a hole and the water must have been trickling gaily for weeks, judging by the state of the wall. Our house walls are a metre thick and made of stones and mud, and the whole area is saturated. It'll take a few weeks to dry out but at least it's not inside the house.

5) Workmen appeared in the village. I thought they'd come to take down the fiesta lights and bunting, but no, I was wrong. Instead, they've been noisily digging random holes in the street outside our house. Our water is cut off at intervals, always when somebody is in the shower all soaped up, or when we've been digging in the garden (or workshop floor) and desperate to wash our hands.

So, I offer a piece of friendly advice. If you've been toying with the idea of moving to rural Spain for some peace and quiet, perhaps you should reconsider. Living in a remote Spanish mountain village is  not necessarily the undisturbed, tranquil lifestyle you may have imagined...


Do join me on Facebook to find out how we're coping, day to day.

Finally released, Two Old Fools - Olé! - the sequel to 'Chickens'.

Fighting over thongs

[image error] I always thought writing would be a gentle pastime. Sitting at a desk, fingers busily tapping the keyboard, ideas flowing from mind to computer in a steady creative stream. But it's not like that in our household.

Living in a tiny village in Spain is definitely inspirational. I can work undisturbed, gazing out onto the mountains between paragraphs. No sounds apart from the Fish Van arriving, or Uncle Felix's mule clattering through the streets. No distractions, right? Wrong, I'm afraid.
For example: 
"Vicky! Come and see this eagle," Joe calls, and I abandon everything and race to look. We're not expert enough to identify it, but to watch an eagle wheeling in the endless, blue sky over the mountain tops is a joy and a privilege. (Thanks for the pic, Kiersten Rowland.)
Or: 
"Vicky! Paco's just given me this huge bag of vegetables. What shall we do with them?" I turn away from the computer to admire the glossy red and green peppers. Then I search for recipes that require these delicious ingredients, my manuscript abandoned.
I sigh. Maybe I can get on with the writing in the quiet of the evening? No. When darkness falls, the guitars come out and our neighbours fill the street, laughing, shouting and hand-clapping to the strains of Flamenco. We love it, but, yet again, the manuscript is neglected.
And then there are the battles. Joe is my Editor in Chief, and every word I write is checked and scrutinised by him. 
"I don't like that chapter," he says. "It needs re-writing. And why don't you use the word 'palisaded' here?"
"Palisaded? Why should I use words that people might need to check in the dictionary?" I say, reaching for the dictionary.
"And this part isn't clear. You need to explain why the ladies' thongs are up the tree."
"I did! Read the next bit!"
So we bicker and argue, and further writing is pushed aside once more. However, miraculously, 'Two Old Fools - Olé' is nearly finished. My target is to get it out in time for Christmas, even though the village and Joe seem to be conspiring against me. 
Oh, and in case you're wondering - Joe won. The word 'palisaded' appears in chapter 22. And what did we do with all the red and green peppers? Well, some went into a vegetable and ham tortilla (Pic 3 above, recipe below). Delicious! Some went into salads, some were baked in the oven. The remainder went into the chickens.

Do join me on Facebook to find out how we're coping, day to day.

Coming soon, Two Old Fools - Olé! - the sequel to 'Chickens'.

Book News
I hope the Kindle edition of 'Two Old Fools - Olé!' is going to be ready in October, and the paperback edition will follow. The manuscript is now with the proofreader (be gentle with me, Mindy), and the cover is just awaiting some quotes to be added. Here is how it looks at the moment... 

I am a silly old fool. Sorry!

[image error] "Good!" I said to Joe. "That's August's Village Updates newsletter sent out to everybody. Now I can relax. Pour me a nice glass of something cold and alcoholic, please, I'm ready for it."

But within an hour of sending it out, my email inbox started filling up. I include a Spanish recipe every month, and I'd missed out an important stage.

"Hi Victoria, Your Sherried Chorizo recipe this month sounds yummy, and I assume you add the chorizo into the sauce. But at what stage in the process?" wrote Ann.

"I'm confused," wrote Maria.

So here it is again, with the vital stage included this time...

Spanish Recipe of the Month - Sherried Chorizo

This chorizo tapas recipe is incredibly easy and quick to make and is packed full of flavour. Use spicy chorizos for a fiery kick, accompanied with fino de Jerez sherry. The flavour combination works really well and creates great tapas for the summer.
You will need:
3 Chorizo sausages
1 Spanish onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon hot paprika
250ml fino de Jerez sherry
Parsley
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Method:
Lightly fry the onion in olive oil until it begins to brown.
Meanwhile slice the chorizo into half inch pieces, and add to the softened onions in the pan.
Fry for a further couple of minutes.
Add the garlic, paprika and sherry to the onion and chorizo and cook until the sherry is reduced.
Add a cup of warm water then simmer for 10 minutes.
When the mixture has thickened add the parsley, season with pepper and stir well.
Serve on tapas plates with fresh crusty bread and peppered vine tomatoes with olive oil.
Makes 6 tapas

If you'd like a Village Updates newsletter, which includes a Spanish recipe and automatic entry into the monthly draw, please email me or click on the Free Stuff page.

Chicken versus Cat. Who won?

[image error] Well, we made it back to our village in Spain. We've been away working in the Middle East for a whole year, so you can imagine what the garden looked like. And the house smelled damp, with disgusting furry clumps of mould decorating the walls.

We left our six elderly chickens a year ago in the capable hands of our neighbour Paco, but when we returned, only one remained. Poor Paco was most apologetic, but we knew the chickens were old. So Susio, who out-lived all her sisters, is allowed to roam freely, poor lonely soul.

The village cats remembered us immediately as though we'd never been away. I put some milk out for Gravy and her sister Sylvia, both clearly pregnant. Susio the Chicken was most interested and headed for the milk, too.

So who got the milk? Watch the video for the answer. :)

Victoria

P.S. We plan to get some more chickens next week.

Well, we HAD to have coffee here...

[image error] The final goodbyes weren't easy, but we locked up our apartment, handed the keys in and took a taxi to the airport. We only had to pass through one checkpoint near the airport and the police waved us straight through, so no delay there.

So we left the sticky heat of Bahrain and climbed aboard our plane to the UK. Two hours in Heathrow (what an awful place!) and then a plane to Madrid. The highlight of the hour in Madrid Airport was definitely ordering coffee here. Haha! What were the owners thinking? Don't they research names before they decide?

Actually, the coffee was surprisingly good...