Salmorejo Recipe

I had very low expectations of this dish when I tasted it during our first night in Seville. But I feel fairly strongly about trying things at least once before I dismiss them. So glad that I did! We tried Salmorejo at a few different spots so I feel that I have a good handle on the flavor profile and the variations in flavor. I read about 10 recipes before I came across this one. I followed the recipe mostly verbatim, but changed a few things here and there to suit my taste.

Not sure how often I will eat this, because, spoiler alert it has a whole baguette in it lol. I suppose when I’m feeling a bit nostalgic I will whip up a batch.

What you'll need

• 8 Medium Tomatoes: I used heirloom
• 1 Medium Baguette: they did not have plain so I had a parmesan baguette
• 1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic: I used 1 small raw clove, but I think roasted garlic would taste pretty amazing in this dish
• A splash of sherry vinegar: add a half a plash first, and then add more. This dish can get too vinegary. I like a little less than normal
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs: you only need two if you plan on garnishing it the traditional way. I didn’t so I only needed one.
• Sliced Serrano Ham (or Prosciutto): I used prosciutto because that’s what I had in my house at the time.

Put a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Cut a small cross in the bottom of each tomato. When the water is boiling add the tomatoes for 30-60 seconds. Remove immediately and place in a cold water bath (a bowl filled with ice and cold water). The skin will peel right off of the tomatoes.

Cut out the cores of the tomatoes and add all the rest to your blender. Blend at high-speed for about 30 seconds until the tomatoes are broken down.



Take all of the "guts" out of your baguette and add them to the blended tomatoes. The baguette should have given about 2-3 cups of guts and you can experiment with how much you add, as this is how you change the texture. I use about 2 cups of the bread guts. Let the bread soak in the tomato juice for about 5 minutes.

Add the splash of vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic and blend until the soup is an even texture and the bread is completely broken down.

Slowly add the olive oil as you are blending at a moderate speed. If it doesn't have the hole, stop and go adding little by little.

Add 1 hard-boiled egg and blend until incorporated. Taste and adjust levels of salt, pepper, vinegar, garlic, and bread.

I like this soup served room temp, not cold, but traditionally it is served chilled. In Spain it was garnished with diced ham and a sliced hard-boiled egg. I wasn’t that into it so I switched it to raw zucchini noodles and a small piece of prosciutto. The contrast in texture was really nice and fresh!

I love making a meal out of a variety of small bites, because I’m greedy and it gives me the opportunity to taste everything I want. :) Now tell me what is your favorite tapa?

Make it Quick: Ethiopian Inspired Dinner Party in One Hour

 

Of course the day I plan on having a dinner party the metro is single tracking or some shit. Blah.

When I finally get home from work I had roughly an hour to pull things together. Luckily I prepared the day before. I cleaned everything, so all I had to worry about was getting the food together.

bbelle #sls stylish life simplified tip!
Prep everything you possible can ahead of time. Cleaning, food prep/shopping should all be done in advance so that you don’t stress yourself out.

Table Setting
I picked several low profile (not tall) plants that I had around my house and a candle for ambiance and aroma. I always prefer using fabric to a tablecloth, it cuts down on waste, looks much more unique and adds texture. Black and white fabric is a great pallet starter and it goes with everything.

bbelle #sls stylish life simplified tip!

Use plants instead of flowers as a centerpiece. It’s a great alternative in a time crunch, is an unexpected touch, and great way to add texture.

Wine/Champagne

Luckily I did not have to think about booze this time! My good friend Ian picked brought the goods.

We started off with a rose champagne, the fruit forwardness of rose lends itself very well with spicy food. Next, we moved on to the Riesling. It is a terrific food wine, especially a dry version plays well with a whole array of foods, but best with spicier food.

Chicken

I butterflied it so that it would cook much faster. Seasoned with sea salt, pepper, Zhoug and a dusting of Berbere on both sides. Then laid the chicken on a bed of lemon and onion slices. I used two slices of my herb butter for flavor and moisture, because the chicken was pretty lean. I covered and baked until the chicken reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit, basting every 10 minutes or so. After it was cooked through I broiled it on low to get the skin nice and crispy. Let it rest and then serve.

Red Lentils
Berbere spice is my jam. Ever since I ate at this Ethiopian spot in Atlanta I’ve been obsessed. For the red lentils, I used this recipe and added zest of half a lemon. Turned out so yummy. I will say this; they are VERY easy to overcook! Babysit them, err on the side of caution. I added extra garlic, fresh tomatoes, and zest of one lemon to this recipe. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Spinach
Nothing fancy here. Since I knew I’d be pressed for time I figured sautéed spinach would be easiest. I cooked it once everything was finished with salt, pepper and a clove of minced garlic. I would have loved the make collards.

Dessert

If you have no time to bake or prepare anything, this is perfect. A scoop of mascarpone, two scoops of mango sorbet, minced basil and cilantro, and a pinch of cayenne. So. Fucking. Good. And super simple.

Cast Iron Cornbread | WHAT TO MAKE FOR THANKSGIVING

I’m not big on bread, but for thanksgiving you have to have cornbread. My family has two types of cornbread. This version and then a pan fried cornbread which is just water and cornmeal fried using olive oil. Sounds simple but it is so delicious with greens. My nephew who tends to be a picky eater always requests that my mother make several corn cakes for him during thanksgiving. 

We also have traditional cornbread, which I love making in a cast iron skillet. It just taste so much better when it’s baked in a cast iron skillet. The crust around the outside comes out perfect and I prefer a pie slice rather than a square slice or muffin. That is oddly specific I know, don’t judge me lol. Anywho, you can bake it in whatever you want it will come out great either way.

Tip: Save your butter milk by portioning out what you're not using by freezing ziplock bag. 

What you’ll need

• 1/2 cup butter 
• 2/3 cup white sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup cornmeal 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease your pan. Use olive oil or butter. If you are using a cast iron skillet pop the greased pan in the oven to warm once the oven is hot until you are ready to pour in the batter for baking.

Melt the butter in a pot on low/medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Make sure mixture not too hot! You don't want the eggs to cook. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in the pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and no lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool a bit before serving.

If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu 

• Turkey Roulade
• Cast Iron Cornbread 
• Holiday Spiced Sangria 
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes | WHAT TO MAKE FOR THANKSGIVING

If you've been following me for a millisecond you know I love fresh herbs. This dish is a small twist on traditional mashed potatoes perfect for thanksgiving. This recipe was a happy accident, sage happened to be the only herb that I had on hand while I was making this dish one evening. The sage complimented the sweet potatoes so well, I loved it so much that I have been making it with sage ever since.  

What you'll need

• About 1 lb of potatoes
• 3 Sprigs of fresh sage, 1-2 sprigs of thyme
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• Heavy cream as needed

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Add to a pot and fill with water just until the potatoes are just covered.

Add three cloves of garlic, 2-3 sprigs of sage and 1-2 sprigs of thyme or rosemary. Cook until tender.

Strain water and remove herbs. Add the butter and begin to mash with a spoon.

Once butter is incorporated, whip until smooth adding heavy cream when necessary.

If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu

• Turkey Roulade
• Cast Iron Cornbread
• Holiday Spiced Sangria
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Holiday Spiced Sangria | What to make for Thanksgiving

I make about three batches of this sangria over the holiday season.  It is always a hit and couldn’t be easier to make. The best thing about this sangria is having leftovers. The more it sits the spicier it gets! When I have time I like to make the spiced apple cider a day or so in advance so that it really infuses with all the flavors.  I usually stack the carafe with slices of orange and apple, which not only look great, but I love eating them after the sangria is finished.

What you’ll need

Spiced Apple Cider

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/3-cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves or 3-4 whole cloves
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• zest of 1 orange

Sangria

• 1 bottle inexpensive Spanish red wine
• 2 cups spiced apple cider
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2+ cup brandy

Bring all the spiced cider ingredients up to simmer. I leave it on the heat for about 5-10 minutes then take it off the heat and let it cool completely.

If you don’t want to sangria to continue to get spicier, strain out all the ingredients. I usually leave them in because I love the flavor.

Mixed the cider, oj, and 1 bottle of Spanish red wine into a carafe/pitcher.  Add in a healthy ½ cup of brandy.

Serve over ice and garnish with an apple slice.

If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu

• Turkey Roulade
• Cast Iron Cornbread
• Holiday Spiced Sangria 
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Slightly modified from this recipe.

5 Simple Steps For Hosting Your First Thanksgiving

 (source)

So it’s your first time hosting Thanksgiving at your place. Maybe it’s just friends, your significant other or even your family coming to town, either way, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Check out these five simple steps to killin’ it this turkey day.

1. Plan ahead

Write everything down, I mean everything! Make a detailed list of the ingredients you will need and then do some digging to see what you may already have at home. Don’t forget about cookware, do you have the right pots and pans? What about serving dishes, folks and knives? Also don’t forget about the aftermath, do you have foil and plastic wrap?

2. Don’t try to do everything yourself

Thanksgiving is all about the potluck! Let people know what you are making and ask them to fill in any gaps. What you should do is, make the staples. Shoot for the main meat dish (turkey, lamb, etc.), stuffing, and one or two big sides, think macaroni and cheese or green beans. Along with place settings, cleaning your place and other prep, you’ll have your hands full.


3. Ask an expert

If there was ever a time to go to specialty and artisan shops and get those fancy things you’ve always had your eye on, this is it! You’re having company, treat them to all of your favorite things and really enhance your meal and leave a lasting impression. Get the right cut of meat, better quality cheese and an excellent wine that will enhance a simple dish.


4. Skip dessert

Buy dessert. Baking is a whole other beast to tame. Find a great bakery or a baking inclined guest and have them take the lead on dessert, a pie or two should do the trick.


5. Leftovers

Go the extra mile to impress your guests and buy extra Tupperware for them to take leftovers home. No one wants collard greens juice all over their car seat, so stop by the dollar store and pick up extra Tupperware its cheap, easy and makes you look pretty brilliant.

Happy hosting! 

If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu

• Turkey Roulade
• Cast Iron Cornbread
• Holiday Spiced Sangria 
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese | What to make for Thanksgiving

You can’t have Thanksgiving without mac & cheese. I’ve been told this mac & cheese is bougie, but I don’t care ‘cause, well...smoked cheese. In my humble bougie opinion all mac & cheese should include a selection of cheese. One kind of cheese is not enough! In this recipe I used a mixture of smoked gouda, smoked cheddar, and sharp cheddar cheese.

What you’ll need

• 1 box elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 8oz smoked gouda cheese, grated
• 8oz smoked cheddar cheese, grated
• 8oz extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cook macaroni, in boiling salted water until tender. Strain and return to the pot.

In another pot, melt the butter over medium/low heat and add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until onions become translucent. Stir frequently, you don’t want the onions to brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes. Add milk in a steady stream. Stir constantly, until thick and smooth.

Remove your pot from the heat and stir in the cheese. Save a handful of the cheddar to put on top at the end.

Add macaroni and cheese into a bowl, stir until it is well combined. At this point I like to taste to see if it needs any salt. I like to add pepper as well.

Pour everything into a baking dish and add a the cheddar cheese that you saved on top.

Bake until golden brown.

If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu

• Turkey Roulade
• Cast Iron Cornbread
• Holiday Spiced Sangria 
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes

What to make for Thanksgiving | Turkey Roulade Recipe

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! Over the next two weeks I will share some of my favorite thanksgiving/holiday recipes.

Now my family usually has several kinds of meat, so the roulade is great option if your family is not big on turkey or you have several meat options.

What You’ll Need

• Boneless turkey breast
• Cooking twine
• Olive oil
• Fresh herbs: thyme
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper

 Compound Butter

• Room temperature stick of butter
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Fresh herbs (I used sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley and oregano)
• Salt, Pepper

Compound butter is one of man’s greatest inventions. This particular butter is magically delicious on chicken and salmon as well.

To make your compound butter, finely chop the herbs or use a food processor to chop. Add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until everything is combined. The butter should be room temp for easy mixing. The butter will be enough for about 5lbs of turkey.

Place the turkey breast skin side down and spread the compound butter all over the inside.

When you are done spreading, begin to roll the breast lengthwise until you reach the end.

Tie the roulade with cooking twine in 1-2 inch intervals, spread a small amount of olive oil on the skin and sprinkle some of the chopped herbs over it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in the oven until the meat reaches 165F and the skin is golden brown.

Be sure to baste! I always baste like crazy, because turkey tends to be on the dry side.

And that’s it! If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu

• Holiday Spiced Sangria
• Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese
• Cast Iron Cornbread
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes