Spanish Potatoes.....the Cassie way.

Hi there!

There seems to be SO many different recipes out there for Patatas Bravas (rough translation is Rough Potatoes) - the classic Spanish Tapa, simply made by deep frying some Potatoes & making a lovely yummy tomato sauce to toss them into at the end.

I have made this recipe so many times, that there aren't any real measurements - I usually just go by feel, depending on how many people I need to feed. In my opinion Tapas should be good, basic food - none of this fancy hoo haa that everyone seems to be doing these days. Most restaurants seem to think they can make one of their main meals, shrink it down, put it on a small dish and call it a Tapa - which is plain wrong. Here's my recipe for Patatas Bravas - I hope that you enjoy eating these as much as me and my friends do - they really are so good and go down unbelievably well with a cold beer on a hot day (or red wine in the Winter!)

Potatoes. Maybe allow for 1 and a half big potatoes per person

Sea Salt

A good whole egg mayonnaise (like Hellmans)

Tomato Ketchup (for me it must be Heinz organic)

Fresh Thyme - removed from stems & chopped finely

A good spanish pimenton (Paprika. Not the sweet Hungarian kind, the Spanish kind)

Minced Onion (around a tablespoon full)

Minced Garlic (around a 2 cloves crushed)

Tabasco Sauce

Olive Oil for frying

Fresh Parsley

Step 1 - Making the sauce

• In a small frying pan, heat a small glug of oil and gently fry (but not burn) the onion & garlic until soft.
• Turn off the heat and add the paprika - around 2 tablespoons worth, a few good slurps of Tabasco (around 1/2 teaspoon I guess), and the Thyme. Stir well to combine - it should now have a bit of a paste consistency
• Transfer to a bowl & add the Ketchup (around a half cup) and the Mayonnaise (a half cup again)
• Stir everything to combine & taste. If you think it needs it, add salt, pepper & more tabasco.
• Set aside & make a start on the potatoes.

Step 2

• Peel, and roughly chop your potatoes in to small bite size pieces (not too neat though- remember, they're meant to be rough!).
• In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan or cast iron dish heat around 2 cups of olive oil until ready to fry in - there just needs to be enough oil to submerge your potatoes in.
• Cook the potatoes in batches, taking care not to spatter yourself with hot oil - ouch!.
• Drain the potatoes on kitchen towel & sprinkle with sea salt....now this is the REALLY important part so take notice.....
• Immediately toss the hot potatoes in a few good tablespoons of the brava sauce and serve to your guests straight away, remembering to give everyone toothpicks and napkins.
• Keep frying batches of potatoes until you've used them all up.

If you have any sauce leftover, never fear! it's really nice with Spanish Meatballs (Albondiga) or really, any other kind of meat - it's a seriously yummy sauce in itself.

I love Spanish food, so in the coming weeks I'll be posting some of my favourite recipes, including Albondigas and Mushrooms cooked in sherry (I might even try to get Steve's Tortilla Recipe up.....which is another real crowd pleaser).

Anyhow - I hope that you try this recipe. It's not overly healthy, but I tell you - it is a real crowd pleaser that will have everyone coming back for more time and time again. If you do, I'd love your feedback!

Hasta Luego!

Cass

xxx

traditional mexican dress

OK - this is my next challenge! I am determined to make this dress for my friends' Mexican Fiesta Style wedding in January, but think I may need some help with the embroidery part of it....it's just so pretty & I really want to honour their big day by making an effort....

http://www.themexicandress.com/complete-dress-pattern-details.shtml

cross your fingers for me because I think I'll need the luck!

xx

New Changes

Well....it's been a while since my last post, so I thought it was about time for me to put up a newie....(not that I think many people read this!) I've got a few (almost) mid year resolutions that I want to put into place. Some of these are:

- explore Melbourne more. Go to different suburbs for dinner

- go to more movies - especially arthouse (Micmacs is the latest one on my list)

- drink less alcohol. I am under no illusions that this will be the hardest one to crack!

- save more, so I can go on more holidays

- stop going home and blobbing on the couch infront of the TV every night after work

My keen-ness for sewing and crafty bibberty bobs has been renewed by these guys - I love both their sites & have decided that this long weekend I may go fabric shopping to try and make some cushion covers:

http://www.sweatshopparis.com/

http://www.threadden.com.au/

Moving on, we recently returned from the best holiday I've had in a loooooong time...we spent 10 wonderful days in Malaysia - a truly beautiful country. The food. The People. The Culture. I loved it all. Here is a link to our pictures from our trip:

http://bit.ly/malaysia2010

I would highly recommend anyone go stay at Temple Tree resort, on Langkawi. The setting (not on the beach - which suits me fine), the staff and the food/drinks were out of this world and the accommodation was just brilliant. Next time I want to go to Penang for 4 nights, down to Langkawi for 5 nights and then to KL for 2 nights for shopping. I'm hoping to do this sooner rather than later, as I just cannot wait to get back!

Link to Temple Tree resort: www.templetreeresort.com.my

Anyhow - that's all from me for now...so until next time, adios!

xxx

my (mostly dreaming) wish list

I have just spotted these gorgeous Stella McCartney "day of the week" knickers and I felt the need to share them with you all.  These things are SO cute that I simply must own them - I'm adding them to my latest wish list & am definitely going to get some in the near future - they're too cute not to!

Another thing that is on my wish list, but far far less obtainable, is a pink Kitchen Aid mixer.  If I had one of these I might do more cooking & baking...hint hint ;)  I'm sure it would enrich my life enormously....just like that Chanel 2.55 bag that I've always wanted...before my thirtieth birthday...I think that'll have to wait until my fortieth instead!

Ah well, one can dream. In the meantime I will have to be content with the "day of the week" knickers....

New Favourite Store/s

Had a mega busy weekend hanging out with family from Thursday last week & on Saturday afternoon went to my new favourite store, Scarlet Jones, in Auburn Rd, Hawthorn.

http://scarlet-jones.blogspot.com/

Everything in this store is so cute! Steve and I bought some Laguiole pâté knives to go with our cutley set.....they were really cute and a bit of a bargain at $18 each. We got a red and a bone coloured one. I also spotted a lot of gift ideas in there for my friends and family. I could easily have spent a fair whack of cash in there, had I not spent it on 2 pairs of shoes the day previously....ah well! not to mention, I think Steve had had enough, he was afterall, waiting outside in the rain for me to finish up.

I'll definitely be heading back there at some stage in the near future....until next time Scarlet Jones.....frankly my dear....I DO give a damn!

Keeping the Faith!

So, I am off to Faith No More tonight at Festival (AKA: Festering) Hall with a bunch of friends, my sister & her hubby......by all accounts their show in Sydney rocked, as did the show last night at FH.  I hope I'm not let down by Mr Patton and crew - will be interesting to see how he sings Chuck's songs (which are my personal faves). 

Cannot wait!

First Post....

OK, so I've been seeing these blogs around for such a long time that I thought I'd join in the fun....There are heaps that I come across that really inspire me, so I'm hoping to kind of give something back and maybe one day someone will be inspired by my blog....(am thinking this will be a fair while in the distance, but you've gotta start somewhere!)  I'm going to be posting up thoughts, bits and pieces, recipes etc....I love cooking & have heaps of recipes I'd like to share.....so here goes my first one:

Mexican Street Salad 

(originally inspired by that mockney that everyone loves to hate, Jamie Oliver)

This is a mega bright & beautiful salad that is simply delicious!  It looks so pretty in the bowl, or on a nice big serving plate and is loaded with coriander, chili, lime juice & radishes....YUMMY!

Serves 2 - 3 (for more, just double, triple the ingredients etc)

1/2 Small Red Cabbage

1/2 Small White Cabbage

1 big bunch of Coriander

1 Carrot - peeled and finely sliced

2 Green Chillies

1/2 Red Spanish Onion

5 - 7 Small Radishes

2 Limes

1 big pinch of sea salt (Maldon if possible)

a few glugs of good olive oil

Finely shred the red & white cabbage, and separate into 2 bowls. Put the white cabbage into a large bowl and add the finely sliced radishes, carrots and most of the coriander & chilli (leave a bit of both for later) make sure the radishes and carrots are pretty much the same thickness and size.

Mix everything together and get the flavour happening by adding in a few good glugs of olive oil, most of the juice from the 2 limes and a good pinch of salt - don't be scared of the salt, the radishes can really take it.  Give everything a good toss and taste for seasoning.   Just add extra lime, salt & chilli until you reach your desired flavour.

Once you're OK with the seasoning & just before serving, stir in your red cabbage & serve (and watch it walk off the table!) 

This is such a yummy summer salad, but I could eat it all year round.  We had this on the weekend at a friends house - where I had three helpings! - and then again last night with some Cajun grilled flathead and some flat-breads.  A super quick and easy dinner and pretty easy on the hip pocket too.  Let me know if you dare to give this a go - I know a lot of people might not like radishes, but it really is one of the best salad's I've ever eaten!