Happy Holiday!!!! and some ideas for Christmas dishes.

♫ I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ♪...





Wishing you a happy happy Holiday ☺. 

Thank you anonymous readers, thank you foodie bloggers, thank you sponsors, thank you foodie blogger friends...

I wish you the best for these Xmas days and for the New Year 2010! Bon Nadal! ¡Feliz Navidad!
Find hereunder some good ideas for your Xmas Cooking.

Duck a la Orange with Spices... Mmmmmm, delicious!

Prawns Carpaccio... Mmmmm, superb!

Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Cod brandade...   Mmmm, can I have another one?

Sole Meuniere style... Mmmm, let's get glamurous and a bit French here!

Crema Catalana... Mmmmm, the perfect dessert for these days :D

Black Spaguetti dressed in Xmas colours... Mmmmm, a different, yet delicious dish!

Omelet's pinchos... Mmmmm, find dozens of egg inspired recipes.

Bouillabaisse... Mmmm, without doubt, one of the best seafood/fish soups!

Mushroom and Spinach Canneloni... Mmmm, would 10 be enough for you? ;D

Chipirones en su tinta (little tinny squids)... Mmmmm, a delicatessen!

Steak Tartare... Mmmmm, do you like it raw? ;D

Stuffed Artichokes... Mmmm, sooooo good!

Tocinillos de cielo... Mmmmm, Xmas days are the best for these delicious sweet.

Stuffed Squids in a black inked sea... Mmmmm, it takes some time but it's so worth!

Pork Loin in salt and herbs... Mmmmm, easy, cheap and quick :D

Tapas... Mmmmm, is it all said about them, or not?

♥MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL♥

Pato a la Naranja Especiado - Spiced Orange Duck - Ànec a la Taronja amb Espècies

... with spices and honey!!! Isn't it a Christmas dish? Hou, hou, hou... you better cook it after lunch or after dinner because the aroma that will fill your kitchen will drive you crazy otherwise!

To be honest, I must cook about 3 or 4 ducks a year and one is during Christmas for sure! This one was a young female and we bought it in an open air farm. The owner persuaded us to pick this young Muscovy Duck and asked us for some feed back.

The result couldn't be better! It was exquisite, tender and superflavoured. If you like spiced meals and don't want complicated recipes for Xmas, then try this Duck... you won't regret it :D.

Orange Duck with Spices and Honey


Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 young duck cut in small pieces, 3 oranges, 1 glass of brandy, 2 medium onions, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 star anise, 1 table spoon of honey, olive oil, salt and black ground pepper.

• Heat some olive oil in a big casserole and golden up the duck (previously cleaned, salted and peppered). When the skin becomes toasted, reserve.
• Squeeze one orange and keep the juice. Cut the rest in slices and reserve. Chop the onions and reserve.
• Use the same casserole to cook the onion and the spices for 8 minutes aprox. Place the duck back into the casserole, pour the brandy on it, stir and let the alcohol evaporate.
• Pour the orange juice and the honey in the casserole. Stir and let simmer with the lid on for 1 hour and a half or until the duck becomes tender. 15 minutes before, add the orange slices and cover the casserole again.
• This is the kind of dish that improves when making it in advance. So if you cook it at midday, it will be wonderful at night. 

I still have to decorate my house for Christmas... I'm being so late this year. I'm dressing like Santa and shopping the gifts for the new bunch of kids in the family... I need a new table and chairs; the family is growing... Ikea... here I come! Time flies and the 24th, 25th and 26th are right by the corner!

Be good and be happy!

Pasta in Black and Pasta in White. Black Linguini versus White Spaguetti.

Last week, after lunch and while watching TV, we bumped into the wonderful film: Gone with the Wind. I cannot help it, I must watch it... no matter how many times I cried with it... I have to cry and cry again and wonder how life and people has changed from those days to nowadays.

That famous sentence rumbles in my brain: "A Dios pongo por testigo que nunca más volveré a pasar hambre", when Scarlett is at Tara's garden and claims to God that she will never be hungry again. As far as I know, many of my ancestors suffered from hunger... I cannot imagine how horrible that could be. Me and my family have been lucky enough to have plenty of food and comfort in life. I feel really grateful and wish everybody could have 3 meals a day.

So, this is my Christmas wish: No more hunger in the world! Do you want to put your little sand grain too? Then, make a dream come true. Get your own BloggerAid CookBook, enjoy the recipes and give kids a hand ♥. Just a click away from you.

If you want to save some money to order the book, here you have 2 cheap, healthy and easy recipes to help you! Black Linguini with artichokes and  green garlic and White Spaguetti with mussels and red pepper.

I'm sending over both recipes to Kevin from Closet Cooking, who is hosting Presto Pasta Nights this week. Don't forget to send your recipes and take a look at the round up... there's always wonderful new ideas! PPN is Ruth Daniels' famous and "old" event... this will be the 142 serving!!!

Black Linguini with Artichokes and green Garlic.
Ingredients for 4 servings: 400 grs of Black Linguini, 4 Artichokes, 6 green garlics, 2 small dried red chillies, olive oil and salt.

• Pour some olive oil in a big sauce pan and heat. Cut and peel the greener artichokes leaves; discard. Place inside the sauce pan the artichokes hearts cut in thin slices. Put the 2 chillies and cook at low heat until the artichokes are tender. Add the green garlic cut in slices and stir for 1 minute. Taste and add salt if necessary. Strain and reserve.
• Get some salty water boiling and add the Linguini. Follow package instructions and once cooked, strain and mix with the artichokes.

White Spaguetti with Mussels and Red Pepper.

Ingredients for 4 servings: 500 grs of fresh Mussels, 400 grs of White Spaguetti, 1 red pepper, 1 small glass of white dry wine, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, a spring or two of fresh parsley, olive oil, salt and black ground pepper.

• Clean and steam the mussels. Discard the shells and keep their meat.
• Peel and chop the onion. Prepare a sauce pan with some olive oil. Pour the onion in and cook until transparent. Then add the cleaned and chopped red pepper, when tender add the peeled and chopped garlic. Stir until fragant and add the wine, stir until the alcohol evaporates and add the mussels.
• Sprinkle with some salt, black ground pepper and the minced parsley, taste and reserve.
• Get some salty water boiling and add the Spaguetti. Follow package instructions and when done, strain and mix with the mussels.

Enjoy the PASTA dishes ☺☺☺

Mushrooms and Artichokes' Timbal with Poached egg and Piquillos' Sauce

Using seasonal ingredients will make your cooking easier, cheaper and better! So, let's hunt for some wild and fresh mushrooms (in the market), some beautiful and delicious artichokes, ecological eggs and a can of piquillo's peppers... yes, it's that simple!

I always enjoy "painting" my dishes. I love colour contrasts and think that they make my food more appetizing. That's why this time Red is the protagonist... but with a complete different meaning: Red to Remember is the Event that Angela from Spinach Tiger has thought in order to honor World's Aids day. So, today, these Piquillo Peppers sauce are Red to Remember those whom died from Aids and aren't here anymore. If you want to colaborate and send a dish too, follow this link to her blog, there's still some days left.

Ingredients for 4 servings: 400 grs of mixed seasonal mushrooms, 4 artichokes, 4 eggs, 3 piquillo peppers, 2 garlic cloves, some cream, olive oil, salt and maldon salt.

• In a big sauce pan pour enough oil to sautee the mushrooms. Once nearly done, add 1 minced garlic clove. When fragant, reserve in a plate.
• Use the same sauce pan and add a bit more of oil to fry the artichokes (cut in small pieces and without the greener and harder leaves). When nearly done, add the mushrooms back and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Add some salt, taste and reserve in a plate trying to leave all the oil in the pan. Separate some artichoke pieces to decorate the dish at the end.
• Prepare the piquillos sauce: pour a bit of oil in a sauce pan and add a sliced garlic, when fragant, add the piquillos and cook at low heat for 4 minutes. Turn them both sides. Place inside a deep recipient and add a bit of cream to get a fine texture when blending it. Add a little dash of olive oil and taste before you add some salt.
• Prepare the dish: Use a mold to place the mushrooms and artichoke mixture inside. Paint the side of the dish with the piquillos sauce.
• Put a pot with water on the stove, pour a dash of vinegar inside. Bring to boil. Crash the eggs and carefully pour them inside (one by one). When done, place the poached eggs over the timbal and sprinkle with maldon salt.

There you are!!! 

I couldn't help it, I ate the two of them!!!!