Tortilla de Patatas

I rarely eat eggs but Spanish tortilla is a nice and hearty meal to have occasionally.

olive oil (for frying)

one large pepper (halved)

onion (chopped)

3-4 floury potatoes (coarsely chopped and par-boiled)

4-6 eggs (beaten and seasoned)

paprika

(cayenne pepper)

fresh parsley

salt

pepper

- Roast the pepper skin side up under a grill until the skin is blackened. Place in a plastic bag, seal and leave until cool enough to handle. Peel the pepper and cut into long strips.

- Fry the onion in a large frying pan until golden, and then add the potatoes, season and fry for a further few minutes.

- Stir through the roasted pepper and spices, and fry for a couple more minutes.

- Add the eggs and fry on a gentle heat until the base is cooked, then grill until the top is solid.

- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with salad.

Quark Desserts

Quark with Satsumas:

500 g quark

2 dl double cream (whipped)

4-6 satsumas (peeled and coarsly chopped)

sugar (to taste)

(vanilla sugar)

few peaces dark chocolate

- Mix all the ingredients together except for the chocolate, place in the dessert bowls and grate some chocolate on the top.

Quark with Lingon Berries:

500 g Quark

2 dl double cream (whipped)

2-3 dl lingon berries

sugar (to taste)

vanilla sugar (to taste)

caramel sauce

- Mix all the ingredients together except for the caramel sauce, place to the dessert bowls and pour some caramel sauce on top.

Tip: You can use any fruit or berries you like, and if you want to make a healthier version use yoghurt instead of double cream.

Quesadillas with Quacamole & Fresh Tomato Salsa

This Tex-Mex dish is quick to prepare and makes a nice snack or meal. The dips are also great with tortilla chips or any Tex-Mex food, such as burritos or fajitas.

Quesadilla filling: (makes 3-4)

cheese (grated)

half a small red onion (chopped)

tomato (peeled, de-seeded and diced)

bunch of fresh coriander (coarsely chopped)

fresh chili (finely chopped)

tortilla bread (2 for each quesadilla)

- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

- Heat a dry frying pan on a medium to medium high heat until hot, add a tortilla and cover with the filling. Then add the second on top to form a 'sandwich' and press it down to help the cheese stick the two pieces together. Continue cooking until the tortilla is slightly browned, then turn over and fry the other side.

Quacamole:

2 ripe avocados (peeled and mashed)

1-2 tomatoes (peeled, de-seeded and diced)

half a small red onion (finely chopped)

a small clove of garlic (crushed)

lime juice

salt

pepper

(fresh coriander)

- Mix all the ingredients together. You can keep the avocado stone in the dip until it's served as it prevents the quacamole from turning brown.

Fresh Tomato Salsa:

4-6 tomatoes (peeled, de-seeded and chopped)

1/4 cucumber (de-seeded and chopped)

half a small red onion (finely chopped)

fresh chili (finely chopped)

fresh coriander (chopped)

salt

pepper

lime juice

- Mix all the ingredients together and serve soon after making it as it gets wet quickly.

Stuffed Mushrooms & Double Baked Potatoes

This is Geoff's own creation, which he cooked us for our anniversary - it's not very hard to make but takes some time to prepare.

Stuffed Mushrooms:

big breakfast mushrooms

camembert style cheese

tomato (sliced)

red onion (finely chopped)

garlic (finely chopped)

fresh basil

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

sugar

- Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and set aside, lightly brush with olive oil and bake for about 5 minutes at 200 degrees.

- Stuff the mushrooms starting with a layer of basil leaves and sprinkle of onion and garlic. Then add a generous knob of cheese and top with a slice of tomato. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sugar and season to taste.

- Bake approximately for 20 minutes at 200 degrees until the tomatoes are roasted and the mushrooms are cooked.

Double Baked Potatoes:

floury potatoes

onion

thyme

capers

parmesan (grated)

butter

salt

pepper

(fresh herb such as basil or parsley)

- Wash the potatoes well and puncture with a fork, and bake at 200 degrees until cooked, about 45 minutes. (You can microwave the potatoes instead if you are in a hurry)

- Meanwhile, fry the onion and thyme until soft.

- When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes and scoop their insides into a bowl. Mash with some butter, and stir in the onions, capers, parmesan and season well.

- Refill the potato skins with the mixture, top with some grated parmesan and bake at 225 degrees until the cheese is golden.

Lentil Patties

Served with salad, these crispy patties make a delicious lunch or a light dinner.

red lentils

1 onion (finely chopped)

3-4 cloves garlic (crushed)

fresh chili (finely chopped)

fresh parsley (finely chopped)

paprika

(cayenne pepper)

(fresh coriander)

lemon juice

salt

pepper

bread crumbs

egg (beaten, seasoned)

oil for frying

- Rinse the lentils well and boil them in salted water- you should aim to end up with a thick paste, so don't add too much water. Cook on a low heat and stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Let cool.

- Fry the onion and garlic until golden, then add the dried spices and fry for a further minute.

- Mix the lentils, chili, onion and fresh herbs, and season well; then form into small patties using wet hands.

- Dip the patties in the egg and roll in bread crumbs. Fry on each side on a medium heat until the patties are crisp and golden.

- Place on top of kitchen paper to get rid of any extra oil.

Tip: If you have any extra time leave the patty mixture to sit for a few hours to allow the flavours to develop.