Spanish Dinner at Brenda and Rudy's house; March 31st, 2007

aperitif:

Sangria de Tres Frutas (Citrus Sangria) - prepared by Brenda and Rudy

makes 6 glasses

3 ¾ cups dry red wine
½ cup Cointreau
½ cup brandy
Juice of 1 large orange
Juice of 1 medium lemon
Juice of 1 medium lime
3 tablespoons sugar
Club soda, to taste
1 small orange, sliced thin crosswise
1 small lemon, sliced thin crosswise
1 small lime, sliced thin crosswise

Mix the wine, Cointreau, brandy, citrus juices and sugar in a large pitcher. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, add the club soda, orange, lemon and lime slices. Serve over ice.

tapas:

Champinones Al Ajillo (Mushrooms with Garlic) – prepared by John and Kyle

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 6 minutes. Serves 8-10 people

3 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
2 pounds small mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed with stems
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup white wine
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil and sauté mushrooms for two minutes on medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute. Lower heat to medium, add wine and cook for three minutes until mushrooms are tender. Season with salt and pepper and add parsley and lemon juice. Serve hot or at room temperature. Be sure to serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Buttered Cucumbers - prepared by Joanna and Jacek

serves 4

1 large cucumber, peeled and halved lenghtwise
1/2 stick of butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
salt and pepper

1. Scoop out the seeds from the cucumber using a teaspoon. Cut each cucumber half into 2-cm slices and place in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Let drain for 30 minutes, then rinse under cold running water and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the cucumber and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes or until throughly hot.

3. Stir in the lemon juice and mint and season to teste with pepper. Transfer to warmed serving dishes and serve hot.

Eggplant (Aubergine) & Bell Pepper Dip – prepared by Joanna and Jacek

2 large eggplants
2 red bell peppers
4 tbsp of Spanish olive oil
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
juice and grated rind of ½ lemon
1 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp of paprika

1. Prick the skins of the eggplants & peppers all over with a fork & brush with 1 tbsp of the olive oil; place on a baking sheet & baked in a preheated 375F oven for 45 minutes, or until the skins are beginning to turn black, the flesh of the eggplant is very soft & the peppers are deflated.

2. Place the vegetables into a bowl & cover tightly with a clean, damp dish towel or place in a plastic bag; let stand for about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

3. Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise, scoop out the flesh & discard the skin; cut into large chunks.

4. Remove & discard the stem, seeds & core from the peppers; cut the flesh into large pieces.

5. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet; add the vegetables & cook for 5 minutes, add garlic & cook for an additional 30 seconds.

6. Turn the skillet contents onto paper towels to drain & transfer into a food processor; add the remaining ingredients, plus salt & pepper to taste, and process until a speckled puree is formed.

7. Transfer to serving bowl; serve warm, at room temperature or cool for 30 minutes, chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour & serve cold – with thick slices of baguette or toast.

Tartins with Aioli and Mushrooms - prepared by Mary and Rich

8-10 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
2T olive oil
Pinch or two of sea salt
2 tsp sherry
Aioli (garlic mayo)
French bread baguette (2), sliced thin

Heat oil in covered pan. Add mushrooms, salt and sherry. Cover, lower heat. Cook 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Toast bread slightly to dry. Spread with aioli. Top with mushrooms. Broil 30 seconds or until aioli starts to bubble.



main dish:

Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Potato Omelet) - prepared by Brenda and Rudy

serves 4

1 cup olive oil
5 medium baking potatoes, peeled, sliced, and lightly sprinkled with salt
½ large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 eggs
Salt

Heat olive oil in skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Try to keep the potato slices separate so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large boil, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oiled skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set.

Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelet away form the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and slide the omelet back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set.

dessert: