Tasty Tapas!

Don’t know what to cook? And want a variety of dishes to serve everyone’s tastes? Why not try Spanish tapas?

Spanish tapas are dishes that are served in snack sizes and can be both cold and hot. A combination of dishes can be made to create a full meal. What I love about tapas is that it encourages social interaction through the sharing of dishes rather than each guest eating a meal set only for themselves.

So what do you need to prepare for a tapas night? I have collated some of my favourite tapas for you. Here they are:

Garlic Prawns 

These are very tasty and quick to cook! What do you need?
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- chili (to desired strength)
-1.5 kg of medium king prawns (peeled, cleaned and with tail still intact)
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
- Thick, toasted crusty bread to dip into the garlic-prawn oil!

Method:
1. Combine oil, chili, garlic and paprika in pan on medium heat until garlic starts browning.
2. Add prawns, cook for 2-3 minutes on high. Stirring regularly until prawns turn pink in colour.
3. Mix through parsely after removed from heat.

Patatas Bravas 
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- Chili (to desired strength)
- 1.5kg of tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
- 500 grams of diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup of chopped parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Method:
Heat oil in pan at medium temperature. Add onion and stir fry until soft. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, paprika, chilli, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Once combined, add cornstarch to thicken sauce, stirring the mixture until dissolved. Keep simmering sauce until potatoes are cooked.

Cut potatoes into small bite-sized cubes and fry in saucepan with oil and seasoning (salt and pepper) until golden brown and crispy. Once cooked place in plate and drizzle sauce. Sprinkle parsley to garnish.

Churros
To finish off your night in Spain, there is nothing better than making homemade churros! All you need to do is combine 500 grams of plain flour and 500 ml of salted boiling water. Ensure that the water is boiled and not just warm. Mix with wooden spoon and place into churro machine (can be purchased from here). Turn handle to push through mixture and there you have it, a churro! place churro in very hot oil and fry until golden brown. 

Hope you enjoy these lovely dishes as much as I do! Leave a comment below if you have any questions about preparing any of these meals.

- Liana Fasanella

How to make a delicious Tiramisu!

So what does one do after attending the Dawn Service for the ANZACs and returning home at 7:30am with the whole day to spare? Make Tiramisu for the family!

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert that is widely popular throughout the world. It is a simple and easy dessert to make so it’s a perfect handmade dessert to bring to the family BBQ. The traditional Tiramisu is made of a mixture of mascarpone cheese, egg and sugar in between savoiardi (Italian sponge fingers) layers which are soaked in coffee and liquor.

How to make a Tiramisu

Ingredients 

• 2 Cups of espresso coffee
• 100mL of Kahlua or Tia Maria
• 6 Eggs
• 6 Tablespoons of sugar
• 500g of Mascarpone cheese
• 1 large packet of savoiardi (sponge fingers)
• Cocoa or grated chocolate flakes

Method

Step 1: Separate the egg yolks from the egg white and place into two separate bowls. Tip: I personally like to crack the egg on the side of the bowl (enough so that you can open it up with your hands) then use the egg shells to separate the egg yolk from the egg white by moving the contents from one half shell to the other.

Step 2: Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with a mix master or by using electronic beaters until pale and thick.

Step 3: Fold in the mascarpone cheese until just combined.

Step 4: Put some espresso coffee to cook. (I like to cook the coffee at this time as it will become warm when ready to soak the savoiardi).

Step 5: Pour coffee and liquor into a shallow, flat dish and set aside to cool.

Step 6: Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a mix master or electronic beaters until soft peaks form. Once done, fold the egg whites into the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture.

Step 7: Put a thin layer of mascarpone mixture at the bottom of your dish. Then dip enough savoiardi into the coffee mixture so that you can cover the base of your dish. (I like to place the savoiardi in the dish as I go so I know exactly how many to soak. I also like to break them in half to fill any gaps). Cover the savoiardi with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and repeat the process a few times ending with cream at the top.

The cream layers can be made to your preference. I prefer less cream and more savoiardi biscuits so my cream layers are about 0.75cm thick.

Step 8: Dust gently with cocoa or grated chocolate flakes, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Extra Tips:

• If the coffee is warm/hot the savoiardi soak up the coffee much faster.
• Make sure you don't soak the savoiardi for too long as this will make it too soggy and vice versa, soaking too quickly will make it too dry. It takes a bit of practices so don't stress if your first Tiramisu doesn't turn out!
• Make sure you advise that the Tiramisu contains alcohol to those who you are serving the Tiramisu.

ENJOY!

- Liana Fasanella