Does anyone have any good recipes for tapas?

In the Mediterranean diet it is typical to begin the food with succulent starters to open up the appetite. Either in complete portions or in half rations - the famous 鈥榯apas鈥?鈥?appetizers are usually served before the food. Of the endless variety of starters that is possible to find - there is not town that doesn't have his own - we introduce a selection that we believe you will really enjoy.



Pulpo a Feira (Galician Octopus): Though it originated in Galicia or the neighboring region of Leon, pulpo a feira, as it is known in Galician, or pulpo a la gallega, as it is called in Spanish, is now popular throughout Spain. It is usually served on wooden plates with cachelos, potatoes that have been boiled or roasted in embers with their skins on.

Gambas a la plancha (Pan-grilled shrimp): Spaniards love to eat grilled shrimp at the counter of a good tapas bar while sipping a glass of chilled fino sherry or cold beer. The bars are often crowded, leaving little or no space for proper eating, and I find it fascinating to watch the locals skillfully manage to eat shrimp with one hand while holding a drink in the other.

Ensaladilla Rusa (Spanish Potato Salad): This is a popular tapa recipe, made of vegetables and mayonnaise... It is served free in most bars in Spain, along with a beer or a glass of wine.

Spanish Ham Croquettes: Croquetas are a common sight on bar counters and in homes across Spain, served as a tapa, light lunch, or a dinner along with a salad. The jamon serrano in this recipe could be replaced with chopped hard-boiled eggs, shredded salt cod, minced shrimp, chopped chorizo, cheese, or just about any vegetable.

Patatas bravas: A classic! Spicy and hot fried potatoes, with a Brava sauce to match!

Spanish omelette: This is THE tapa! There is nothing more typical than a Spanish omelette! Learn how to prepare the real one!

Piperada. Piperada is a filling egg dish, which makes a delicious brunch, and it can also be served as a tapa. A popular variation of this recipe serves the piperada on toasted bread rounds dripping with butter. Either way, this simple egg dish is sure to become a part of your culinary repertoire.

Green Aparaguses with Salmon: This innovative tapa recipe puts together traditional spanish ingredients with northern salmon... Try this new classic tapa!

Catalan Style Beans: Habas are a traditional type of spanish bean, that catalan chefs (after their granmother's cookbook!) have turn into one of the greatest tapas nowadays!

Meatballs in tomato sauce: found in most tapas bars, this traditional dish tastes best when served piping hot straight from the pan. Provide plenty of fresh bread to mop up the juicy tomato sauce.

Tuna and goat cheese empanadillas: Empanadillas, the smaller, pocket-size versions of empanadas, are generally served as tapas, and, because no silverware is required to eat them, make perfect party food.

Garlic-marinated Black Olives: Attesting to the simplicity of tapas, a handful of marinated olives is often ample accompaniment to a glass of chilled sherry in most Spanish tapas bars. Marinated to piquant perfection, these olives are far from ordinary.

Apple and Walnut Salad: This refreshing, crisp summer salad provides the perfect accompaniment to a glass (or two) of chilled Spanish sherry. For a tangier version, add a dash of lemon juice to the mayonnaise before mixing it into the salad.

Champi帽ones al ajillo: Few tapas taste more Spanish than champi帽ones al ajillo (ajillo mushrooms), dripping with olive oil, garlic and dry Spanish Sherry.

Red Onion and Orange Salad: This popular and colorful salad lends a festive note to any tapas table, and is featured in many tapas bar throughout Spain.

Asparagus Omelette: Although this unique omelette is usually served from the skillet, it is also delicious served cold or at room temperature. Indeed, cooled leftovers of this delectable dish with a glass of amontillado sherry make for a perfect picnic lunch.

Pinchitos Morunos: Small Spicy Moorish Kebabs Europe's first kebabs were brought by the Arabs from Africa. Pinchitos morunos are eaten everywhere in Spain as a tapa, though nowadays they are made of pork, rather than lamb. Spices for them are sold ready-mixed in the south. I have used curry powder as part of my mixture as it contains cumin and very similar herbs.

Ri帽ones al Jerez - Sherry Kidneys: Most tapas bars in Spain serve Ri帽ones al Jerez, though at home it can be served with rice or pasta as a main meal. You can add sliced mushrooms to increase the number of portions.

Boquerones en Escabeche: Moorish Pickled Anchovies This is an old, old way of preserving small fish which has survived into modern times because it is so delicious. The coast round Nerja is known for its shoals of fresh anchovies. In Malaga the fish are pressed together into a little fan, four tails together, for frying, but this is not essential to the recipe.



You can find some recipes on



http://www.smart-spanish-recipes.com/Does anyone have any good recipes for tapas?
yup; you can make chistorra tapas (you can buy chistorra at your local deli) and fry it and eat it with bread; calamari tapas (fried squid); jam贸n serrano tapas (again you can buy it at your local deli), cheese tapas, tortilla de patatas tapas (this is like a quiche made out of potatoes, eggs, and onion), etc.
Garlicky Shrimp Tapas Recipe



Serves/Makes: 4

Ready in: %26lt; 30 minutes

Ingredients:



1/2 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 small bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on how hot you want it

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:



Heat oil in skillet. Add the minced garlic, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and stir one minute or until fragrant and garlic is slightly softened. Add shrimp and stir until just cooked through, about 3 minutes--be careful not to overcook! You just want the shrimp opaque and still crunchy/tender. Sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper to taste. You can also use precooked, shelled and de-veined shrimp, but cook garlic slightly longer and toss shrimp only enough to heat through.Does anyone have any good recipes for tapas?
The simple tapas menu here includes some of the most common dishes and provides a good variety with a minimal amount of preparation. Serve homemade sangria*, sherry, or beer throughout. * Recipes to serve 6 are included. Remember, keep it casual and take your time.





First Serving: Garlic Shrimp*, Olives, Crusty Bread, Spanish Cheese



Second Serving: Tortilla Espanol*, Toasted Almonds, Tomato Bread*



Third Serving: Chorizo with Figs*, Ensaladilla Rusa*, Marinated Mushrooms





Sangria

1 bottle burgundy

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 ounce Triple Sec

2 ounces brandy

1 orange, thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced



Combine first five ingredients and chill well. Add fruit slices before serving.







Garlic Shrimp

1 pound uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

陆 teaspoon red pepper flakes

陆 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon minced fresh coriander

Salt



Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until shrimp are just pink, two to three minutes. Stir in pepper flakes, paprika, coriander, and salt to taste. Serve immediately, preferably in the skillet.







Tortilla Espanol

戮 cup olive oil

4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin

1 large onion, sliced very thin

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

salt to taste (about 戮 teaspoon)



Heat the oil in a large skillet and add potato slices to cover the bottom; top with a layer of onions and salt lightly. Continue to alternate layers until potatoes and onions are used. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are cooked but not browned. Remove the potatoes and onions from the skillet and drain them, reserving the oil. Add the potatoes to the beaten eggs and let the mixture rest 15-20 minutes. Using the same skillet, reheat two tablespoons of the reserved oil until very hot. Add the potato mixture and distribute it evenly in the pan. Lower the heat and cook until the bottom begins to brown and the edges of the egg begin to set. Slide the tortilla out onto a plate, cooked side down, and invert the skillet over the plate. Pick up the plate and skillet together and invert, letting the tortilla fall back into the skillet. Cook until the second side has browned. Transfer to a platter and let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting into small wedges. This may be prepared in advance and held in a very low oven before cutting and serving.



Tomato Bread

6 thick slices crusty white bread

3 cloves garlic, halved

2 tomatoes, halved



Toast the bread lightly on one side. Remove from oven and immediately rub tops with garlic cloves and fresh tomato. Serve immediately. It is delicious and simple.



Chorizo with Figs

1 pound chorizo (Spanish sausage), cut into 1" pieces

1 small onion, sliced lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

陆 cup red wine

1 can figs

陆 cup sugar

陆 cup red wine vinegar

1 stick cinnamon

陆 teaspoon cloves



Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the chorizo and garlic; saut茅 until garlic in golden brown. Add red wine, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves and simmer 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the drained figs. This can be made in advance and reheated just before serving.



Ensaladilla Rusa

4 large red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cubed

录 cup cooked carrots, diced

陆 cup frozen peas, cooked and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

陆 teaspoon sugar

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste



Mix the potatoes, carrots, and peas in a medium bowl. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper and pour over vegetable mixture, mixing gently. Let stand for at least two hours or overnight. At least one hour before serving, mix the mayonnaise and garlic, and then fold in the vegetable mixture. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Tapas on the Trail

Copyright, 2000, Tori Ritchie. All rights reserved.







Pack up some gourmet olives, wrap apricot halves in Serrano ham (the prosciutto of Spain), and bake a quick batch of blue cheese tortas to create a tapas party on the trail. Bring colorful bandanas to use as napkins and unbreakable wine glasses for Amontillado sherry to serve alongside.





Bleu Cheese Tortas:

1 pound frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

Flour, for dusting board

1/2 pound crumbled bleu cheese

Freshly ground pepper

12 ripe apricots (if apricots are out of season, use fresh figs)

12 paper-thin slices Serrano ham or prosciutto

1/2 pound mixed gourmet olives, including dry-cured Moroccan olives



Up to 3 days ahead, prepare bleu cheese tortas.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.



Remove puff pastry from package and cut in 1/2 crosswise. Working with 1/2 at a time (refrigerate other 1/2 until ready to use), slightly roll out pastry on a lightly floured board just until about 1/8-inch thick. Scatter half the bleu cheese over the top of the pastry and sprinkle surface with pepper, to taste. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over the pastry, then gently roll over plastic wrap with rolling pin to press cheese into pastry (cheese will not cover entire surface; just be sure it is evenly distributed).



Remove plastic wrap, cut pastry into 1-inch squares or diamonds with a sharp knife and transfer to ungreased baking sheets, placing about 1/2-inch apart. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool, then continue with remaining pastry, cheese, and pepper. To serve, offer bleu cheese tortas, apricots, and olives in separate containers. Offer sherry to sip alongside, if desired.



The day of the tapas party, cut apricots in half and discard the pits (if using fresh figs, cut figs in half lengthwise). Cut ham slices in half lengthwise. Wrap each apricot half with a piece of ham, winding the meat around the fruit and pressing the ends together so it holds; if desired, secure with a toothpick. (You will have 2 dozen wrapped apricots.) Transfer apricots and olives to airtight portable containers and refrigerate until ready to transport.Does anyone have any good recipes for tapas?
BEST TAPAS RECIPES:



http://www.spain-recipes.com/spanish_tap鈥?/a>