What should I cook for a Spanish dinner?

I am planning on hosting a spanish dinner and I need some help with creating a tasty but simple manu



For starter I obviously want to cook tapas but I'm not sure which ones so please suggest some



The main I am cooing paella and I have a recipe for that



Are there any spanish deserts except churros? I don't think that they will finish the meals well



I am also making sangria to accompany the meal



Your suggestions and reipe ideas will be greatly appreciated, thanks!What should I cook for a Spanish dinner?
Here's a big list of tapas. At times I've made all of them. Yesterday I went to a paella party and brought the olives, the meatballs and the dates (spanish devils). Those 3 made a really nice group. And yes - be warned - long post ahead ;-)



TAPAS

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Roasted Bell Peppers with Honey %26amp; Almonds (some of the best roasted pepper you can have)



8 red bell peppers, quartered

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 oz flaked almonds

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

2 tbsp chopped parsley

salt and pepper



Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers, skin side up in single layer on a baking sheet. Cook under broiler 8-10 minutes until skins are blistered and blackened. Transfer to plastic bag, tie off and let cool. Peel skin when cool and chop into bite-size pieces. Place in bowl. Heat olive oil in large heavy-bottom skillet. Add garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until golden. Stir in the almonds, honey and vineagar, then pour mixture over bell pepper. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper, toss well. Serve at room temperature.

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Olives with Orange %26amp; Lemon (again, awesome olives and they look really cool)



2 tbsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 ? cup black olives

1 ? cups green olives

2 tsp grated orange rind

2 tsp grated lemon rind

3 shallots, finely chopped

pinch cinnamon

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

5 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp orange juice (I used more - juice of one orange)

1 tbsp chopped mint

1tbsp chopped parsley



Fry the fennel and cumin seeds in a small heavy bottom skillet, shaking frequently, until they begin to pop and give off aroma. Remove from heat and let cool. Place olives, orange and lemon rind, shallots, cinnamon, and toasted seeds in a bowl. Whisk vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mint, and parsley together in a bowl and pour over olives. Toss well and refrigerate.

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Spiced Almonds (yum, though the seasonings didn't stick as well as I'd liked)



1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/4 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 pound blanched almonds



Preheat oven to 350°. In medium bowl, mix all spices. Add almonds and toss to coat with the spice mixture (does this need olive oil to help make it stick?). Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, stirring halfway through baking, until lightly toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Spanish Devils (freaking AMAZING - everyone loved these, even non-date eaters) Note: these use the pre-cooked Chorizo (for eating as opposed to for cooking as was explained to me at the Spanish store)



24 Medjool dates (approx 1 lb. package)

2 ounces dry chorizo, skinned and finely chopped (1/3 cup)

3 ounces Italian Fontina cheese, shredded ( 1/2 cup)



Preheat oven to 350°. Make a small slash in each date and remove the pits, keeping the dates intact. Mix cheese and chorizo together in a bow. Fill each date with chorizo and cheese, pinch them closed and set them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. If they are large, cut each date in half crosswise, transfer the Spanish devils to a platter and serve warm. The stuffed dates can be refrigerated overnight. Bake them before serving.

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Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce (again AMAZING - really different, we did have one person who wasn't blown away, but the rest of us fought over the leftovers the next day)



MEATBALLS:

2 oz bread, crust removed

3 tbsp water (or a little more)

1 lb ground lamb (or beef)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

1 egg, beaten

nutmeg

flour

2 tbsp olive oil

salt %26amp; pepper

ALMOND SAUCE:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 oz bread

4 oz blanched almonds

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2/3 cup dry white wine

1 ? cup vegetable stock

salt %26amp; pepper



For meatballs: In bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes. With hands, squeeze out water and return bread to bowl. Add meat, onion, garlic, parsley and egg. Season with grated nutmeg and salt %26amp; pepper. Knead together to form smooth mixture. (you might want to cook a pinch in a frying pan to test taste)

Spread some flour on a plate. With floured hands, shape into about 30 meatballs, roll each in flour until coated. Heat olive oil in large heavy bottom skillet. Add meatballs in batches and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

To make sauce: heat olive oil in same skillet in which meatballs were fried. Break bread into pieces then add to skillet with almonds and cook gently, stirring frequently until the bread and almonds are golden brown. Add garlic and fry for an additional 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and boil for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Pour in vegetable stock and process until smooth.

Simmer meatballs in sauce for 25 minutes. Add salt %26amp; pepper if necessary.

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Patatas Bravas (a classic Spanish dish - there are tons of recipes on the internet - this was okay, but basically just roasted potatoes with a hot tomato sauce - a VERY spicy hot tomato sauce)



Potatoes:

1 ? lbs potatoes, cut into 1 ? inch pieces

? cup olive oil

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

? tsp ground cumin

? - 1 tsp dried chili flakes

1 tsp paprika

? cup dry white wine

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

dash Tabasco

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley



For sauce: heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and simmer for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick. Process the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth.

For potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the potato pieces in a 12x8 inch baking dish, pour the oil over, sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat. Bake in the top half of the oven for 40 minutes, turning once, until the potatoes are cooked through and light brown.

To serve: Heat sauce in pan, stir in the Tabasco, parsley and some salt. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and serve hot.

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Garlicky Wild Mushroom Sauté (nice, simple, really good for the less adventurous eaters)



6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound oyster mushrooms, tough stems trimmed, large mushrooms halved

3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps quartered

1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, halved

1/2 pound enoki mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 tablespoons dry sherry



Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to each skillet and heat until shimmering. Add half of the oyster, shiitake, chanterelle and enoki mushrooms to each skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook without stirring until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Stir and cook until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until all of the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to 1 of the skillets and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over low heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the sherry and bring to a simmer; pour over the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve the mushrooms warm or at room temperature.

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Chorizo with Figs (I couldn't find canned figs, but fortunately I found fresh and cooked them in wine - oh yum - very popular) Note: this uses the other kind of chorizo - the for cooking type



1 pound chorizo, cut into 1" pieces

1 small onion, sliced lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

? cup red wine

1 can figs

? cup sugar

? cup red wine vinegar

1 stick cinnamon

? teaspoon cloves



Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the chorizo and garlic; sauté 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.
Tortilla de Patatas ( Spanish / Potato Omelette ).

It's an absolute must, either as a sidedish, or cut up and skewered onto crispy bread as tapas.



Various tapas to be skewered onto bread could include:



Chorizo - even hot.

Decent cured ham.

Garlic mushroom.

Slice of boiled egg with mayo and an anchovy.

Spanish peppers.

Angulas (baby eels, or the man-made alternative ).



But basically somewhere in the meal you have to have decent ham, crusty bread, and potato omelette!What should I cook for a Spanish dinner?
You can flesh out your meal with stress-free authentic stand-alones like manchego cheese (in triangles), olives, slices of serrano ham %26amp; oyster crackers, plus a glass of red wine or "clara" (1/2 beer, 1/2 tonic with lemon).
Bacon wrapped dates, saffron and white wine steamed mussels, chirizo and shrimp skewer, manchego cheese, Serrano ham, and spanish olives to nibble on. For cinnamon raisin bread pudding with fresh whipped cream and slivered toasted almondWhat should I cook for a Spanish dinner?
I love gazpacho and ceviche, and either could be a first course. You could make a flan, or a blood orange tart for dessert. I think a crisp green salad, or citrus fruit salad would be good with the paella too
Quisadillas! Chicken and beef with cheese!!!
For dessert, how about flan?
Stuffed Tomatoes



8 small tomatoes, or 3 large ones

4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled

6 tablespoons allioli or mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon white breadcrumbs, if using large tomatoes

Preparation

Skin the tomatoes, first by cutting out the core with a sharp knife and making a '+' incision on the other end of the tomato. Then place in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and plunge into a bowl of iced or very cold water (this latter step is to stop the tomatoes from cooking and going mushy).



Slice the tops off the tomatoes, and just enough of their bases to remove the rounded ends so that they will sit squarely on the plate. Keep the tops if using small tomatoes, but discard those large tomatoes. Remove the seeds and insides, either with a teaspoon or small, sharp knife.



Mash the eggs with the allioli -or the mayonnaise, if using- salt, pepper and parsley. Stuff the tomatoes, firmly pressing the filling down. With small tomatoes, replace the lids at a jaunty angle. If keeping to serve later, brush them with olive oil and black pepper ot prevent them from drying out. Cover with clingfilm and keep.



For large tomatoes, the filling must be firm enough to be sliced. If you make your own mayonnaise, thicken it by using more egg yolks. If you use shop-bought mayonnaise or allioli, add white breadcrumbs until the mixture reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes.



Season. Fill the tomatoes, pressing down firmly until level. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then slice with a sharp carving knife into rings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.



Peach Tart

Tarta de melocotón



If Calanda peaches are unavailable, substitute a sweet fleshy variety.



Servings: 8

Prep Time: 90 min.

Cook Time: 1 hour



Ingredients:

1 jar Calanda peaches



Pastry:

4 1/2 oz butter

3 egg yolks

3 oz sugar

7 oz flour

1 tsp baking powder



Butter for greasing the tin



Flour for the tin



Filling:

3 egg whites

7 oz sugar

9 oz peeled, ground almonds

Zest of 1 lemon



Preparation:

Pastry:



Work the butter with the sugar to form a paste. Add the egg yolks one by one and finally the flour mixed with the baking powder. Grease a 9 inch tart pan with a removable base and sprinkle with flour. Line the base and walls with the pastry.



Filling:



Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff. Add the lemon zest and gently fold in the ground almonds. Drain the peaches and slice. Place half the slices on the pastry base and cover with the almond meringue. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for half an hour. Remove and arrange the rest of the peach slices on top. Bake for a further half hour. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil or greased paper to prevent burning.



Serve warm with a little table cream.
OK. So I know you have your dinner planned, but I will put the dessert first since that's what you want. But I will add after that a traditional Spanish dinner my mom taught me to make in case you want to make something different in the future. Hope it goes well.



No Name Dessert: From my mother.



About 1/2 pint of strawberries, sliced.

2-3 bananas sliced

1 1/2 TB sugar

2-3 good size dollops of sour cream (Start with 2)



Stir together. If you like bananas, add more or less. Same goes with the strawberries. Add more sugar if it needs to be a little more sweet. If the sour cream is too thick, add a little more sugar. The sugar "melts" the sour cream.



The Ceviche (Say-vee-chay) is an appetizer, Beans and Rice OR Caldo (cal-doe - Guatemalan Stew) is the main course, and then is the no-name dessert. (The fried rice can be substituted with steamed rice. I use both depending on my mood.)



Ceviche: You can eat it by itself, with tortilla chips or tortillas.



Cooked Shrimp cut into pieces

1/4-1/2 bunch Cilantro-chopped

1/4-1/2 Onion or 1 small onion-diced

2-3 Tomatoes-diced

3-4 limes

Salt and pepper



Stir everything together. The reason for more or less on the ingredients, is how much or how big of each ingredient. It's really all about the shrimp. You can eat by itself or with chips. Oh, and if you don't like a ton of lime, I would start out with one, and taste. Add more if there isn't much lime taste.



Beans %26amp; Rice

Cook rice first. Then cook beans while rice is cooking.



RICE

1 Tbs. olive oil per cup of rice

Water

Salt



Heat oil in skillet on high. Add rice and fry. Stir occasionally for first few minutes. Do not walk away. When rice starts “puffing”, stir constantly until rice is about to or starts to brown. Add water till it is ? of an inch above rice. Add salt and stir. Turn to low* and cover. Let cook for 30 minutes and stir.



*If cooking on a flattop stove, turn to medium and cover. Cook for 15 minutes and turn off stove. Let rice continue cooking on same burner for 15 more minutes.



BEANS

2 Tbs. olive oil

? small sweet onion, sliced thinly crescent moons

2-3 cloves minced garlic

Cumin

1 14.5* oz. can of diced tomatoes

Cilantro to taste

2 15.5* oz. cans of beans

Salt %26amp; Pepper



*These are regular cans. So it doesn’t have to be exact. You can use 1 of the large cans of beans for 2 of the regular ones. I like to use red and black beans. For every 2 cans of beans, use 1 can of tomatoes. You can also add other veggies such as bell peppers, etc. and combine with the onions step.



Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium. Add garlic, onions, and cumin. Sauté until onions is soft or till sautéed preference. Add tomatoes and cilantro. After mixture is bubbling, add beans, salt, pepper, and heat till bubbling. Lower the temp to keep it warm till everything is ready.



CALDO

12+ cups water

? lb. soup bone

1 ? lbs. beef stew, cubed



Put everything in a large cooking pot and bring to a boil. Then cover and cook for 3 1/2 hours on low heat.

*You will have to add water periodically. When it is on low, it should be simmering.



Add the following and cook for 30 minutes.



Half head of Cabbage, 3-4 Carrots, 4-5 Potatoes, Corn on cob, Tomatoes (2 or 3), 1 Onion sliced into crescent moons, 2-3 Stalks of Celery, 1/2 bunch of cilantro, salt and pepper.



*You can add less or more of the veggies depending what you have on hand. I sometimes leave out the corn depending on the season. But you need to serve it with rice. (Use the rice recipe above.) Tortillas are optional.
Flied lice and sweet sour pork