Month: February 2010

Trinxat

Andorran Trinxat (potatoes, cabbage, and bacon) Serves 4 Trinxat is an Andorran specialty. Potatoes, cabbage, and bacon get fried together in a hash “pancake.” Garnish with minced parsley. Yum! Ingredients: 1 green cabbage, cored and quartered 1 lb potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 3 medium) 3 strips bacon, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley olive oil salt, pepper Method: 1. In a large pot filled with salted water, boil potatoes and cabbage until tender. Drain thoroughly. Return vegetables to pot over low heat and let steam dry some more. Roughly mash the cabbage and potatoes with minced garlic. 2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium until crispy. 3. Increase heat to medium high. Add potatoes and cabbage on top of bacon. Press into the pan to make a flat cake. Cook until bottom is golden brown. Pass under broiler until  top is hot and slightly golden. 4. Turn over onto serving platter, bacon side up. Trinxat Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Trinxat is an Andorran speciality. Potatoes, cabbage, and bacon get fried together in a hash “pancake.” …

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Cream Roll | Brac de Gitano

Serves 4-6 Brac de Gitano is a thin cake filled with apricot cream, rolled and then sliced. Andorrans enjoy this rich dessert with tea or coffee. Ingredients: Cake: 4 eggs, separated 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour pinch salt 1 oz butter 1 tsp almond extract Filling: 1 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup plus 5 Tbsp apricot or peach jam 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/3 cup almonds Method: For the cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350F . Grease and cover a 9×13 sheet pan with parchment paper. (A sheet pan looks like a cookie sheet with 1/2 inch high sides) 2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale yellow. Add flour, salt, butter, and almond extract. 3. Add egg whites to a medium bowl, beat until stiff. 4. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture. Sir gently until just combined. Fold in remaining egg whites. 5. Pour into pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 6. Cool slightly. Remove cake from pan and place on a sugared dish towel or saran wrap. Roll up into …

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Bread with garlic & tomato | Pa amb Tomaquet

Serves 4 Pa amb Tomaquet is like an Andorran bruschetta. Instead of piling the bread high with ingredients, however, simply rub thick slices of country bread with garlic and tomato. Ingredients: 4 thick slices country bread 4 garlic cloves, peeled 1 heirloom tomato or vine ripe tomato, halved 1/4 cup olive oil Salt Fresh cracked pepper Method: 1. Toast bread under broiler (or on a hot grill) for about 30 seconds per side 2. Bring to table. Give everyone a garlic clove to rub onto their toasted bread. Then rub tomato halves on toast. 3. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Enjoy while still warm! Pa amb Tomaquet (Bread with garlic & tomato) Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Pa amb Tomaquet is like an Andorran bruschetta. Instead of piling the bread high with ingredients, however, simply rub thick slices of country bread with garlic and tomato. CourseAppetizers & Snacks Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Grilling, Quick, Vegan, Vegetarian Food TypeBreads, Mr. Picky’s Favorite Recipes, Sasha’s Favorite Recipes, Vegetables Servings 4 people Cook Time 4 minutes Servings 4 people Cook Time 4 minutes …

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Grilled Whole Trout

Serves 4 When the weather permits, grilled whole trout is a nice treat. Andorrans like whole trout with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley – nice and simple. Serve with Andorran Trinxat – panfried potato, cabbage, and bacon hash. Ingredients: 4 whole trout, head on 3 Tbsp olive oil 3 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley salt pepper Method: 1. Preheat grill to medium-high. 2. Rinse fish inside and out. Blot dry. Season insides with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. 3. Oil the outside of the fish and place in a grill rack. 4. Cook for about 6 minutes per side. Serve immediately. Grilled Whole Trout Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe When the weather permits, grilled whole trout is a nice treat. Andorrans like whole trout with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley – nice and simple. Serve with Andorran Trinxat – pan-fried potato, cabbage, and bacon hash. CourseMain Dish Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Gluten-Free, Grilling Food TypeSeafood Servings Prep Time 4 10 minutes Cook Time 12 minutes …

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Warm Spinach and Mushroom Salad

Serves 4 Wild mushrooms give this spinach salad Andorran appeal. The crunch of slivered almonds and the sweet of the golden raisins add another dimension. Ingredients: 12 oz assorted mushrooms (Iused 4 oz French Horn Mushrooms; 8 oz Oyster Mushrooms) 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 3 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp for the last step 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 lb baby spinach 1/4 cup slivered almonds salt, pepper Method: 1. In a large skillet over medium high, saute mushrooms in 3 Tbsp olive oil until reduced and golden brown. Add garlic. Saute a few more minutes, until fragrant. Add raisins. Deglaze with white wine. 2. Add spinach and turn off heat. Toss for a few minutes to wilt. Transfer to serving bowl. Toss with slivered almonds, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Warm Spinach and Mushroom Salad Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Wild mushrooms give this spinach salad Andorran appeal. The crunch of slivered almonds and the sweet of the golden raisins add another dimension. CourseSides & Salads LifestyleGluten-Free, Quick, Vegan, Vegetarian Food …

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Seasonal Cooking in Andorra

If this weekend’s forecast read 80 degrees and sunny, instead of 30 degrees and snowy, I would have plans to cook around a campfire. Campfire cooking is traditional in Andorra during the warm season. I’m a little bitter because I just know Trout grilled over rhododendron branches would be excellent. But here we are, in February, so let’s talk about Andorra’s winter plate. Andorrans follow the seasons with their foods. The winter plate is loaded with cold loving produce such as mushrooms, spinach, and cabbage. Also present are vegetables that can be stored throughout the winter, such as potatoes. During the long winter months Andorran food is straightforward, stick to your ribs, “food of the people” food. With the winter we’ve been having, I’m looking forward to it!

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Andorran Menu

Andorrans have a wonderful tradition of growing and hunting their own foods. Whether vegetables from a small garden, mushrooms found on a mountain path, or fish pulled from a nearby river, there’s nothing better than fresh picked flavor. Pa amb tomaquet [recipe] Toasted country bread rubbed with fresh cut tomato and garlic cloves Trinxat [recipe] Potato, cabbage, and fried bacon hash Grilled Whole Trout [recipe] A whole trout seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and parsley. Warm Spinach & Mushroom Salad [recipe] Warm spinach tossed with sauteed wild mushrooms, garlic, raisins, and slivered almonds. Brac de Gitano [recipe] Apricot cream roll. Brac de Gitano means “Gypsy Arm.”

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About the Food of Andorra: Andorra, the explorer

Giant evergreen shrubs make the best hideouts. Their tallest branches form umbrellas as they sweep down to the ground. When I was a little girl I used to push my way through the prickly needles until I reached the open area in the middle. I could play for hours without being seen. I loved my secret hideout. Andorra is a lot like the giant evergreen shrubs.  Tucked away in the middle of the mountains between France and Spain, Andorra survived for centuries without being noticed or impacted by her neighbors. In fact, she just got her first university in 1997. Andorra is only 175 square miles (To give you some reference, that’s 30% of Tulsa county… or 37% of New York City). Population: about 84,000. Despite her small size, Andorra is perfect for explorers.  The tiny country boasts more than 60 lakes and 65 mountain peaks. Can you imagine all of that in a place 37% the size than NYC?! Incredible. Understandably, favorite pastimes include hiking and skiing. The country’s foods are a product of the geography. Here are several points regarding Andorran cuisine: For most of the country’s …

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Monday Meal Review: Algeria

A Timeless Algerian feast “Great.” My husband smiled. “I think dinner was really great.” Our friends quickly nodded in agreement. Basic words. But their warmth was balsam after a hectic day cooking. I might as well have won an Oscar. We sipped our Ceylon tea with fresh mint sprigs, savoring the memory of the meal we just enjoyed. Although we were going on four hours of sitting around the dining room table, no one made a move to get up. If that’s not indication of an enjoyable meal, I don’t know what is. (The spell finally broke when baby Ava woke up for her midnight feast). Aside from the company, our Algerian meal was a big hit for two simple reasons: big flavor and originality. Our favorite dishes were (by a mile) the chickpea Soup and the Hot Algerian Lasagna. I will be making both of these dishes again. The Algerian Recipes: Algerian Chickpea Soup | Hummus bi’l Kammun  [Recipe] What do I like most about this dish? This soup was smoky, earthy, and downright craveable. I cannot say enough good things about this soup. If you love …

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Hot Algerian Lasagna

Serves 8 Hot Algerian Lasagna blends traditional Italian lasagna with chickpeas, potatoes, ground lamb, and a healthy dose of cayenne pepper. Make this unusual dish once and you will crave the flavors for life. NOTE: Cayenne pepper’s heat is rated in “heat units.” This recipe was made with a 35,000 cayenne, which is on the low-end of the scale. If you have a 90,000 cayenne, you only need 1/3 of the cayenne pepper for the same kick. The label on your spice jar should give you this information. Ingredients: 1 pound ground lamb or chicken 1/2 cup olive oil 1 medium onion, diced salt and pepper 1 Tbsp harissa 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1 tsp to make it mild) 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground caraway 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 cups tomato puree, plus a half cup 1 can drained, rinsed chickpeas 1 cup water 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 lb) 1 lb no-boil lasagna sheets 15 oz ricotta 2 eggs 2 cups shredded mozzarella 2 cups shredded Gruyère Method: 1. In a large …

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