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In July, Brigie and I took a cooking class through Simon's Fine Foods. We saw it on kijiji deals, and scooped it up right away. Basically the deal was for 2 for 1 cooking classes. The first cooking class we chose was Spanish Tapas. Tapas are served as small platters of food instead of large meals. They can be an appetizer or you could have several different tapas to make up your main meal.
The menu that Simon had made up for us was absolutely amazing. Some of the tapas were hot, some served cold, and all served delicious. Simon was super relaxed and very easy going, making it a lot of fun. We had a choice of which dishes we wanted to prepare, while working in pairs, and I think there was only one dish that we didn't make (out of the possible 9!) as we ran out of time.
**All recipes below I obtained through the cooking class at Simon's Fine Foods.
Things that I learned:- How to peel a tomato: After scoring the bottom of a tomato with an 'X' and cutting out the stem, place in boiling water until the skin starts to blister and then place in ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- How to cook with fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, and rosemary. After you've removed the fresh herb from the stalk, freeze the stalk and use it when you're making soup for extra flavor!
- First time I've ever cooked with curry, turmeric, or coriander.
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| Prosciutto wrapped Honeydew |
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| Pork Kebabs (Pinchitos Morunos)- probably my favorite dish - Brigie and I made these! Simon says these are eaten all over Spain and were brought into the country from Africa. It's funny because they actually struck me as very African Tasting! It seriously tasted like I was very far away from home! Transported me to some exotic vacation spot. 1 lb. lean pork, cut into small cubes 2 garlic gloves, finely chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon mild curry powder or pinchito spice mixture 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme Freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice Preparation Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar (or with the flat of a knife on a board), then work in the other ingredients. Skewer the pork, 3-4 cubes to a small stick, and marinate them in a shallow dish with the herbs (pinchito spice, coriander, paprika, and thyme), turning so they are well coated. Leave at least a couple of hours. Spread the pinchitos out well on a barbecue or on foil under a grill. Cook them under a high heat for about 3 minutes on each side. *We only marinated them for about 25 minutes and cooked them in the oven instead of the grill. |
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| Gaspacho - chilled vegetable puree soup. I thought this dish was okay - but I'm not a huge red onion fan. Everyone else LOVED this. It did taste amazingly fresh though! |
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| Bread with Mushrooms and Aiolli - this was incredible! and I don't even like mushrooms! First time I tried sherry too, which the mushrooms were cooked in. It really reminded me of a Port -- tasted like a very sweet wine. I really enjoyed the crunch of the crostini and the creamy aiolli sauce (mayo mixed with garlic.) |
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| Meatballs with a Red Wine and Fresh Herb Sauce - Brigie and I made this and I have to say they were probably the best meatballs I've ever had! The meatballs themselves had fresh herbs too (as well as the sauce) and was absolutely amazing!! Meatballs in tomato sauce Ingredients 2 tablespoons of olive oil 8 oz ground beef 1 cup (2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon tomato paste 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine 2 scallions, chopped fine 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups (16 oz) canned plum tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons red wine 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, tomato paste, garlic, scallions, egg, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 to 15 firm balls. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for several minutes or until browned on all sides. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and rosemary. Simmer gently for around 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot. |
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| Potatoes Bravas - All I can say is wow. I'm a potato girl and the crispness of the potatoes with the sweet and spicy sauce were to die for!! I went back for seconds and thirds of these. However, they are fried and not very good for the waist line, that's for sure!! |
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large russets peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp minced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper
1.5 tsp Spanish paprika
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp chopped thyme
4floz ketchup
4 floz mayonnaise
Chopped parsley
8 floz olive oil for frying
The Bravas sauce
Warm the 3 tbsp olive oil and soften the onion and garlic
Turn the heat off and add the thyme, paprika and Tabasco sauce
Stir well
Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and mayonnaise
Season with salt and pepper
Potatoes
Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt and pepper
In a large skillet fry the potatoes in the 8floz olive oil until cooked through and browned.
Once cooked toss in the sauce and serve, top with chopped parsley.
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| Shrimp and Bacon Brochettes - yummm. This is shrimp wrapped in bacon with some seasonings. |
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| Stuffed Tomatoes - Basically a tomato stuffed with egg salad. I really enjoyed this one even if it was a bit messy! They looked really nice but were pretty finicky when trying to scoop out the insides of the tomato. |
All in all it was a super fun experience where I really enjoyed the cooking and definitely the eating portion of it. Also the leftovers!! Simon had let us know to bring containers to bring leftovers home in and I was so glad I did!! (Mike was too :P ).
My friend Sol just told me he's going to Spain at the end of the month and I'm very envious that he'll be eating tapas all the time! Yummmmmm!
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