Tapas mmm yum!

Who doesn't enjoy some tasty spanish tapas?! The other night Nathan and I made a spanish feast of: meatballs in tomato sauce, white beans with tomato, potato tortilla and cider glazed chorizo. All these recipes are based on the tapas special in issue 6 of the sbs Feast magazine. I must warn you that this is too much food for two people (fantastic for lunch the next day though! or to feed four people) and it also takes a few frazzled moments in the kitchen to get all parts ready together at the same time. You may need to enlist some help - thank you Nathan :) Here are the recipes for you to try (and yes there are so many types of paprika):

MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients  Meatballs ~

• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (use the crust this will be enough once you crumble it)
• a dash of milk
• 500g minced beef
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 egg
• olive oil

Ingredients Sauce ~

• 1/4 onion finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 410g diced tomatos
• olive oil

To Make ~

• Put the breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl, set aside
• In a large bowl combine the mince, garlic, egg an paprika. Season with salt and pepper. (Use your hands to combine it is so much easier). Mix in the breadcrumbs. 
• Roll the mince mixture into about 16 meatballs and refrigerate for 10mins.
• Once the meatballs are chilled cook for 4 mins in a frypan with a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. You will finish cooking them in the tomato sauce. 
• Now move on to making the tomato sauce: in the same pan the meatballs were in heat some more olive oil and then add the onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 4 mins or until the onion has softened. 
• Add the paprika and fry for 1 min or until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes and the meatballs. 
• Put on low heat and cook for about 20 mins, until sauce has thickened and meatballs are cooked through. 

POTATO TORTILLA

Ingredients ~

• olive oil
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 3 potatoes (medium ones of your choice), peeled and thinly sliced
• 5 eggs
• parsley and lemon to serve

To Cook ~

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and then cook the potato slices for about 8 mins or until tender. 
• Remove the potatoes from the pan and wipe the pan clean.
• Whisk the eggs and then gently stir the potatoes into it.
• Return the mix to the pan and cook for about 10mins or until set.
• Serve with lemon and parsley (and some lemony mayonnaise!)

WHITE BEANS AND TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients ~

• 1 tin of butter beans
• olive oil
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1/4 onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 50g ham, diced
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 420g tin diced tomatoes
• parsley to serve

To Cook ~

• Fry the onion, carrot and garlic for about 3 mins or until onion has softened
• Now add the ham, paprika and bay leaf and cook for another 2 mins
• Add the beans, tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Cook for 10 mins until the sauce has reduced and the beans are tender.
• Serve with some parsley. 

CIDER GLAZED CHORIZO

Ingredients ~

• olive oil
• 2 chorizo, thickly sliced
• 1 cup apple cider
• parsley to serve

To Cook ~

• Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for about 4 mins or until golden
• Add the sider and cook for another 8 mins or until sauce has reduced. 
• Serve with parsley.

our feast!

chorizo - so good!

and the delicious beans

scrummy meatballs, with the potato tortilla in the background