What is for brunch or lunch ?

This afternoon we had Poulet Provençal ( Braised chicken with tomatoes and olives) .. Featuring Herbs from Provençe, tomatoes, black olives (kalmata), garlic, Olive Oil extra virgin, fennel, fennel seeds, and flat leaf parsley, salt and black peppercorns ground, onion and baked in oven.

Sunday - 10 / 03 / 2024 ..

Today, my husband and I went out for a lovely brunch ..

We enjoyed Eggs Benedict with a beautifully light Hollandaise, Prosecco and for a shared dessert treat we had a blueberry topped slice of Cheesecake and Espresso.

Simple but lovely ..

Saturday - 09 / 03 / 2024 ..

Since the weather has been a bit crazy, we decided to stay home and relax ..

Spaghetti Carbonara was our main.

Our starter was a tray of charcuterie with cracker breads ..

We had a lovely Proseccco (Veneto) sparkling wine.

Simple however, lovely.

Friday .. 08 / 03 / 2024 ..

Since we are working remote today, we decided to have lunch at home ..

The celestial cheese of all times, Parmigiano Reggiano with fresh fennel drizzled with extra virgin olive oil is our starter.

The main course: Fresh Tortellini filled with ricotta and spinach.

A lovely red wine from Bodegas Ramón Bilbao.

Beef Flamande is the main and broccoli ..

This Belgian / French steak dish is prepared with:
Home made tomato sauce
Dill herb and dried
The steak are dusted lightly with flour
1 litre of beer of choice (can use Zero alcohol if preferred)
4 onions sliced in arcs
Extra virgin olive oil
Beef consommé from stock
salt and black peppercorns grinded to taste

Oven dish 180 centig degrees ..

The sauce is prepared stove top.

06 / 03 / 2024 - Wednesday ..

A warmer up of Chicken Soup with fideos ( tiny noodles) for a starter.

The main was a French Omelette served with a small side salad.

Slice of wholemeal toast,left over baked beans, 2 poached eggs,followed by left over fresh raspberries, they're always tasty from Morroco, and some yoghurt. According to Michael Moseley, eating left overs is beneficial for weight loss. Shall be reading more about this.

Shall have Minnestrone ..

Typing error ..

Nice Monday wishes.

Lunch 14.00
Monday 05 / 03 / 2024 ..

Today we shall gave Minnestrone with Fennel, Shell shaped pasta, northern white beans, carrot, onion, zucchine (corgette), potato, extra virgin olive oil and chicken stock ..

The main is: a simple French Omelette ..

Friday - The 1st of March 2024 ..

Roast Chicken will be our lunch today served with a Caesar Salad Starter.

Today I had spiced butternut squash soup, followed by welsh rarebit made with leftover cheese sauce. The soup will last at least another two days!

Salmon in a creamy chilli sauce with small oven roast potatoes. I wanted rice but DH was so flattering about my potatoes that I caved!

Are we supposed to post the recipes on here?

Thursday ..
29/ 02 / 2024 ..

Lunch today at home:

Penne Ziti with Arugula & Cherry Tomatoes ..

Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion or 2 shallots or 1/2 leek
garlic cloves sliced finely (to taste)
dried oregano and dried thyme ( 1 tsp each )
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Arugula leaves trimed and coarsely chopped
Pecorino Romano aged cheese
And de-seeded and de-skinned tomatoes for the sauce

Easy and delicious ..

Wednesday ..
28 / 02 / 2024 ..

Lunch today is:

Chicken Basque Style ..

2 Red bell peppers
2 Green bell peppers
Tomatoes - red and just ripe
1 Coral Yellow Eco Chicken - approx 1 kilo to 1.5 kilos
1 Large onion of choice or shallots or leek
3 cloves of fresh garlic
100 ml. dry white wine ( or Cider without alcohol )
50 grams of Iberian or Italian Parma Ham
1 tablesp of fresh finely chopped parsley
An Earthenware for oven

Slice the chicken in 8 parts .. Place in a sarten (skillet) skin down until lightly golden.
Then, with Extra virgin olive oil, sauté the onion of choice and the garlic.
Place in the sarten the rest of the veggies & the ham and place in oven with the wine or cider for 20 minutes ..
KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE .. Everybody´s oven is different.
Add salt and freshly ground black pepper and herbs or dried of choice and the fresh parsley.
Drizzle with olive oil ..

Serve with a baguette type bread and a glass of cider or white wine or Rosé.

Tasty !!

27 / 02 / 2024 - Tuesday.

Lunch today is in process .. Sea Bass baked in a seasalt crust ..
Ingredients.

A fresh sea bass approx. 1.5 kilos
A few slices of fresh lemon
A small fresh sage leaf
A small bunch of fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1 kilo of coarse seasalt

Place the fish with extra virgin olive oil onto a layer of seasalt in an ovenproof casserole and layer the fish on top with seasalt.
210 CENTIG Degrees and approx 25 - 30 minutes

Break the saltcrust 15 minutes - 20 minutes at room temperature and it shall be ready to serve. Drizzle lemon to your taste and serve with steamed asparagus or steamed clams or steamed green beans ..

A Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling White pair perfectly.

Porridge prunes and blueberries at 12’ish after 16 hour fast.

I might have tomato soup, with a big dollop of mashed potatoes in it.
Ding dong! The heartburn bus comes to town.

Brie and gf crackers.

Monday ..

26 / 02 / 2024 ..

Lunch Today on another blisterly windy day however, the sun was shining ..

Prepared spice rubbed seared medium rare top loin boneless steak and prepared French Fries to accompany.

The spice rub included:

Himalayan salt ( a mini sprinkle)
Black peppercorns ground
Clove grated (1/ 8 tsp.)
Very very finely sliced garlic

Quite superbly splendid ..

Wine: Ramon Bilbao 2018 Reserve
La Rioja ( same as Sunday )

Thanks Kitty. 🙂
It sounds not only delicious, but easy, too.
Win/win!!!

No, very easy.

Cubes of potato boiled till just cooked. A chopped onions softened, chopped bacon fried. All mixed with white wine, some double cream, a pinch of paprika, s and p and lots of grated Swiss cheese. Put in a baking dish and top with yet more cheese. Bake 25 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil, sprinkle paprika over and bake for 20 minutes. We scatter it with chopped gherkins. Real comfort food.

kittylester

Swiss Cheese bake and pickles. And a rosé or 2.

Cheese bake sounds nice, kitty.
Is it complicated to make?

Sunday ..
25 / 02 / 2024 ..

A gutsy wind velocity and overcast cloudy skies here in the Madrid Capital has eliminated our plans to go out for lunch.
So, we decided to stay home ..

An elegant lunch none the less was:
Chicken with white cap mushrooms, shallots, butter, cream, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley ( a tiny sprinkle of each) and French Savagnin White wine which is sort of a Jaune Region wine which is located close to Switzerland.

Dessert: We embarked on a baking project together which turned out better than we expected.

Dessert was: A bizcocho from scratch, with grated clementine zest, vanilla extract, whole milk, egg yolk + 1 whole egg, baking powder and all purpose flour plus Confectioner´s sugar (glas) for the top ..

Both of us cook quite well however, baking is another study and practice.

So we were quite happy to have our bizcocho with a wonderful Earl Grey, our favourite tea. (not tea bags). I buy it from a tea vendor in the Plaza Mayor area of Madrid, by the kilo.

Swiss Cheese bake and pickles. And a rosé or 2.

Saturday ..
24th February 2024 ..

Lunch today:

My husband and I prepared a very lovely Paella with:
Saffron threads
Of course, Extra virgin olive oil
Chicken without skin ( so not greasy )
onion
Spanish Fallera Rice - Valencia
3 Tomatoes de-seeded and de-skinned
Chicken stock
300 grams of fresh Mussels
10 langostinos ( jumbo sized prawns )
red bell pepper sliced in rounds
salt
black pepper
fresh parsley

Turned out very delicious.

We are now waiting to go see Film: Ferrari with Penelope Cruz at the IDEAL - In English with Spanish subtitles.
Downtown Madrid.

Have a lovely weekend.