Spanish Tapas Platter

Normally Spanish tapas is served as finger food/savories with drinks but it tastes so good that I love it as stand-alone food as well. It's super easy to make and doesn't require an elaborate preparation.

I tried my hands at chicken chorizo cooked in red wine, roasted almonds and tortilla de patatas ( spanish omlette). So let's start cooking!!

Roasted Almonds: Easiest of all and tastes great with anything. You can tinker the ingredients to your liking.

Ingredients: Almonds - 50 gms; Olive oil - 2 tsp; Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( ideally paprika should be used); Salt to taste

Steps:

i. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well so that almonds are well coated.

ii. Heat an oven to 160 degrees and roast the almonds for 10 minutes. If you don't have an oven then roast the almonds in a pan but ensure that your don't burn them.

Serve and enjoy!!!

Chicken Chorizo in Red Wine: It's a lovely warming dish which you can have anytime. Filed with the richness of chorizo and flavour of red wine you can't say no to it. Try using a good quality red wine as that will impart a rich colour and flavour to the dish. Traditionally it is made with pork chorizo but I have replaced pork with chicken here.

Ingredients: Chicken Chorizo - 180 gms; Garlic( finely chopped) - 5 ; Onion ( thinly sliced) - 1 medium; Red chilli powder - 1 tsp; Honey - 1 tbsp; Red wine - 150 ml; Chick peas ( boiled) - 50 gms; Salt to taste; Olive oil - 1 tsp

Steps:

i. Heat a pan with some olive oil and saute the garlic and onions for 2 minutes

ii. Now add the chorizo and saute for another 2 minutes

iii. Add the red wine and continuously stir for 10 minutes at medium flame.

iv. Once the red wine has started evaporating add the honey and red chilli powder and stir for another 2 minutes

v. Add the chickpeas and mix well for 2 more minutes. By now the the mixture must be relatively dry with all the red wine soaked by chorizo and onions.

Garnish with some chopped coriander and enjoy!!!

Tortilla de patatas: It's my second favourite spanish dish, after the paella. Bursting with flavour and filling, it is truly the best thing one can have in the breakfast. Some people make it by roasting it in the oven but I have prepared it by frying it in a pan.

Ingredients: Potato ( thinly sliced) - 1 medium; Onion ( thinly sliced) - 1 medium; Eggs - 3; Olive oil - 4 tsp; Salt to taste

Steps:

i. Put 3 tsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the onions and potatoes in it. You can put in some salt to hasten the process. We want the onions to turn translucent only.

ii. Once done and the potatoes are also almost cooked take them out in a bowl and gently mix the eggs in it.

iii. Cover the mixture and let it rest for 20 minutes. This will allow the potatoes and onions to soak the eggs and the mixture will thicken up as well.

iv. Now heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan and pour the mixture in it.

v. Once it turns golden brown flip it over and fry the other side.

Cut a thick slice and soak in the goodness!!