Spanish Recipes - Tempting Tapas Dishes

Spain is famous for its tapas and, whichever Spanish bar you frequent, in whichever area of the country, you are sure to find them.

So, what exactly are "tapas" and where did the name come from?

Tapas are, essentially, snacks and the word literally means "cover". The name originates from the card which used to be placed on top of your drink to protect it from the flies (this can be a hot country!).

At some point in time, it became popular to place a little snack on top of this card. At first, this would just have been something simple like a few nuts and olives, or a fresh slice of crusty Spanish bread plus topping.

In those, not-so-far-gone days, the tapas were free! That is not usually the case these days, although you will occasionally be presented with a small dish of crisps or olives to go with your drink.

Nowadays, there is a wide variety of (paid) tapas, with some bars really going-to-town on them and offering highly original, magnificently presented snacks.

But, even a fairly humble bar will present you with the opportunity to enjoy a slice of tortilla (Spanish omelette), boquerones (fresh, marinated anchovies preserved in olive oil and garlic), calamares (squid), championes al ajillo (garlic mushrooms), jamn serrano, Manchego cheese, etc.

Are you keen on cooking? Then perhaps you would like to try out this tapas potato recipe called "Patatas Bravas". An old Spanish favorite, it is simple to prepare, using fairly basic ingrediants but, it should only be savored by the courageous as it is quite spicy! Ingrediants are for four people.

Ingredients

750 g potatoes
4 dessertspoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 dessertspoons red vinegar wine
2 teaspoons tomato pure

Method

1. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.
2. Fry in oil for 3-4 minutes until lightly colored.
3. Add salt and pepper to potatoes.
4. Cover pan, lower heat and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with paprika and cayenne. Increase heat.
6. Mix wine vinegar with tomato pure. Add to pan.
7. Cook a couple of minutes, constantly stirring.
8. There should be no loose liquid or oil in the pan.

Should you fancy coming to the country to try the original version, there are plenty of afternoon Tapas Tours available throughout Spain for you to enjoy! Or download the wonderful e-book of 300 Simple Tapas Recipes!

Linda Plummer is webmistress of Top Tour of Spain providing comprehensive information on Spain for travel, food, language and living.

Spanish Tapas: It is the Passion Juice of the Latino Lover… Just Wait Till You Try this Dish!
Welcome to the Gourmet Chicken Series. Today we bring you the Spanish Tapas Dish, Chicken & Andouille Strudels.Ingredients: 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, 4 ounces andouille sausage cut into 1/4" dice, 1 pound chicken breast cut into 1/4" dice, 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1 tbsp. chopped garlic, salt & cayenne, 1/4 cup water, 1 cup sweet BBQ sauce, 1 tbsp. cho...

What Do You Want For Dinner?
Those six words are the ones I think my husband most dreads each day. Our favorite dishes are those that someone else cooks for us. Trying to come up with new ideas for dinner is something that we both try to do, but is difficult. It seems that our favorite dishes come from restaurants. But going out to order our favorite dishes from these restaur...

Spanish Food - How To Make Spicy Gazpacho Soup.
Home-made soups are so good for you - all that nourishing stock and chock-a-block full of vitamins and minerals.But ... who on earth could face boiling bones for hours on end during the scorching Spanish summer weather, not to mention preparing the soup once the stock is made? I dont think it would tickle anybodys fancy to then have to tuc...

Cooking Recipes
Are you interested in cooking? Do you love to make fun, new dishes for your family and friends? Do you love the praise and accolades you receive from them? Would you like to have more options to wow them with? Why not find some more great cooking recipes!You can find cooking recipes in a limitless number of places. Some of the most common plac...

Creating Your Own Recipes
Do you love to cook? If you do, you probably get tired of using the same old recipes that are in almost every cookbook you buy. There is a way to get around the hum drum recipe options and onto something more creative that you are sure to love. Creating your own recipes is the way to do it.The first thing you need to do when you start creating y...

Pressure Cooking Ideas - The ABCs Of Pressure Cooking Dishes!
You must be familiar, by now, that there are a wide variety of cooking alternatives, which exist today. You can put together French dishes, Korean, Italian, and a multitude of other delectable cuisines. Besides, you can prepare food using an oven, crock-pot, or any other kind of cooking appliances.There are some chefs who prefer specializing in a p...

Cooking Class - Delicious And Healthy Vegetarian Meals
Eating vegetarian is a wonderful way of nourishing the body. Fresh fruits and locally grown vegetables can be transformed into healthy, delicious gourmet dishes that are quite exciting to create and serve. Meatless cooking isn not limited to a single cuisine, and every meal of the day is appropriate for vegetarian dishes. Vegetarian recipes, combin...