When evoking the world-renowned Spanish concept of ¨tapas¨ I can only think about that classic question we ask our friends when going to a bar or restaurant in Barcelona: what are we ordering? The ¨we¨ is the key part of the question because that implies that we are going to share all the food that is up to come to our table. So if you were wondering what are tapas, just think about sharing dishes with your friends and having some cool drinks. And because we are always hunting for the best Barcelona restaurants, we came across with an experiment by Irish chef Donal Skehan who created 3 Spanish tapas recipes inspired by Barcelona’s top five tapas bars.
We really liked the combination of healthy ingredients on his tapas recipes using top quality products from the Spanish peninsula such as ¨Jamon Pata Negra¨ (Black Leg Ham), better known locally as ¨Jamon de Bellota¨ which is produced in Extremadura; Manchego cheese from La Mancha and Rioja-braised chorizo; along with Catalonian almonds, red peppers and chickpeas which are more common on the Mediterranean Gastronomy. So whether these are Spanish tapas or a Barcelona Tapas, we believe that those are easy tapas recipes with a healthy touch.
ROAST ROSEMARY ALMONDS WITH MANCHEGO CHEESE AND PATA NEGRA HAM
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 250g almonds
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt
- Wedges of Manchego and slices Pata Negra to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚c.
- Place the almonds in a large roasting tin and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, smoked paprika and sea salt and toss to coat.
- Place in the oven to roast for 10-15 minutes until crisp. Allow cooling slightly before transferring to serving glasses on boards with the cheese and ham slices.
SPANISH TORTILLA BITES WITH ROCKET SALAD
Ingredients ( Serves 4):
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 3 rooster potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove
- 6 large free range eggs
- 75g roast red peppers from a jar, thinly sliced (this is called pimiento escalivado in Barcelona)
- A small handful of flat-leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚c.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Fry the potatoes, onion and garlic until coated in the oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl and season. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to the bowl with the eggs along with the roasted red peppers and some of the parsley. Toss to coat completely.
- Place the frying pan back on the heat and pour in the eggy potato mix. Cook until just set around the edges before finishing in the oven for 15 minutes.
When cooked, remove and allow to cool before cutting into rough squares and serving with cocktail sticks.
RIOJA BRAISED CHORIZO WITH CHICKPEAS
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 shallot finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 250g chorizo cut in rough chunks
- 150ml red wine
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- A good handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- Sour dough bread, slices toasted to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Fry the shallot for 2-3 minutes until softened and then add in the garlic, cooking for a further 2 minutes.
- Add in the chorizo and fry until sizzling. Pour over the red wine, honey and in the paprika and allow to cook down for 10 minutes or until the wine has reduced down to a thick sauce.
These mouthwatering easy to make tapas healthy recipes originally appeared on the Times Insiders´ Guide to Barcelona and should you be wondering about how to learn and enjoy the great Mediterranean cuisine offered in Barcelona do not hesitate to check one of our best walking culinary tours that will talk to your five senses, one specialized in Barcelona tapas pairings and another one in Barcelona local foods. In case you have any Spanish tapas recipe that you would like to share, just write it below or let us know, we will be happy to add it to this healthy recipes post, and to our foodie guide to Barcelona. Enjoy!
