Coca de Trempo – Pepper and Onion Coca

Coca de Trempo

Coca comes from the Balearic Islands: it’s very similar to a slim-line pizza (no cheese!) but served at room temperature and equally delicious. A bread dough topped with traditional Spanish ingredients, makes Coca a great breakfast, lunch, tapas or snack. When I’m on holiday in Mallorca I like to buy a slice from the panaderia (bakery) for brunch to nibble on my long walk down to the beach. There are many different varieties of Coca (both sweet and savoury) and here is a recipe for a simple Coca de Trempo – pepper and onion coca. To mix it up I sometimes add artichoke hearts, olives or anchovies too.

Serves: 4, vegetarians and/or meat-eaters.

For the dough

250g strong plain flour

1 ½ tsp dried yeast

1tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

A pinch of sugar

200ml warm water

A knob of butter, melted

For the topping

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and chopped

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Olive oil

Whisk together half of the warm water with the yeast and sugar and leave to stand for about 10 minutes until a frothy head forms.

Mix the flour, salt, yeast mixture, oil and butter, and add a little at a time of the remaining water to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead for 10 minutes and place covered in a bowl in a warm place to rise for an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, gas mark 6. 

Meanwhile, mix together the peppers, tomatoes, onions, parsley, a glug of olive oil and season with sea salt to taste.

Roll out the dough to about 5mm thick and curl up the edges to make a border. Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle the mixed vegetables over evenly. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Leave to cool and serve at room temperature.

Spanish Butter Bean Stew with Spanish or Vegetarian Sausages

Butter Bean Stew with Spanish Wine and Crusty Bread

Spanish Butter Bean Stew

Mini Casserole Pots

The sudden change of weather made me want to make something warming for dinner so I made a Spanish style butter bean and sausage stew. The Spanish use lots of cumin and sweet paprika, and this dish has a healthy helping of them both.

My guest Anna said it was exactly what she needed and she will be cooking it for her vegetarian friend tomorrow night.

Serves: 2 Vegetarians and 2 Meat eaters.

1 large Spanish onion

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 x 400g tins of butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

2tsp cumin

2tsp sweet paprika

2tsp cayenne pepper

Dash of red wine

Handful spinach

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

V: 4 x vegetarian sausages

Chunk of Manchego cheese, broken up

M: 4 x Spanish sausages (or equivalent tasty sausages)

Chunk of Chorizo, chopped

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Stir in the paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and butter beans and a tin full of water. Give it a good stir before adding a dash of wine and seasoning.  Bring to the boil and leave bubbling for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the spinach at the end and divide the sauce between two casserole dishes.

Meanwhile…

V: Fry the vegetarian sausages on a medium heat for about 10 minutes.

M: Fry the Spanish sausages on a medium heat for about 10 minutes and add the chorizo for a minute at the end.

Add the vegetarian sausages to one casserole dish and the vegetarian ones to the other. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.

V: Sprinkle over the Manchego cheese before serving.

Oven Baked Aubergine/Fish

Oven Baked Aubergine

I have recently rediscovered the wonderful versatility of the aubergine. With the Vegetarian option of this dish, as you slice open the purple skin of the aubergine, nestling on a bed of vegetables, the white flesh is a great contrast in colour, and the texture is like that of a fish and works as a great alternative. 

The savoury sauce adds great flavour to the fillet of aubergine/fish in this simple dish. The sultanas (if used) give a Mallorcan twist, providing a sweet richness.

Serves: 1 Vegetarian, 1 Pescatarian

 

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced

1 large tomato, skinned and chopped

1 glass dry white wine

Olive oil

Handful fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Handful sultanas (optional)

V: 1 aubergine

P: Firm textured white fish fillet – cod, haddock, sea bream

P: Gut the fish and discard the innards, if the fish monger hasn’t already.

Fry the onion and green bell pepper in a little olive oil until soft but not coloured, adding the garlic towards the end of cooking.  Add the wine, tomato, herbs and season to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add water is necessary, to keep the sauce moist. Divide the sauce.

V: Place the aubergine in an oven proof dish and pour over half the sauce. Cook covered in the oven for 40 minutes. 

Wait about 20 minutes before adding the fish version (see below). 

P: Place the fish in an oven proof dish and pour over the rest of the sauce. Cook covered in the oven for 20 minutes. Check it’s cooked before serving as size of fish and temperature are variable.

Mallorcan rice

Mallorcan Rice

The Spanish have many rice dishes, paella being the most popular and renowned. This delicate Mallorcan rice dish is full of varied textures and works well both as a light lunch with salad or as a side dish. I served it with a juicy Mallorca oven-baked fish/aubergine dish.

Serves 2

½ litre vegetable stock                 

200 g long grain rice (100g per person)

2 potatoes, peeled, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled, lightly crushed

2 tomatoes, halved

Handful, Chickpeas from a tin (if using dried, soak over-night before cooking)

Sea salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Fry garlic and potatoes in a little olive oil, until slightly soft. Add the halved tomatoes, chickpeas and rice and continue frying for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over the boiling stock, stir together and transfer to an oven dish. Bake covered for approx 18 minutes.

A Week in Mallorca Without The Vegetarian

Campari Soda a la Playa

To begin my week without The Vegetarian in Deia, Mallorca I enjoyed a Campari Soda (which became my daily afternoon drink on the beach) and a shared plate of Mariscos a la Plancha - Grilled Seafood from the fish restaurant at la Cala, Deia. This was a great way to test what was on offer and to help towards any decision making needed later in the week!

Mariscos a la Plancha

Clockwise from top left;

Langoustine -  Lobster- sweet fishy aroma with real depth

Gambas - King prawn - the freshest and most delicious I have tasted

Denton- Red Porgy -  delicate and light

Calamares - Squid - fresh, light, chewy, grilled to perfection

Rape - Monkfish -  chewy, meaty, dry, flavoursome  like a lobster

Chunk of lemon - fresh from a tree and picked that morning

Espada - Swordfish - steak of fish, light but filling fish steak, slightly oily

Cap roig - Scorpion fish- ugly red face, delicate cheeks, chewy flesh


All the fish was fresh from the sea and cooked to perfection. Perhaps 4 people could have shared the platter but after our 2 hour walk across the mountains we happily devoured the lot between two.

Ensalada Mixta

We were sure we couldn't touch the salad but that disappeared too and was a light refreshing end to the meal. Luckily we had another walk up the mountains to make us feel fit and ready for supper!

Mallorcan Flores

Llewelyn Feeding The Donkeys

One day we got up extra early and walked accross the mountains from Deia to Soller. It would have taken 4 hours but we bumped into my friend Llewelyn half way. After a coffee at his casita, he insisted we collect some veg from his terrace and have a taste test with the local donkey and its foal! We discovered that they like carrots but don't like green beans.

Mallorcan Brick-work

My Favourite Mallorcan Flower

After hours and hours of walking in the sun, we were starving and ready for a much deserved Paella de Marisocs and glass of Cava at one of the oldest restaurants in Soller - Es Canys.

Cava

Paella de Mariscos

Paella de Mariscos

A trip to Mallorca wouldn't be the same without a jug of Sangria...

Sangria a la Playa

...and of course, more Calamares a la Plancha.

Calamares a la Plancha