This is a traditional recipe from Toledo, the old and famous city in Spain, very important place that once was the main city for  muslims, jews and christians, living all together.  It was too the Spain`s Capital during the reign of the Visigoths in Spain, which took place from mid-5th century until the beginning of the 8th century. It is a very easy recipe and very tasty.

INGREDIENTS:
500 grs. beef cut into cubes.
100 grs. peas.
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, grated.
2 cloves of garlic, chopped.
50 grs. of Spanish chorizo cut into small cubes.
1/2 red pepper cut in two.
100 grs. Spanish Serrano ham cut into small cubes.
1 small glass of white wine.
Oregan


METHOD:
In a frying pan, put five spoons of olive oil. When is hot, fry the meat slightly and put aside in a pan.  Add some salt, carefully because the ham and chorizo will bring lot of salt to the stew.
In the same oil, fry the pepper. Put in the pan. Add to the frying pan chorizo and ham and turn four or five times.  Add the onion, tomato and garlic and low the heat.  Fry for a couple of minutes and add the wine.  Mix well and leave for a minute to evaporate the alcohol.  Now,  put everything into the saucepan and add the peas and water enough to cover the meat and a little  more.  Bring to the boil for 1 hour or so, until the meat is tender (the time will depend on the type of meat).  You have to control the water, it should be a sauce not too liquid.
Check the salt and one minute before serve, sprinkle a bit of oregano. 

The word "cocido" in Spanish means "boiled".  There are a lot of "boiled" recipes in Spain, but this is the only one to be called like that.  It is quite different in every part of Spain, changing the ingredients from the North to the South, even in every home !  Actually, this meal consists in two dishes:  everything is cooked at the same time, but then, the liquid part is separated and is cooked with some thin noodles, and is your first course; your second course is the rest of ingredients.   It seems to be a very long recipe, lots of ingredients, two different plates, etc, but you will see at the end how easy is it to cook this traditional and very popular Spanish meal. This is my version.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400 grs. of dried chickpeas.
• 2 - 3  potatoes peeled, whole.
• 200 grs. of green beans (fresh beans), cut into small pieces
• 2 celery stalks cut into small pieces.
• 2 carrots cut in pieces.
• 2 cloves of garlic, laminated.
• 200 grs. of beef in one piece.
• 2 chicken thighs in one piece each.
• 6 cms. of Spanish chorizo, cut into 2 or 3 pieces
• 2 chicken livers, whole (optional).
• 1 hardboiled egg (optional).
• 1/2 coffee spoon of Spanish saffron.
• 1 spoonful of Cúrcuma or Turmeric, for the color
• Fresh parsley or coriander.
• Noodles (about a handful per person).
  
  
  

METHOD:

First of all,  the night before put the chickpeas in a big bowl and cover with plenty of water. From a tin is OK (you don`t have to put the cheackpeas in water) reducing the time of cooking.


Next day, put the chickpeas, potatoes and vegetables in a big saucepan.  Then, the meat, chicken, chorizo and chicken livers.  Add curcuma to give a little color and salt to your taste.  Bring to the boil and remove the "foam" that will begin to rise to the surface.  Do this for a few minutes and add the garlic and the saffron.  Close the saucepan and boil until the chickpeas are tender.  Check from time to time  the liquid and add some more water if necessary.  It´ll take quite a long time to cook it in an ordinary saucepan, maybe more than one hour,  that´s why I recommend the pressure cooker; which would take 20 mins. If you use the chickpeas from a tin, reduce the time and the water. It would take then only about 30  mins. but the taste would`nt be the same.
Now, remove the "consome" to another saucepan and when it is boiling, add the noodles and chopped parsley.  Into each plate of "consome" add chopped chicken livers and some chopped egg.  When the noodles are cooked, serve this first dish.


The main plate will consist of chickpeas, potato, vegetables, chorizo and meat.  Add olive oil, ground pepper and lemon juice or vinegar to taste.
All this sounds very long, but in fact is very easy !

• 750 grs. mince meat 
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs 
• 60 grs. pine nuts (piñones)
• 100 grs. mushrooms, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 big tomato, grated 
• 1 glass of white wine 
• 100 grs. peas 
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated 
• salt, pepper, cinnamon, parsley

SPANISH PAELLA DE VERDURAS (SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS)

• 1 big red pepper, cut into four.
• 1 big tomato, grated.
• 2 artichokes, each cut into four.
• 100 grs. of green beans fresh.
• 200 grs. of cauliflower,cut into not very small sprigs
• 2 cloves of garlic cut into slices.
• Fresh parsley or coriander.
• 1/2 teaspoon of Spanish saffron.
• 1 glass of rice
• A pinch of turmeric
• 4-5 spoons of olive oil
• 50 grs. of peas

INGREDIENTS:

• 200 grs. flour (not self-raising flour)
• 1/2 glass of olive oil
• 1/2 glass of white wine (you can use beer instead)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (Pimentón de La Vera)
• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped.
• 3 small tins of tuna in oil (or 150 grs.), chopped.
• 1 tin of 50 grs. of peas. (optional)
• 400 grs. of a very good, thick, tomato sauce.

METHOD:
Switcht on the oven, 200º C.
In a bowl, put in the flour, paprika and salt and mix well.  Add the oil and wine  and mix to make the dough, not too sticky.   Leave aside.


   In another bowl, mix the tuna and tomato.
   On a floured surface, roll out the dough  until it is about 4-5 mm. of thickness.


Use a mold, eg., a saucer or a plate,  to cut it to the size that you want for your empanadas.
In the center of the pieces of dough, put the tomato-tuna mixture, a little chopped egg and some peas.  Don´t put in too much, or it will be difficult to close.
Fold over the circle of dough and press the edges well with a fork.
Flour a baking tray and put in the empanadas,  not touching each other and bake for about 20-25 mins.
Enjoy with a glass of wine !

INGREDIENTS

• 2 glasses of chickpeas (from a tin is OK)
• 1 glass of beans (from a tin is OK)
• 1 big aubergine, not peeled, cut into big cubes.
• 150 grs. of green beans cut into small pieces.
• 150 grs. of pumpkin, peeled, in one piece
• 1 big tomato, cut in half
• 1 small Spanish onion, cut into four pieces
• 1 green pepper, cut into four pieces
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into not very small pieces.
• 1 whole pear (yes, a pear), in one piece.
• 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika. (you can use a little of hot paprika as well)
• 1 tablespoon of dried mint
• 1/2 glass of olive oil
• salt to your taste

METHOD:
It is so easy !  To make the Spanish "Olla gitana", all  you have to do is put all the ingredients in a saucepan , cover with water, (enough to cover the chickpeas and beans and a little more), and boil until the vegetables are cooked.  Check the salt and liquid and to serve, add a little lemon juice.

Sometimes, I mix the pumpkin with a clove of grated garlic and salt, it is great spread on  bread.