“If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don’t be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning ‘Good morning’ at total strangers.” ~
I’ve been thinking a lot about the little things here lately. Maybe it’s because the big things seem far beyond my control and beyond the control of many. Wouldn’t we be surprised to find that in the end it was the small things that truly shaped us and had the most lasting effect on our lives.
I’m not from a people who are prone to compliment, but one compliment that I’ve received most in my life is about my smile. I didn’t realize the significance of that until later in my life. Have you ever been around people who are stingy with their smile. We don’t think of it often when we are with people who are just acquaintances, but in your home smiles are everything. It’s like letting the sunshine in; it changes the atmosphere in an instant.
This recipe I’m sharing with you was given to me by a good friend whose smile stays with me and comes to mind whenever I think of her. The recipe itself is like a friendship, warm and comfortable, uncomplicated and beneficial to the core. It comes from one of the finest wine growing areas of Spain – La Rioja. It’s Spanish comfort food and will produce plenty of smiles from those gathered around its steaming pot. I do hope you give it a try.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into bite-sized chunks
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
6 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp hot Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Saute the onions and the green bell pepppers in the hot oil until they start to brown.
Add the garlic, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes and cook stirring for 30 seconds Stir in the wine.
Add the potatoes, chorizo and bay leaf and stir. Cover with enough water to barely cover the potatoes.
Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Serve in shallow soup bowls.
Enjoy!
Patatas a la Riojana
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into bite-sized chunks
- 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 6 ounces Spanish chorizo sliced into 1/2″ pieces
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 1/2 tsp hot Spanish paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Saute the onions and the green bell peppers in the hot oil until they start to brown.
- Add the garlic, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes and cook stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine.
- Add the potatoes, chorizo and bay leaf and stir. Cover with enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Serve in shallow soup bowls.
- Enjoy!
- *If you happen to have a guindilla pepper it can be added instead of the crushed pepper or cayenne.
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
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