Blooming daffodils, tulips, and cherry trees are all over Seattle neighborhoods right now. Even with some allergy side effects, their cheeriness and beauty lift my spirits.
Nourishing Weeknight Meals – The longer spring days bring more fun activities. Keep these ingredients on hand and you’ll have a simple dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes! Items in bold are available at Paris-Madrid Grocery.
Butifarra, Merguez, Bistro, Catalan sausages
Aneto chicken, vegetable or fish broth
Chorizo Bilbao
Canned Spanish tuna
Short grained rice
Cooked and jarred lentils or white beans
Fredesvinto Tomate Frito
Ybarra Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Serpis or Ybarra pitted or stuffed Manzanilla Olives
Valfleuri egg pasta from Alsace or Romero Spanish noodles
Saffron
Torpedo sandwich bread
Garlic
Onions
Parsley
Cream
Combine specific ingredients from the above list to make the following dishes or invent your own. (Adding grated hard cheese will make many of these dishes even better.)
Oven-baked lentils with pan-seared chorizo
Cooked pasta tossed with heated Tomate Frito and warmed sausage
Rice simmered in broth, onions, and garlic with canned Albo tuna and parsley
Spanish Tuna and noodles
White beans baked with spicy Merguez sausages, tomate frito, and chopped olives
Cooked pasta with cream, grated cheese, garlic, and saffron sauce (Macaroni and cheese for grown-ups)
Grilled sausages on torpedo bread
WINE CORNER:
Muga Rioja Rosado 2020 ($15.99) We don’t know when the 2021 Muga Rosado will be here, but the 2020 vintage is drinking beautifully. Light and fresh with notes of wild berry, this mineral-laden rosé always over-delivers.
Prunus 2018, Dâo red blend ($12.99) A tasty and versatile Portuguese blend that pairs well with meats and vegetable dishes. Shows bright red fruit with mushroom and earth aromas. With a silky texture and soft tannins, the finish offers up tasty Asian spice notes on the finish. It’s a superb value.
Espera Castelão 2018, Lisboa ($21.99) is a hearty red wine from the Lisboa region, made by a husband and wife duo. Their 5-hectare winery produces 4 wines, made with a “slow wine” philosophy in which each wine and vintage is allowed to fully express itself. A complex and structured red wine made of 100% Castelao (also known as Perequita), it undergoes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and is aged for 12 months in neutral French oak. Fresh and approachable, it shows the aromas of ripe cherry. Flavors of black fruit and flint are concentrated with nuances of minerals that continue to evolve. The lengthy finish has grip and freshness. Great with hearty foods.