Espinagada. Majorcan Pie

With this basic pastry dough you can make a variety of pies.
In Majorca there are as many variations as there are cooks.
The name literally means 'full of spinach' and the vegetables can be combined with fish or pork.

For the pastry:

• 100 gr melted lard or butter
• 100 ml olive oil
• 200 ml orange juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• flour, between 300-350 grams
  

Mix all of the ingredients for the pastry with a fork in a bowl, this way you can avoid getting your hands too dirty. Start with a little flour at a time until the pastry comes together. Once it starts to form a dough, finish with your hands. Handle it as little as possible.

Make a ball with the pastry, cover in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling:

• 200 gr shredded spinach
  
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 2 cans of tuna in oil
• salt, pepper, chili flakes to taste
  

Fry the onion gently in a little oil, for about 5 minutes until starting to colour. Add the shredded spinach, cook for a further 3 minutes. Season and turn off the heat.
Now mix the spinach with the tuna. Let it cool down.

Cut the pastry in two equal pieces. Roll out half of the pastry and use it to line a greased shallow pie plate. Place the stuffing on the pastry.
Roll out another circle of pastry and place on top of the vegetables. Crimp the pie closed.

Bake for 35 minutes at 180ºC.
Serve hot or cold.

Posh Beef Burgers

Serve with chutney or ketchup
Ingredients for 4:

• 400 gr minced beef
• 1 small onion, chopped finely or grated
  
• 2 slices french bread, dipped in a little milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
  
• pinch of pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to begin with and then use your hands.
Shape the mince mix into four burgers.
Fry the burgers in a little oil over a low heat, for 6-7 minutes on each side, until firm to the touch.

Serve the burgers hot, with chips and a selection of mustard, chutney and ketchup.

Creamy Rice Soup

Creamy rice, perfect for a cold winter day
Takes 20 minutes to make

Use any mix of vegetables you might have in the refrigerator.
What gives this soup its creaminess is the evaporated milk.

Ingredients for 4:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 artichokes, peeled and cut into 12
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 100 gr mushrooms, sliced
• 75 gr rice

Fry the onion and the rest of the vegetables for 5 minutes until starting to brown. Add the stock and the evaporated milk.
Bring to the boil and add the rice. Cook for 12-15 minutes and serve hot.


Nutritional facts of dairy:

Milk and dairy foods are healthy foods and considered nutrient-rich because they serve as good sources of calcium and vitamin D as well as protein and other essential nutrients. They provide phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B12, and riboflavin1.

The calcium in milk, yogurt and cheese is significant yet most people don't get enough calcium or vitamin D each day2. Getting the recommended three servings of dairy per day can help build bone mass, leading to improved bone health throughout the life cycle. 

Majorcan Pudding

This is a variation of a classic Majorcan dessert. You can find this in restaurants under the name 'house pudding'. It is simply a flavoured baked custard that uses up leftover pieces of cake.
Any flavour cake will do.

• 4 eggs
• 75 gr sugar
• 750 ml milk
• juice of 1 orange
• 2-3 slices of day old sponge cake or similar

For the caramel:

• 100 gr sugar

Make a caramel by heating up the sugar in a pan. Do not add any water; after around 5 minutes the sugar will turn into caramel, just shake the pan to ensure that all of the crystals caramelize.
Turn the heat off and pour the caramel on the bottom of a 1.5 litre ovenproof baking tray.

Arrange the cake slices over the caramel.

Beat the eggs and mix with the sugar, orange juice and milk.

Pour the egg mix through a sieve over the cake slices. Cover with aluminium foil.
Place the baking tray inside a larger tray and put both in the oven. Pour water into the larger tray to make a bain Marie.

Bake at 180ºCentigrade for 45 minutes until set.
Take the custard out of the oven and let it get cold before refrigerating.
Turn the custard out on a serving plate just before serving.

Beef in Red Wine Sauce

This is a rich and delicious meat stew to serve with tagliatelle.
Will also go very well with mashed potatoes or polenta.
It is even better when made a day or two ahead.

For 6-8 people:

• 500 gr stewing beef
• 500 ml red wine
• 300 ml tomato pasata
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt, pepper
• oregano, to taste

Fry the onion in a little olive oil for 10 minutes until it begins to caramelize.
Cut the beef into chunks, add to the onion and brown for a few minutes. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.
Add the tomato and red wine to the pan, bring to the boil and cover.
Simmer gently for 2 hours or more, until the meat is tender and breaks easily with a fork.
Check the seasoning and turn off the heat.

To serve:
Serve this stew with tagliatelle and grated parmesan.