An apple Vichyssoise to bring the temperatures down...

Today's recipe today, sent by Cesar Benavides, is the first contribution of our blog followers': a cold soup to cool the temperatures which are still above the 30ºC outside...

Among the many recipes Vichyssoise this is a great summer suggestion replacing the potatoes by the apples which turns this soup lighter for a summer evening and the rest of the bikini operation !

You will need:

4 large leeks, 

3 apples (you can use Golden or starking, for instance)

75 ml of extra virgin oil

200 ml of cream

700 ml chicken stock (see recipe in previous post)

Salt and pepper

Start by washing the leek, and slice white part. Sauté a little avoiding it to get colour and add the apples previously peeled and diced. Add the chicken stock and let it boil for about 15 minutes. Grind it, add the cream, let it boil again for about 5 minutes, and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper. Remove, let cool reserve it in the fridge.

Serve the soup very cold, with freshly ground black pepper. (Alternatively you can also add a bit of chopped chives).

Basic Preparations: Home-made Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock is one of the most used basic preparations on cooking. You can normally use it on cubes, liquid or you can do it at home, as it is much more easy you may think.

You will need (for 1L of stock):
- 1 chicken skeleton
- 2 carrots 
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 medium onion

peel the onion and the carrots and cut it in two halves, put all the ingredients in a pan with 2,5 litres of water and let it boil. when it starts to boil take the impurities out. Let it cook for about 1,5 hours. Pass it through a strainer and it is ready to use.

Tip: If you have enough space in the freezer prepare larger quantities and reserve it for a next time.

Maye's Bistró, unique burgers in Madrid!

Last week I had a special request at home! We should go to a burger restaurant for dinner, so I started to look for new places to go outside "our 10 minutes public transport area" as August is perfect to use the car in Madrid. Although I thought that in August there would be no need to make reservation, we called to book a table in the terrace. What a wise decision, because when we arrived all the tables were booked, the first positive indicator of the quality of this restaurant...

As we went on a normal weekday dinner we only asked for two burgers: Mark Twain and Orson Wells, both with delicious home-made French fries...

The delicious food, excellent service in a terrace in a wonderfull summer night...could we ask for anything else?

An excellent surprise that entered directly for our top burger restaurants in Madrid...

Where?

Paseo Tierra Melide 13 Madrid, España 

Tube: Las Tablas 10

Tel: +34912 87 62 72

www.mayesbistro.es

Cold Carrot Soup with philadelphia cheese and chives

As we are still in the middle of the summer, today I bring you a cold carrot soup with Philadelphia cheese and chives, a recipe of the Portuguese chef José Avillez.

You will need ... (4 people)

600 gr carrot

100 gr leek

60 gr of philadelphia cheese light 

50 gr butter

20 gr of chives

salt and freshly ground pepper qs

Cut the sliced ​​leeks and carrots previously peeled and sauté it in a pan with a bit of butter. Cover with water and boil it until they are well cooked. Remove from the heat and grind it.

Bring it back to the boil and season it. Remove from heat, add the philadelphia cheese, stirring until it is well connected and creamy.  keep it in the refrigerator. Serve cold and dredge chopped chives and a freshly ground black pepper.

Tomato, avocado and edible crab Salad

Today I bring you another recipe from Chef José Avillez: a great salad for hot summer days, light and fresh, to keep yourself in good shape!

You will need:

400 gr of good quality tomatoes

200 gr avocado

300 gr of cooked edible crab pincers

Basil 

salt 

pepper

salt qs

lime juice

extra virgin olive oil

With the aid of an appropriate tool remove the interior  of the edible crab pincers. Season with extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, sea salt and pepper and reserve.

Cut the tomatoes in tiny half moons, peel the avocado and cut it also into half moons.

In a dish alternate the slices of tomato with the avocado and season it with lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper. Add the edible crab and cover with some basil leaves. 

Serve it immediately!

Fresh Melon Soup!

Today it was a typical summer morning, with more than 30ºC outside what better than cold and easy soup to bring the temperature down?

Even if cooking it's not your type you have no excuse to avoid this soup as this could not be easier...

You will need (for two persons)

1/2 melon

ham

salt

Grind the melon , adding a bit of salt and reserve it in the fridge. Serve it cold with small pieces of ham!

Tip: You can also serve it in small shot glasses as an appetizer...

Gazpacho!

It may seem incredible but it took me five years living in Spain to prepare my first Gazpacho... Perhaps because it is almost 11 o'clock in the evening and there are still 30 degrees outside...

You will need (for 4 people):

6 ripe tomatoes

40 g of peeled cucumber

50 g red pepper clean

1/2 slice of bread

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

70 ml of olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 peeled onion

2 cloves of garlic

Crouton

salt and pepper to taste

100 ml water

Peel the garlic, removing the germ (inner part) and clarify three times starting always with cold water. Mince the onion, cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes, bread, garlic and water. Add olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well and store in refrigerator.

Serve as a cold soup with croutons, or as starter in a shot glass...