Spicie Foodie ™

Healthy, Fresh, and Delicious Recipes to Spice up Your Kitchen ™

Tapas, Fruit Sangria and Spain On My Mind

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spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

After a few weeks of cold, grey and rainy days summer weather is finally here. The warm weather makes me fantasize about our next holiday destination. Where will it be this year, where will we stay and most importantly what will we eat. In fact every time my husband and I plan a trip the first thing we research is the food.

This year our holiday plans are still up in the air. But a place that made it on our destinations list is Spain. We’d love to see the whole country, stay in a small hotel and really experience the magic of Spain and its people. You can’t beat the fact that the weather is marvelous and the food, oh the food. Though I haven’t been to Spain yet, Spanish cuisine has always been a favorite.

The first time I ate Spanish food was in a quaint cafe owned by a Spanish couple back in the states. I didn’t know what to expect or if it would be anything like Mexican cuisine. Being that I was unfamiliar with the food I asked my then boyfriend, now husband to order for us. He ordered tapas and he couldn’t have made a better choice. We had several vegetables, cheeses, sausages, meats and seafoods. All washed down with a pitcher of sangria. It was a meal I’ll never forget.

All the discussion and triggered memories of Spain and Spanish cuisine left me with a craving for tapas. They are small finger food or appetizers which you can serve at parties or for a Spanish fiesta (party). Tapas are also great for a light meal on a hot summer day.

Being in central Europe I don’t have access to many authentic Spanish ingredients. So the tapas you see here are adapted a bit to local ingredients. Regardless it was a very enjoyable meal.

spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

Melon con Jamon
cantaloupe or melon of choice
Jamon Serrano or any cured ham of your choice
sliced baguette or crusty bread, optional

In the photos you’ll see that the melon and ham served two ways. Either wrap the jam around the melon slices or for smaller bites place small slices on top of baguette brushed with olive oil.

spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

Pan Con Tomate or Toasted Bread with Tomato
tomatoes, halved
grilled baguette or crusty bread
olive oil
garlic cloves, peeled

Toast the bread in the oven or on a grill. Rub the raw garlic all around the toasted bread, then brush or drizzle with olive oil. Grate the tomato halves onto a bowl or plate, discard the skins. Spread grated tomato over toasted bread.

spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

Gildas or Anchovy, Olive and Peppers
Anchovies, I used a small can in olive oil
pitted green olives
roasted sweet red peppers, sliced
toothpicks
sliced baguette or crusty bread, optional
olive oil, optional

Thread the anchovies, olives and peppers through toothpicks. I found that serving the ingredients on small pieces of bread, rubbed with olive oil, helped make a nicer presentation. Additional they stood up and were easier to grab.

spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

Gambas al Ajillo or Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
for two people:
200 gm peeled shrimp * (I only had precooked shrimp)
3 tbp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
finely chopped half of red Habanero pepper or milder pepper of your choice
1 large lemon, juiced
splash of white wine, optional
finely chopped parsley, handful
salt to taste
sliced baguette or crusty bread to soak up sauce

1. Heat the olive oil, saute the Habanero or pepper of choice for 1 minute. Next add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, add the shrimp, pour the lemon juice into the pan and cook until shrimp is cooked through. If you’ve used precooked shrimp like I have cook for 5 minutes before taking off the heat. Serve with baguette or crusty bread.

spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

Non-Alcoholic Fruit Sangria
1 nectarine, sliced
1 medium orange, sliced
2 small slices of melon, cubed
about 1 cup roughly chopped pinepple, adjust to taste
3 cups sparkling water or seltzer water
1.5 cup apple juice (use 100% kind)
ice cubes
large pitcher

Place fruit and a few ice cubes in pitcher. Pour the juice then sparkling water and give it a stir. Serve over ice. The sangria was naturally sweetened by the fruit and juice, if you would like it sweeter feel free to add sugar.

Our mini Spanish feast was so delicious and light, which is exactly the meal I wanted on this hot day. My husband loved everything, specially the super spicy shrimp. It was worth the chile finger burn.

spanish tapas, fruit sangria, Spicie Foodie

I can’t wait to go to Spain and stuff my belly with every type of tapas that cross my path. Buen provecho!

Comments

  4. This is a very impressive spread! I absolutely adore tapas. It’s my nature to want to try everything. If you go to Spain I am going to be very jealous! It’s on my bucket list for sure.

  6. What a fabulous post! I love Spain and its old world charms and its exquisite food. Nowhere else would bread with tomato smear taste so good. Fantastic photos, as always.

  8. I just came back from a short holiday to Barcelona….the food was awesome…would love to explore other parts of Spain too….hope you have a great holiday….love the food photos :-)

  10. Beautiful tapas! And that sangria is amazing! How brilliant to use apple juice instead of wine for a non-alcoholic version :-). Certainly something to make for a picnic on a nice summer day. It’s perfect because you’re not allowed to drink alcohol on public beaches here :-)

    • Hi Elana,

      Thank you! I have to say that even though I love alcoholic sangria I didn’t miss it at all. The juice was a great substitute. Oh gosh no alcohol on public beaches? Geesh that sucks:(

  12. I absolutely enjoy the warmth of your photos. The tapas .. the sangria .. the way you styled it .. makes me wanna join the party :)

  13. I love this! I’ve never had authentic tapas, and my friends who have had tapas tell me they’re delicious and a fun experience! It’d be great to do a tapas night at home with friends and wine/cocktails. This post is beautiful and inspires me to try something new! Thanks!

  15. Wonderful photos as always. I love the tapas concept. My only problem in Spain is that the Spanish eat sooooooo late! Sometimes it is hard to get good tapas early enough for me! I, too, plan my trips around food. It is reassuring to know that others exist who do the same!

    • Hi Victoria,

      Thanks! Yes they do eat late. We are night owls so that’s not a problem for us. Lol, good to know there are others alike:)

  16. Like many others, I love tapas. It’s always a pleasure to be able to sample many different flavours in one meal. I can see you had fun arranging the Gildas but the prawns would be my favorite here.
    When we went on a road trip through Spain, we ate paella every lunchtime, washed down by a few glasses of white wine. We would then sleepily crawl back into the car, drive to the nearest camping site and set up our tent and go to sleep. Great memories.

    • Hi Suzanne,

      Sampling many different flavours at once is my favorite way of eating, that’s why I love tapas so much. Oh Paella! It’s hubby’s favorite and he would do just as you did on your road trip.

  19. Having been brought up on Northern European smorgasbords, the ‘bits and pieces’ approach of Spanish tapas has always attracted me. Same idea, different flavours :) ! Fond memories of walking around Madrid’s squares from one tapa bar to another! Sangria: have drunk, have made, prefer a straight dry wine – many Spanish ones stick right to your palate!! And, oh yes, have planned many a trip right around food :D !!

    • Hi Eha,

      I love to eat like that so I know I’d love your Northern European smorgasbords too. Spanish wines are definitely some of the best.

  22. This is a beautiful and delicious post! I would love nothing more than to share this delightful meal! It just looks so refreshing and filling. Blessings to you, your friend, Catherine xo

  24. LOVE THIS POST!! Tapas is one of my favorite choices when we go eat out, and your recipes are all awesome (I pinned them all. =D). I only wish to visit Spain one day… I studied Spanish for 2 years because I wanted to go to Spain!

    • Hi Nami,

      Thank you so much. I saw all your pins wow-thanks:) So you are set for your visit to Spain. I hope you make it over very soon.

  27. you live in europe. you speak spanish. you really should go to spain for all the rest of us who can’t :) (although i do speak broken spanish!)

  28. I planned to make some sangria last weekend but never got around to it. It’s just as well. It would not have been the same without all the mouthwatering tapas you put together here. I’m drooling over each one.

    I’m excited for you to go to Spain. I have been wanting to return and hope that one year it will happen. Can I be your third wheel?! :)

  29. Looks like perfect party fare!! I love the non-alcoholic sangria too. :) We are having a heat wave here so I would really enjoy this. :)

  30. This looks so appetizing and colorful. Simple too. I might have to do a small tapas plate for dinner tomorrow.

  32. Tapas are some of my favorite foods! We’re lucky here as we have several good tapas places where we live. Gambas al ajillo, fantastic! And I love sangría… the alcoholic kind, that is… ;=)

  33. That’s funny – Spain is on our short list of vacation destinations as well. I know … the food! Love your tapas feast : )

  34. The sangria looks amazing, but the spicy shrimp is super tempting. We love tapas, little bites bursting with flavor. Can’t wait to see your vacation pics!

  37. It all looks beautiful and delicious but I must say the Gildas or Anchovy, Olive and Peppers is a work of art. I keep going back just to look at it!

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