101 - Sweet Potato Skewers

This is an incredibly blurry picture but believe me these were as tasty as the photograph is awful! A vegetarian dish to mark this Dalmatian dominated milestone. Also happy with the fact I've finally caught up with documenting the blog and with the mountains of work I've had to do. I'm so incredibly exhausted and can relax and take the remainder of the night off catching up with Masterchef Australia...

The Verdict:
Lovely to have a vegetarian option which is so full of flavor and texture. Excellent. Now to relax and return to eating Mango Sorbet!

Taste:                   4/5 Goood!
Cost:                    4/5 Incredibly Decent!
Speed of Service: 4/5 Unreal
Magic:                  4/5 Great Veg Option!

100 - Chili Prawns [Gambas Picantes]

Woohoo! 100 dishes done! Time for a celebration. So it was to work I went and celebrated with a glass of sparkling wine and the gorgeous prawn starter. Such a welcome relief from the crazy month and honestly can't believe its been 100 days already. Exciting. 

The Verdict:
Celebration! 
Taste:        4/5 Really Lovely Prawns
Cost:           3/5 Decent for The Size
Service:      3/5 Hello Work
magic:     3.5/5 Great Start!

99 - Chicken Skewers [Brochetas de Pollo]

Next best thing in this weather than having a BBQ when time is limited! Once agin this was an M&S affair. I think its great that supermarkets are now doing tapas, much less heavy but little nibbles of flavour which can be eaten individually or with company. Ok so they're not as great as home or restaurant made but its a quick fix option which makes a girl on the move like me very happy!


The Verdict:
Tasty, sticky, and yummy. Solid Boom.

Taste: 4/5 Chili Chicken Yum
Cost:  3/5 Very Reasonable.
Visual: 3/5 Tasty!
Magic: 4/5 Pretty Good

98 - Squid and Potato [Calamari y Patata]

Another simple, tasty one for a rushed and insanely weekend. Possibly cheating but after an aeful few days of arguments, work stress and feeling ill I was looking for an easy option. This was supermarket bought from my former employer M&S. How will their dish stand up in the search for Tapas?

The Verdict:
Ok this was pretty good but perhaps not as exciting as I was hoping. For a supermarket version it was pretty authentic and would not offend a crowd. Pleasing and well balanced I feel that it needed an extra something but worked and given the nature of the day I was having, the food was the last thing I felt like criticizing!

Taste: 3.5/5 Solid
Cost:  4/5 Not Bad
Visual: 3/5 Red!
Magic: 3/5 Works! 

97 - Scallops and Black Pudding [ Vieiras y Morcilla]

Two of my favourite things in a lovely flavour combination which always makes me smile. Given my crazy moods/life recently this is just what I need! That and apparently a lot of Mango based sobert, juice and ice-lollies!

The Verdict:
As good as I was expecting and muchly needed! 
Taste:  5/5 My Personal Favourite
Time:   4/5 7 mins
Visual: 4/5 Balance
Magic: 4/5 Yes!






Ps. I've had this picture for a while but could be used today as a creative food tribute to a scot winning Wimbledon... as created by my friend and former workmate Michael Proctor...

96 - Pork Balls [Bolas de Cerdo]

The bonus of passing through home is that sometimes results in one not having to cook for themselves. Bonus especially when ones parents have been house-hunting in Mediterranean and come back with a new found love for regional food. This dish I did not make but I ahve it on authority how it was made and the verdict is fair!

The Verdict:
While pork is not my favourite meat, these were tasty, far from dry and went well with the juicy, tomato and celery-based sauce. Only downside was the broccoli addition which is a vegetable I have serious beef with..


Taste: 3.5/5 Porky
Time:     3/5 15 Mins
Visual:    4/5 Held it together better than my meatballs! 
Magic:    3/5 Good Balance of Herbs and Juice 

95 - Langoustines [Langostines]

The best kind of Mediterranean and indeed any kind of seafood is perfectly cooked and light, with the beauty and delicacy of the creature itself being the shining glory in the dish. This was such. Having found myself in the glorious Scottish Highlands it was definitely a great idea to sample some of teh West Coasts best produce.
The Verdict:
How to destroy a plate. Incredible. Just Incredible. 

Taste:                      5/5 Beautiful
Cost:                       4/5 Bargain
Speed of Service: 3.5/5 Great!
Magic :                 4.5/5 Lovely

94 - Egg and Mustard [Huevo y Mostaza]

Another egg based dish. It had been a few days and well in the morning when time is limited its not a bad thing! 

The Verdict:
Incredibly sick of eggs. Even the smell of cooking eggs is making me feel a bit queasy. Still a commitment to a mission matches my stubbornness and getting it out of teh way at breakfast is a pretty sensible start to a day!

Taste:    3/5 More Eggs
Time:  4.5/5  5 Mins
Visual:   3/5 Eggy
Magic:   3/5 Almost!

93 - Minced Lamb and Fried Potatos [Picada Cordero y Patatas Fritas]

Crazy working hours plus hot weather has resulted in my suffering from mild death. I'm also attributing it to a lack of actual substance in my life and so time for some meat. [which weirdly reminds me of an awful animation my team made in 3rd year about a squid and a chicken, this time though lamb is the choice meat [and completely not because it was on offer in the supermarket at all...ahem...]

The Verdict:
Warming, spicy, satisfying and using mince instead of beef gives it a depth of flavour making it far more interesting than 
Taste:    4/5 Meat was Definitely Required!
Time:    2/5 25 mins
Visual:  3.5/5 Not Bad!
Magic:     4/5 Pretty Heartwarming 

P.S. Snow Egg! Been meaning to get this online, and thought I already had! This was dessert I had at the loveliest wedding between my good friend Alison and her beau. Totally gorgeous and the dessert was pretty yummy. A snow egg has all the gooey-ness of a desconstructed meringue which has run head on into a coconut. Ace! Also continued congratulations to the lovely Mrs Alison Gilbert (nee White)! Best. Wedding. Ever. 

92 - Sardine and Tomato [Sardinas y Tomate Tapa]

Hmm... Sardines. Big in Portugal, less so in my kitchen. I have had to re-asses my feelings towards them recently [a view which was previously entirely based on a naive view that canned sardines and pilchards were only fit for poor students and drunken fathers] for in their defence when I have eaten them in Portugal they have been incredibly tasty, albeit everywhere. This is a light, brushetta-style dish which is light and oily and summery.

The Verdict:
Grilled and seasoned well, the sardines were crispy and despite having a slight bone issue was a lovely salty addition to the toasted bread and fresh tomatoes. Overall, not my favourite fish but a staple satisfying dish! 


Taste: 3.5/5 Fishy Toast
Time:     3/5 15 Mins
Visual:   3/5 Bit Weird
Magic:   3/5 Solid Effort

91 - Sweet Rice [Dulce de Arroz]

Time for an Andulucian rice salad. Was slightly unconvinced by anchovies and sultanas but am always game to try, especially when its warm and one can almost feel they are in Southern Spain!


The Verdict:
Weird but it works. Sweet and fishy but it works. I don't know why either!

Taste:  3/5 Odd.
Time:  2/5 40 mins
Visual: 3/5 Yellow
Magic: 4/5 Surprising Fusion

90 - Cheese Stuffed Peppers [Queso Pimientos Rellenos]

Another quick bite on the move! In this heat who wants/needs to eat anyway! Happy days, this dish was quick, uncomplicated, fun, colourful and not entirely un-summery!

The Verdict:
Oh yum. Love these. Even tried a version a day later incorporating sweet chili and the variations in soft cheese and the flavours make the perfect compliment to the small sour peppers. Refreshing, tangy, creamy and incredibly moreish!

Taste:      4/5 Loved These
Time:   2.5/5 20 mins 
Visual:    4/5  Tantalizingly Cute
Magic:  3.5/5 You Betcha

89 - Plate of Stuff [Plato de Cosas]

So this is pretty epic. Its also a starter in one of the restaurants I'm working between freelancing jobs. I also had the opportunity to eat there and it did not disappoint [even if we have dropped a few trip-advisor ratings to #15...shhhh]

The Verdict:
Believe it or not this is for one. There is a sharing version that is even more ridiculous. OI feel the bread let it down but for a home-made affair its allowed to be pale. Epic. Massive. Yummy.

Taste:                   4/5 Well seriously...what's not to love?!
Cost:                     3/5 [Its a BYOB restaurant so prices hiked slightly]
Speed of Service: 3/5 Relaxed and Decent
Magic:                  4/5 Looks unreal.

88 - Egg and Tomato Salad [Huevos y Tomate Ensalata]

Day 2 of the salad bar. This time something a bit more fresh. There is something weird about making a small tapas dish for a large audience. Though I've become incredibly quick at cutting tomatoes. Another weird skill I've gained. I much prefer this to the 30 cucumbers I had to cute up before making thsi one and overall this salad was definitely more my cup of tea..

The Verdict:
Fresh, tasty, crushy and juicy. Nice balance of flavours. Basically everything I want from a salad. Not as popular with the punters though but I guess that is their loss..

Taste: 4/5 Crunchy Sweet
Time:  3/5 10 Mins
Vicual: 3/5 Fresh
Magic: 3/5 Good Salad

87 - Russian Salad [Ensalada Rusa]

Once again another tapas recipe to fulfill one of my works requirements. Today at my lunchtime job I was put in charge of the salad bar. Which sounds a bit dull but with regards to tapas it was pretty handy. Lots of fresh ingredients and plenty opportunity to fill up little pots with well...stuff. This is a potato salad called a Russsian salad for some reason that uses an unhealthy amount of mayonnaise and potato. I'm always reminded of an ex of mine who used to love the M+S version of this stuff. For this one though I made my own mayonnaise too which was fun and well it all got eaten by the customers too so can't have been that bad...

The Verdict:
While I like mayonnaise in moderation I always find these salads a bit much. Still it was quick to make, popular and tasted very acceptable. 

Taste: 2.5/5 Peas and Mayonnaise - not really my thing
Time: 2.5/5 Quicker if using pre-made mayonnaise
Visual : 3/5 White Potato
Magic:  3/5 Well it Sold Out 

86 - Tortilla 'Cake' With Cheese and Beans [Pastel de Tortillas Con Queso Y Judias]

Mmm... Tortilla. I was going to make a traditional sliced and fried potato Tortilla however I read through the 15+ recipes for other tortillas and thought that could be saved for another day. This recipe appealed as well because anyone who has ever seen my frying pan abilities knows that these are more likely to end up more like a scrambled cake mix then perfectly formed omelette....

The Verdict:
I Reiterate : Mmmmm... Tortilla. Fresh sweet basil is easily one of the nicest herbs in existence. I love it with humous on bread, in salads, sauces, soup... and tortillas.  I did add a small red chili for heat because I find that some tortillas can often be a bit bland and eggy.. [and because after a few weeks of being feeble I removed the jalepeno jar from the fridge and asked someone stronger than me to open it].. and it was absolutely great. It tasted more Italian to me than Spanish but either cuisine suits me fine. Thank you Spain for Tortillas. Thank you Italy for Ricotta. Really Scrumptious. Lovely balance of flavour, great colours and I didn't even mess up the presentation that badly. Next time though I think I'd add some paprika to the mix and replace the green beans [a vegetable I'm really not that enamored by] with salad onions [which I love]. Still with another 15 or so recipes for different tortillas [could be a sub category in itself] who knows what I'll be adding next... 

Taste :  4/5        Mediterranean Medley        
 Time :   2.5/5     35 Minutes
Visual :  4.5/5     With Practice This Could Look Great
Magic :  3.5/5     Could be Improved 

85 - Chicken Tortilla [Tortilla De Pollo]

Tortilla for breakfast? Oh yeah. I'll try to make a proper Spanish one tomorrow but after an incredibly late night working and another job to run to, I'm needing a quick food fix. I want something simple, quick and filing and with luck a leftover chicken tortilla should fill that hole...

The Verdict: 

Although not the most exciting meal I've never had in my life it was exactly what I needed and considering the end result was pretty appetizing it was insanely quick to prepare. 

Taste :  3/5     Sure.
 Time :  4/5     7 minutes
Visual :  2.5/5  Bland
Magic :  2/5    Standard