José Andrés Red Wine Sangria

According to José Andrés, his red wine sangria is one of the most popular drinks in his Jaleo restaurants and I can understand why. The boozy drink is refreshing and can be taken any time of the year, not just during summer. This not-your-typical sangria goes very well with Spanish food, of course.

I used tiny mandarin oranges because that's what I have on my kitchen counter. The original recipe has 1 piece of peeled and sliced [regular size navel] orange.

Red Wine Sangria
adapted from Made in Spain by José Andrés

1 bottle fruity red wine
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup Cointreau
¼ cup vodka
a splash of ruby port
2 mandarin oranges, sliced
2 granny smith apples, diced
1 strip of lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cup fresh orange juice
a splash of soda water

• Combine the wine, brandy, Cointreau, vodka, port, orange slices, apples, and cinnamon stick in a bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours.
  
• Pour the mixture into a pitcher filled halfway with ice. Add the orange juice and soda water, give a quick stir and serve.

• Make sure each glass gets ice and fruit.

Check out José's White Wine Sangria recipe here, and a recipe for regular Red Wine Sangria here.

José Andrés's White Wine Sangría

with red and green grapes and cherries

with yellow and white peaches and red grapes

White Sangría may seem odd but this drink is becoming more and more popular lately. It looks and it is very refreshing and perhaps tastes a bit lighter than red wine sangría. This recipe if from my Spanish cookbook MADE IN SPAIN by the Washington, D.C.-based Spanish chef José Andrés.

White Wine Sangría
1 cup chopped mixed fresh fruits: strawberries, peaches, white grapes
1 bottle of Spanish cava or other dry sparkling wine
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup white grape juice
¼ cup Licor 43 or any vanilla flavored liqueur
1 teaspoons sugar
1 small fresh mint sprig

• Fill a glass pitcher halfway with ice and add the chopped fruits. Tilt the pitcher and pour the cava very slowly down the side; this will help retain the bubbles. In another pitcher or bowl with spout, combine the brandy, Licor 43, white grape juice, and sugar, then pour the mixture into the sparkling wine and fruit. Give a quick stir and add the mint sprig. When serving, make sure each glass gets some ice and fruits.

This white sparkling wine sangría is the perfect drink to have with a simple chorizo and mussels paella dish.

made with ingredients I had at hand: spanish chorizos, smoked red bell pepper, mussels, green beans

The recipe for red wine sangría is here.

Vegetable Paella

One of the dishes I cooked for Christmas is the very yummy Vegetable Paella, the recipe adapted from the cookbook MADE IN SPAIN by the Spanish chef José Andrés whose restaurants are among the highest-rated and more popular here in the Washington D.C. area, most notably Jaleo and the minibar inside Cafe Atlantico. I purchased MADE IN SPAIN, the companion cookbook to his PBS cooking show, a few days before Christmas and bookmarked the Vegetarian Paella right away. I will probably try to cook most of the dishes in this cookbook which look really delicious and seem easy enough to prepare at home. I also love the photography and layout of the book which has one recipe all on one page and the photo on the facing page. It also gives helpful resources for Spanish ingredients and acceptable substitutions if necessary.

Prepare the sofrito early in the day or a day or 2 ahead.

Sofrito
10 ripe plum tomatoes
1½ cups Spanish extra virgin olive oil
4 small Spanish onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweet pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
3 bay leaves

• Slice the tomatoes in half. Place a grater over a mixing bowl. Rub the cut surface of the tomatoes over the grater until all the flesh is grated. Discard the skins. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the onions, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. You want the onions to caramelize, if they get too dark, add ½ teaspoon of water to keep them from burning. Stir in the tomato puree, the pimenton, and the bay leaves and cook for another 20 minutes over medium heat. You'll know the sofrito is ready when the tomato has broken down and deepened in color and the oil has separated from the sauce. Discard the bay leaves. Makes 3 cups of sauce.

slow cooked Catalan tomato and onion sauce

Vegetable Paella
¼ cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil
8 baby yellow squash, halved lengthwise
1 cup half-inch eggplant cubes
3 cups cauliflower florets
¼ pound fresh wild mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 ripe plum tomatoes
¼ cup sofrito
1 cup dry white wine
pinch of saffron
3 cups filtered water
1 cup Spanish bomba rice or medium-grain rice
2 ounces fresh or frozen green peas
sea salt to taste, about 1½ teaspoons
2 ounces piquillo peppers, cut into ½ inch strips

• Heat the oil in a 13-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the squash and brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Add the eggplant and cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the plum tomatoes and the sofrito and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
• Crumble the saffron into the pan and pour in the water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the rice and peas until well combined. Reduce the heat to medium high, season to taste with salt, and cook for 4 minutes. Do not stir the rice again, as this can cause it to cook unevenly.
• After 4 minutes, reduce the heat to low, lay the pepper strips on top of the paella, and cook for another 7 minutes. Remove the paella from the heat, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

delicious vegetable paella, the perfect rice dish to go with a meat-rich Christmas dinner of baked ham and Chicken Relleno (roast boneless chicken filled with highly seasoned ground pork)