Recipes & Hogs Blog

This recipe of Garbanzos con Espinacas is typical dish from Seville and is often served as a tapa. Made with cumin, saffron and paprika to inject lots of flavour into these simple and healthy ingredients, it is easy to make and incredibly satisfying. We like to serve it as a side dish with meat or fish or as a main dish served with grilled bread on the side. 

Bring the taste of Spain home with these simple Spanish recipes! We've rounded up our top ten most visited Spanish recipes in 2021 from the Hog´s Blog. On this list, you'll see many of the traditional tapas bar classics, along with some heartier main dishes and versatile sauces that will add a Spanish flair to your dishes. 

A simple, yet flavourful dish, all made in one big pot. Mussels always add a sense of occassion to a meal, and this version with chorizo, white wine and parsley really amps up the flavour. Crusty bread to mop up the juices is a must for this dish. While you could definitely use cooking chorizo for this dish, we opted here for this cured Ibérico chorizo sarta. Since it´s cured, it doesn´t require cooking, so saves some time and still adds that deep, paprika flavour to the dish.  Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 small onion, diced  2 cloves of garlic, minced 4 ounces of chorizo, sliced thinly 3llbs of mussels, cleaned and debearded 1/4 cup of white wine 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped    Method:  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the cured chorizo and stir for 2 minutes until chorizo starts to release its paprika juices (if using cooking chorizo, you would need to cook for longer, about 5 minutes, until cooked through). Add the mussels and white wine to the pot and put the lid on. Cook for about 10 minutes on high heat until the mussels have opened up, giving the pot a shake every now and then. Be sure to discard any mussels that have not opened. Garnish with parsley and serve with some crusty baguette.    

Originating in Valencia, in the east coast region of Spain, paella is the quintessential Spanish dish, typically served at lunchtime. So bright and festive, from the saffron infused bomba rice and the rich broth, to the variety of seafood and vegetables, paella is the perfect dish to share loved ones for a special occassion. 

When thinking about special occasion meals, we often gravitate to turkey or roast beef, especially this time of year. However, this roasted pork recipe, with its vibrant and zingy green sauce is a delicious way to liven up a special meal. Mojo Verde (or green sauce) originates from Spain’s Canary Islands and is famously served there with papas arugadas (wrinkly potatoes), which are boiled and heavily salted baby potatoes, so salted that their skin goes wrinkly. Made from cilantro, garlic, olive oil and cumin it is a refreshing sauce that keeps well in the fridge and goes very well with any meat, fish or grilled veggie dish.

The Moors occupied southern Spain for nearly 800 years, so it’s no wonder that dishes like Pinchos Morunos, or “Moorish Skewers”, can be found in restaurants and tapas bars throughout Spain. Spanish cooking incorporates an array of spices and ingredients from the times of Moorish rule, like these moreish (pardon the pun) pork skewers that are seasoned with cumin, chilli and fennel. For this recipe, we are using a luxurious cut of Ibérico pork, such as boneless Ibérico pork shoulder blade, but you could also use pork tenderloin. You can serve these skewers as a tapa or as a main with some romesco sauce or alioli, as well as some grilled vegetables, potatoes or salad.   Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10-15 minutes    Ingredients Serves 2 as a main course or 6 as a tapa 500g of Boneless Ibérico boneless shoulder blade 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground chilli or crushed red dry chilli. 1 teaspoon ground fennel 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar   Directions Place the oil and all the spices, along with the lemon juice, parsley and sherry vinegar in a large bowl and mix well. Cut the Ibérico pork into 2 cm cubes and add to the bowl. Cover and chill overnight if you have the time, otherwise try and let the flavours mingle together for at least 2 hours. When ready to cook, thread the pork on skewers and grill for 10 minutes, taking care not to overcook the meat. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving on a warm plate. Que aproveche!  

Alioli is the quintessential Spanish dipping sauce, originally from Catalonia, Spain. In fact, the name alioli comes from the Catalan words for its two key ingredients - all (garlic) and oil (oli). 

If there’s one thing we love, it’s a great tapas night. Sharing good food brings people together, stimulates conversation and adds a sense of fun to the evening. While it may seem overwhelming (all those different dishes to prepare!), we´ll show you how a spread of authentic Spanish small plates is easier to put together than you might think. Here’s our round up of our favourite, easy tapas recipes and ideas for an abundant and festive Spanish celebration of food. Olé!

This tapenade made with Spanish black olives and Cantabrian anchovies has a delicious savoury flavour and packs a punch when served with crunchy baguette as an appetizer. Quick and easy to make and keeps in the fridge for a week or so.

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, a lovely bowl of steaming lentils with a burst of chorizo flavour is like getting a big warm hug. This can be served as a main dish, with some bread on the side, or is a lovely side for any firm, white fish or salmon.

Warm up with this bold blend of piquillo peppers (Spanish roasted red peppers), tomato and smoked paprika. This hearty, flavourful soup will brighten the dreariest of days. Great for making ahead, this soup is best served hot with some rustic bread or breadsticks.

This is a great salad to serve as a starter or as a tapas dish. It's vibrant and refreshing with sharpness from the red wine vinegar and the olives, along with the meaty texture of the octopus. Traditionally, this salad is made with fresh or frozen octopus, but we think using tinned octopus is a smart short cut, especially this chargrilled option from Gueyu Mar. 

Berenjenas Rellenas (Stuffed Eggplant) are roasted eggplant loaded with meat and cheese. The traditional Spanish recipe is proof that big, bold flavours are easy to achieve with a simple list of quality ingredients. This version uses ground beef seasoned with pimenton de la vera (smoked paprika) to impart a rich, smoky flavour, and is topped with Manchego cheese.

una stuffed piquillo peppers are a traditional Spanish tapas dish that are really easy to make. The great thing about them, aside from being ready in under 15 minutes, is they are quite a substantial dish, given the protein from the tuna. The key to this dish, as with many simple Spanish recipes, is using really good quality ingredients. A great way of serving these is as a montadito, on a slice of toasted baguette. 

Asparagus wrapped with serrano ham is one of our favourite dishes for a quick, light lunch or brunch dish. We like to serve it with a soft egg as well - fried, poached or soft boiled all work well. Add some toasted bread if you like too.

We our proud to have the widest selection of jamón in Canada. WIth so much to choose from, we know it can be a bit overwhelming and can leave you feeling a bit confused about what to buy. If you are new to Spanish ham or just need some guidance, keep reading! Here are our top picks, the best jamón in each category - Ibérico de Bellota, Ibérico de Cebo and Serrano. 

If you’ve passed by the canned seafood section at the grocery store, it may conjure less-than-appetizing associations in your mind of tinned fish. Canned seafood is available in a wide range of quality so splurging for high quality conservas is not only a fun way to experience Spanish culture but may also convince even the most staunch cynic that tinned fish can be a truly delicious, crave-able pantry staple.

This is a popular vegetable dish from central Spain made with zucchini, onion, red peppers and tomato, similar to a French ratatouille. This version includes jamon serrano, but for a vegetarian version, simply leave it out. Pisto Manchego makes a great tapas dish alongside some good bread, or served as a vegetable side dish with meat or fish

This is a really simple tapas dish bursting with the smokey paprika flavour of the chorizo and the richness of red wine. It’s a ridiculously easy dish to make and it’s an impressive addition to any tapas spread, especially when you want to add a few hot dishes to your selection.

If you have ever been to a Tapas bar in Spain you will have seen rows of montaditos on the counter – pieces of bread topped with a myriad of interesting and colourful toppings. The term montadito comes from the word montar, meaning to mount, as a reference to the toppings mounted on top of the bread. One of our favourite combinations is tuna loin, piquillo peppers (roasted red peppers) and guindilla.