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Canarian Coconut Macaroons

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Canarian Recipes: Cocadas de Turronera

Cocadas de Turronera are a traditional sweet delicacy highly popular in the Canary Islands, especially during festivities and pilgrimages. They are made from grated coconut and a base of syrup or honey, which gives them a compact and shiny texture.

Ingredients

  • 250 g of grated coconut
  • 200 g of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • Butter or baking parchment for the tray

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until the mixture becomes slightly frothy.
  3. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  4. Gradually incorporate the grated coconut and mix until a moist and mouldable dough forms.
  5. Shape small mounds or balls using two spoons or your hands (dipped in water).
  6. Place them on a tray lined with baking parchment.
  7. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until golden on the outside.
  8. Allow them to cool before serving.

Tips

  • Add:
    A touch of honey,
    Ground almonds, or
    Lightly burnt sugar for a toastier finish.
    They can also be made on small wafers to prevent sticking.

  • For a pastry shop finish:
    Use finely grated coconut,
    Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes before baking, and
    Bake with top and bottom heat without a fan.

 

Lemon Onion Mayo Dip

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Lemon onion mayo combines creamy mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice/zest and onion to create a light, savory dipping sauce or spread, perfect for sandwiches or dip with nachos.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice (plus zest for extra flavor)
  • 1 small onion (or finely minced green onions )
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic powder  or 1 clove fresh garlic (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Soak the onions in the lemon juice for 30 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, drain off the lemon juice and whisk with the mayonnaise and zest.
  3. Stir in the onions.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Serving Suggestions

  • Dip: Ideal for onion rings, French fries, fish goujons or grilled shrimp.
  • Spread: Great on burgers, chicken sandwiches or fish dishes.
  • Salad Base: Use as a dressing for potato or tuna salad.

Easy Lemon Dessert Sauce

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Lemon Sauce for a dessert topping. Use it for ice cream, cakes, cheesecake or whatever dessert you are baking. Add a little sweet sunshine!

Ingredients

  • 100g – 150g (8-12 tbsp) sugar, to taste
  • 3-4 tbsp cornstarch
  • 350 ml water
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 120ml lemon juice
  • 60g (4 tbsp) butter

Instructions

  1. Add sugar and cornstarch to a saucepan, add water and stir to combine.
  2. Cook on low heat until mixture starts to thicken.
  3. Simmer gently for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and butter.
  6. Bring back to a VERY gentle simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
  7. Let cool 30 minutes before serving.
  8. Serve warm.

Tips

  • Add a few mint leaves for a refreshing twist.
  • Substitute some of the sugar with honey or a sweetener if preferred.
  • For a more intense flavour, add a small splash of liqueur (optional).

Apple Cinnamon Pudding Cake

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Easy to make, irresistibly moist and bursting with the flavors of sweet apples, cinnamon, and topped with icing or brown sugar. Quick and easy anytime.

Easy Lemon Dessert Sauce

Ingredients

  • 100g all-purpose flour
  • 80g granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 apples
  • 80g room temp butter
  • 1 lemon
  • cinnamon, a pinch
  • baking powder, 1/2 sachet
  • powdered sugar to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • Butter or baking paper for the tin

Method

  1. Wash, dry and peel the apples.
  2. Cut them into 4 wedges and remove the core.
  3. Slice them thinly, put them in a bowl, sprinkling them with lemon juice.
  4. In a second  bowl, mix the butter at room temperature with the sugar until creamy; then add the eggs, one at a time.
  5. Add the flour, baking powder, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of cinnamon to the mixture.
  6. Add the apple slices and mix with a spatula.
  7. Line a 15x20cm baking dish with a sheet of baking paper, wet and wrung out. Pour in the mixture and level it with a spatula.
  8. Bake in a static oven at 350°F/180°C (air fryer 160°C ) for about 30 minutes, until the surface of the cake appears slightly puffed and golden.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Tips

  • Sprinkle with brown sugar for a darker crispier finish.
  • The apple pudding cake can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film, for 2-3 days.
  • Freezing is not recommended.

 

Canarian Garlic Rabbit

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Canarian Recipes: Conejo al ajillo canario

Rabbit in garlic sauce, Canarian style, is a traditional, simple dish, pieces of rabbit fried with plenty of garlic, local white wine, herbs and sometimes a little vinegar, resulting in golden, juicy meat with a rich sauce. 

Ingredients

  • 1 rabbit, cut into pieces
  • flour for coating the rabbit
  • 2 heads of garlic
  • 1 generous teaspoon of sweet paprika
  • 6-8 crushed black peppercorns, optional
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 250 ml of white wine
  • 2-4 medium potatoes, chopped, optional
  •  salt
  • olive oil
  • 200ml water or chicken stock

Method

  • Season the rabbit meat with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Coat the pieces of meat in flour.
  • Heat olive oil in a shallow pan
  • Fry the rabbit to get it crispy.
  • Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and roughly chop them.
  • Once the rabbit is cooked through, set it aside.
  • Add the potatoes and cook for about 8 -10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Add the garlic, one or two heads of garlic, separated into cloves.
  • Stir well and let the garlic brown.
  • Add the sprigs of thyme and rosemary, the bay leaf, and the paprika, stir, and then add the reserved rabbit.
  • Add the white wine and let it cook for at least 10 minutes as the alcohol evaporates.
  • Add the water to cover two-thirds of the rabbit and garlic.
  • Over medium heat, let it cook until the sauce has reduced, about 30-45 minutes.
  • Thicken with flour to your taste if needed.

Serve hot with crusty bread.

Easy Grilled Cuttlefish

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Canarian Recipes: Chocos Asado a La Plancha

Chocos, known in English as cuttlefish or squid, accompanied by a sauce, is a typical Canarian gastronomic delight, usually served with Green Mojo Sauce.

Ingredients

  • 4 cuttlefish (chocos)
  • 1 handful of coriander
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • 4 medium potatoes

Method

  1. First, clean the choco thoroughly.
  2. Next, lightly grease the grill with some olive oil and place the chocos on it for about 5 minutes on each side.
  3. At the same time, prepare a mojo sauce by blending the garlic, coriander, olive oil, and salt.
  4. Use this sauce to baste the chocos occasionally as they cook, turning them to ensure they absorb all the flavours.
  5. Reserve some mojo for serving, to accompany the wrinkled potatoes.
  6. Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water for about 25 to 29 minutes until tender.
  7. Serve the chocos alongside the potatoes, mojo sauce, and a good glass of  white wine.

Canarian Tips

  • Medium to large cuttlefish are best.
  • The tentacles are often considered the best part.
  • Cleaning: Remove the inner cartilage (cuttlebone)
    Ensure the beak is removed.
  • The key to the perfect Canarian choco is ensuring it is tender, not rubbery.
    Either cook extremely fast (1–2 minutes) over high heat
    or very slow (over 30 minutes) at low heat.
  • Pair with local flavors like garlic, coriander or pimentón.

 

Pork in Tuna Sauce (Vitello Tonnato)

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Canarian Recipes: Ternera con Salsa De Atún

Vitello Tonnato Canarian Style
With Pork Fillet, served hot or cold

A classic Italian dish, originally of poached veal, thinly sliced and served with a creamy tuna and caper sauce, perfect for appetizers or light meals. Also works well with beef.

Ingredients

  • 700 g pork fillet
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped, optional
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 150 ml vegetable broth
    For the Sauce:
  • 200 g canned tuna, drained
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 4 anchovy fillets, optional
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a pan and sear the pork on all sides and set aside.
  2. Add chopped carrot, celery, and onion.
  3. Pour in white wine and vegetable broth and simmer until reduced by half.
  4. Add back the pork and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Blend tuna, mayonnaise, capers, anchovies and lemon juice into a smooth sauce.
  6. If serving warm, heat the sauce gently before serving.
  7. Arrange pork slices on a platter and drizzle with tuna sauce.
  8. Garnish with capers and parsley.

Cooking with Beef

For best results cook the beef as a roast, slicing rare or well done to your liking.

El Hierro Cheese Quesadillas

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Canarian Recipes: Herreñas Quesadillas

A typical dessert from El Hierro. Similar to a small cake and usually shaped like a flower, the main ingredient of the quesadilla is El Hierro cheese. The first El Hierro quesadillas were made at the beginning of the 20th century by the same family that continues the tradition of this sweet treat, a gastronomic symbol of El Hierro.

Herreño cheese is an iconic artisanal product from the island of El Hierro, traditionally made with a mixture of goat’s milk (mainly), cow’s milk and sheep’s milk, it stands out for its tender smoked, semi-cured and cured varieties, often made with raw or pasteurized milk, reflecting the island’s pastoral tradition.

Ingredients

9 servings

  • 350g fresh cheese
  • 70g flour
  • 50g honey
  • 35g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp chopped lemon peel
  • 1/2 tsp anise seeds
  • 1 pinch cinnamon

Method

  1. Mash the fresh cheese with a fork without mixing or beating.
  2. Mix the egg with the sugar, honey, and chopped lemon zest.
  3. Add the mashed fresh cheese and mix.
  4. Add the anise seeds and ground cinnamon and mix again.
  5. Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  7. Rub a small piece of butter on the base and sides of each muffin tin cavity.
  8. Pour a little flour into each cavity and up the sides so it adheres to the butter.
  9. Turn the muffin tin upside down to remove any excess flour.
  10. Fill each cavity halfway with the dough.
  11. Bake at 170ºC for about 45 minutes.
  12. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
  13. Unmold the quesadillas and store them in the refrigerator.
  14. Take the quesadillas out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before eating them so they can come to room temperature.

With Caramelized Drizzle (Sugar and Butter)

Substitutes for Queso Herreño
The best substitutes for Queso Herreño (El Hierro cheese) are other semi-hard to hard, slightly smoky or tangy goat/sheep cheeses. From the Canary Islands maybe Queso Palmero or Queso Majorero. These offer a similar firm texture and, if smoked, a comparable flavor profile, often available in specialty Spanish shops or online.

What is a Quesadilla?
A quesadilla is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla—corn or flour—filled primarily with cheese and often other ingredients like meats or vegetables, then folded in half and heated until the cheese melts. Literally translating to “little cheesy thing” from Spanish (queso meaning cheese), it is a popular, versatile, and often handheld food.

Creamy Pasta Carbonara

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Pasta alla carbonara is easy to make with 4 classic ingredients and many optional variations, pancetta (pork belly) is often replaced with cream and/or cheese.

Ingredients

  • 500 g spaghetti or other pasta
  • 1-2 eggs
  • 100g parmesan cheese grated
  • 100g pancetta or fatty bacon (smoked if you like)
  • 100-150ml cream, optional
  • 10-15g fresh chopped parsley, optional
  • Cheese, herbs to serve, optional

Method

  1. Cook pasta according to directions in salted water until al dente. 
  2. Meanwhile, mix together the 2 eggs, parmesan cheese salt, pepper and parsley (if using) in a small bowl, creating a paste-like consistency.
  3. Cook the pancetta or bacon over medium high heat until meat is browned and fat is rendered.
  4. Add the hot pasta to the pancetta and turn heat to low.
  5. Stir for one minute until pasta is covered then add the egg and cheese mixture, stirring for another minute
  6. Add water (or cream) until you have a nice, creamy consistency that sticks to every noodle.
  7. Serve garnished with extra herbs, parmesan, and black pepper.

Is Pancetta the Same as Bacon?

  • Pancetta is often called “Italian bacon” because it comes from the same pork belly cut.
  • While both are cured, pancetta is generally salt-cured and unsmoked. 
  • Pancetta is savory, delicate and salty whereas bacon is more robust and often smoky.
  • Due to its fatty nature, pancetta is often used to start pasta sauces (like Carbonara) or in soups.
  • While you can usually use them interchangeably, the flavor of your dish will change.

What Type of Pasta

Pasta comes in all shapes, long (spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine), short (penne, rigatoni, fusilli), stuffed (ravioli, tortellini), and pastina (tiny soup shapes). They are matched to sauces based on texture: thin sauces pair best with delicate, long strands, while chunky, heavy sauces cling to ridges and hollow tubes.

Rigatoni
With its long tubular shape and ribboned edges, this pasta is especially sturdy and perfect for catching sauce. Use it in hearty winter dishes and baked specialties.

Penne
Penne is essentially a smaller version of rigatoni. This makes it a good fit for lighter, tomato-based sauces such as vodka or marinara.

Fresh vs Dried Pasta

In Italy, one is not “better” than the other. They serve different purposes. and knowing when Italians use fresh pasta vs dried pasta will completely change the way you cook.

Fresh Pasta (Pasta Fresca)

  • Made with flour + eggs 
  • Soft, tender texture
  • Cook time: 1–3 minutes
  • Often handmade
  • Higher moisture content
  • Best for delicate, butter-based or creamy sauces

Dried Pasta (Pasta Secca)

  • Made with durum wheat semolina + water
  • No eggs (traditionally)
  • Firm, elastic bite
  • Cook time: 8–12 minutes
  • Best for oil-based or tomato-based sauces
 

Easy Pesto Spaghetti

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Spaghetti al Pesto is one of the most iconic recipes in Italian cuisine. Renowned for its fresh and aromatic flavours, this dish combines the tenderness of pasta with the intensity of pesto sauce, traditionally made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese, and olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 400 g spaghetti
  • 20-30g fresh basil leaves
  • 120ml olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2-3g Parmesan cheese
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, optional
  • 20g walnuts, broken, or pine nuts
  • Salt, black pepper, to taste

Ragu alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)

Method

  1. Cook the spaghetti in salted water.
  2. Blend the basil, oil, garlic, nuts, and cheese.
  3. Combine the pesto sauce with the hot spaghetti.
  4. Serve immediately.

Pesto Sauce

You can increase quantities to make additional sauce. Pine nuts are the “real deal” but use walnuts or almonds if you prefer. Homemade basil pesto sauce will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. It’s also freezer-friendly in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight and reheat gently.

Fresh vs Dried Pasta

In Italy, one is not “better” than the other. They serve different purposes. and knowing when Italians use fresh pasta vs dried pasta will completely change the way you cook.

Fresh Pasta (Pasta Fresca)

  • Made with flour + eggs 
  • Soft, tender texture
  • Cook time: 1–3 minutes
  • Often handmade
  • Higher moisture content
  • Best for delicate, butter-based or creamy sauces

Dried Pasta (Pasta Secca)

  • Made with durum wheat semolina + water
  • No eggs (traditionally)
  • Firm, elastic bite
  • Cook time: 8–12 minutes
  • Best for oil-based or tomato-based sauces