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Chickpeas with Minced Meat

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Canarian Recipes: Garbanzos con Carne Molida
See below for using dried chickpeas. use beef, pork or both

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ pound ground beef and ground pork
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cans of chickpeas rinsed and drained

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes
  3. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  4. Add the ground meat, and cook until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. Add the chili, ginger, salt, pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
  6. Add in the beef stock, tomato paste and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes.
  7. Serve warm with rice, mash, crusty bread.

Using Dried Chickpeas Instant Pot

  • 1/3 kg chickpeas
  • Water to cover plus 1 inch
  • Salt

Instructions
Cover the chickpeas by 1-inch of water. Add 1 tsp salt.
For slightly lightly chewy chickpeas (used for salad): Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release.
For Soft and Tender Chickpeas (used for hummus): Pressure cook on high pressure for 50 minutes followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release.*

The Traditional Soaking Way

  • 1/3 kg chickpeas
  • Water

Instructions

  1. Soak chickpeas overnight, or for at least 8 hours in water. You will need about 3 times as much water as chickpeas. They will more than double in size.
  2. When ready strain the chickpeas, put them back in the pan, and then cover with fresh water. The water line should be at least several cm (a couple of inches) above the chickpeas. This allows for further swelling and water evaporation during cooking.
  3. Cook the chickpeas for at least 90 minutes, possibly for 2 hours. They are ready when you can easily squash them between two fingers.
  4. During the cooking process, you can remove the white foamy stuff by scraping it off with a large spoon.
  5. When cooked, strain with a large colander and rinse with clean water and allow to cool.

San Antonio Abad Bread

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Recipe from La Laguna Tenerife: This bread symbolises protection, sustenance, and generosity. In many communities, a blessed piece is kept at home throughout the year as a sign of abundance and care for the household and animals.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of wheat flour
  • 25 g of fresh yeast (or 8 g of dried yeast)
  • 500 ml of lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional, depending on local tradition)

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm water along with the sugar and leave to rest for 10 minutes until frothy.
  2. Place the flour in a large bowl, add the salt, and mix well.
  3. Incorporate the dissolved yeast, the remaining water, and the olive oil.
  4. Knead until you obtain a soft and elastic dough.
  5. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
  6. Shape into small loaves or one large loaf, according to tradition.
  7. Place them on a baking tray and let them rest for another 20 minutes.
  8. Bake at 180 °C for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown.
  9. Allow to cool. Traditionally, the bread is taken to be blessed on St. Anthony’s Day.

Asadura: Liver and Onions

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Canarian Recipes: Asadura

In Tenerife, particularly during the celebrations of San Antonio Aba, traditional religious practices (such as the blessing of animals), livestock fairs, and processions are shared alongside typical dishes of Canary Island cuisine.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of pig liver
  • 1 large onion
  • 4–5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 red pepper (optional)
  • 2 ripe tomatoes (or crushed tomato)
  • 1 small glass of white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • Thyme (optional)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Fried or wrinkled potatoes for serving

Method

  1. Thoroughly clean the liver and cut it into small pieces.
  2. In a pot, cover it with water and boil for about 20–30 minutes with salt and a bay leaf.
  3. Drain and set aside.
  4. In a large frying pan or pot, heat some oil and sauté the chopped onion, garlic, and peppers.
  5. Add the grated or crushed tomato and cook until well reduced.
  6. Incorporate the boiled offal and sauté for a few minutes.
  7. Add the white wine, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
  8. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15–20 minutes, until juicy and well combined.
  9. Adjust the seasoning and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Canarian Baked Hake with Vegetables

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Canarian Recipes: Merluza al horno con verduras

For 4 people
* 4 fillets or slices of hake
* 2 medium potatoes
* 1 large onion
* 1 green pepper (optional)
* 1 red pepper (optional)
* 1 courgette or carrot (optional)
* 2–3 cloves of garlic
* Extra virgin olive oil
* Salt and pepper
* White wine or fish stock (½ glass)
* Lemon or parsley (optional)
* Sweet paprika or Provençal herbs (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top and bottom heat).
2. Peel and slice the potatoes thinly. Cut the onion into julienne strips and the peppers/courgette into strips.
3. Place the vegetables in an oven dish, season with salt and pepper, and add a generous drizzle of oil.
4. Bake for 20–25 minutes until they are nearly tender (you can cover with foil).
5. Season the fish with salt and pepper and place it on top of the vegetables. Add the sliced garlic and pour over the wine or stock.
6. Bake for 12–15 minutes (depending on thickness). Optionally, grill for 2–3 minutes at the end.
7. Finish with chopped parsley or a few drops of lemon before serving.

Grilled Lobster with Lemon Saffron Butter

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Lobster meat is so delicate you don’t want to overcook it otherwise it hardens. The lobster once cooked will turn beautiful opaque in color with a white center.

 
Saffron Butter
  • 150g butter, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Large pinch of saffron lightly crushed
  • sea salt
  • white pepper
  1. Melt butter in a sauce pan on low heat.
  2. Once warm and melted add in the saffron and whisk.
  3. Add the lemon juice and season butter to taste with salt and white pepper.
 
 
Lobster
Servings: 4
  • Butterfly Lobster Tails: Using kitchen scissors, cut the top shell of the lobster down the middle. If you cut through the meat that’s ok but don’t cut through the bottom shell.
  • Preheat the grill and place the rack about 6 inches away from the direct heat.
  • Spread open the shell a bit to expose the meat. Work carefully, shells can be sharp. Open the shell using your thumbs and fingers and loosen the meat from the shell (remove vein if present).
  • Lift the meat from the shell, keeping it attached at the base. Press the shell together and set the lobster meat over the top.
  • Brush the tops of the lobster tails generously with the saffron butter mixture.
  • Grill for about 4- 6 minutes until the meat is firm and opaque (white).
  • Serve with more saffron butter for dipping, lemon wedges and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Sea salt to taste

How to Prepare Lobster
 
Whole lobster offers varied textures (claws, tail) and an interactive experience but is messier and harder to prep, while lobster tails provide convenient, meaty, firm portions ideal for easy cooking (grilling, butterflying) and recipes, though they lack claw meat and can be pricier per pound for the meat yield.
 
To prepare whole lobster, you can boil or steam it after dispatching it humanely (e.g., quick knife stab to the head), cooking until bright red (about 7 mins/lb), then serve with melted butter, or you can butterfly and grill/bake it for a different flavor profile, focusing on separating the tail, claws, and knuckles for easy meat extraction and enjoying the rich, flavorful tomalley (green liver).
 
The choice depends on desired convenience, budget, and the experience you want: tails for ease and consistent meat, whole for variety and tradition.

Easy Baba Ganoush

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Classic Baba Ganoush Recipe – Smoky Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip with garlic, lemon, olive oil. Mutabal and Baba Ghanoush are both smoky eggplant dips but Mutabal is creamy and tahini-based (often with yogurt), while Baba Ghanoush is chunkier, often without tahini.

Ingredients

  • 1 aubergine
  • 2 to 3 tbsp tahini paste, optional
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • herbs, salt, cayenne pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Roast the aubergine on high for about 15 minutes until the skin is burnt and the pulp is soft and tende
  2. Peel off the skin then mash it using a blender, fork or a potato masher.
  3. Add tomato, onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, seasoning and blend.
  4. Chill.
  5. To serve, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and garnish.
  6. Serve with bread or vegetables.

Tips

  • Quick Fix for Watery Result: Mix with Greek yogurt and a bit more garlic and/or more tahini will make it thicken up.
  • Salting eggplant draws out the moisture, allowing it to get crispy and caramelized on the exterior, and keeping it from getting soggy in the final dish. Some say it removes bitter flavors, but since bitterness has been bred out of most modern eggplants, salting is primarily about texture.

Canarian Fiesta Beef

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Canarian Recipes: Carne Fiesta Canaria
Meal or Tapa, Fiesta Beef, an alternative to pork, is one of the most popular dishes in Canarian tourist cuisine. Served at celebrations traditionally but often seen on the more ´local´ tapas menus.

Ingredients for 4

  • 700 g of beef
  • 100 ml dry red wine
  • 50 ml of wine vinegar
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • Salt, ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of oregano
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes or chili powder
  • 20 ml of oil

Method

  1. Crush the garlic, season with salt and pepper and mix with the oregano, thyme, sweet paprika and hot pepper flakes.
  2. Add the oil, wine and vinegar to the mixture.
  3. Mix with the meat and mix well. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  4. Remove the meat from the marinade. Heat oil and brown the meat.
  5. Add the marinade to the pan and cook over low heat for 15-30 minutes.
  6. Let it rest and serve with the desired garnish and bread.
  7. The perfect accompaniment to this recipe is the typical wrinkled potatoes or French fries.

Tuna Salad (Quick and Healthy)

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10-minute Mediterranean tuna salad without mayo! The tuna salad itself uses just the five ingredients (tuna, tomato, onion, boiled egg and lettuce) plus a quick light dressing.

Ingredients (serves 1–2)

  • 1 can of natural tuna (drained)
  • 1 large tomato or cherry tomatoes
  • ½ onion (optional)
  • 1 boiled egg (optional)
  • Green leaves (lettuce, spinach, or rocket)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Lemon or vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Wash and chop the tomato and onion.
  2. Place the green leaves in a bowl.
  3. Add the flaked tuna and diced egg.
  4. Dress with oil, lemon/vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  5. Toss and serve.

Burrata Salad

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Canarian Recipes: Ensalada de Burrata

Burrata is a fresh, stretched – curd cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a round shape and an exterior similar to a pouch-like mozzarella with a characteristic apical closure. Inside, the texture is much softer and more stringy, similar to that of cream cheese.

Ingredients

  • Burrata Cheese or other fresh cheeses
  • Arugula
  • Lamb’s Lettuce
  • Cherry Tomatoes
    Avocado
  • Mango
  • Walnuts,
  • Pistachios
  • Raisins
  • Olive Oil
  • Honey

Mozzarella vs. Burrata: What’s the Difference?
Fresh mozzarella cheese is made from cow or water buffalo milk. It has a firm but elastic texture and can be sliced without losing its shape. Burrata cheese is mozzarella that’s formed into a thin pouch and then filled with a mixture of soft, stringy curd and cream called stracciatella.

What is the goat cheese in the Canary Islands?
Queso Palmero: This characteristic smoky cheese is made with raw milk from local goats, similar to mozzarella.
It’s available fresh, soft, semi-cured and cured.

Burrata cheese from Quesería Mansueto, a family business, dedicated to the production of cheeses and artisanal products, originally from Italy, with ingredients 100% made in the Canary Islands.
https://mansuetoqueseria.com

Beef with Peas Over Carrot-Potato Mash

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Savory ground beef is paired with peas atop a warm blanket of carrot and mashed potatoes in this variation on Irish Cottage Pie.

Ingredients

  • 500g ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, rough diced
  • 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 150g peas
  • 1 cloves garlic, optional
  • 1-2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 100-250ml ml beef broth eg oxo
  • 2 tablespoons oil (or butter)
  • salt, pepper, herbs to taste
  • 2 tsp cornflour in water, as needed

Instructions

  1. Put the potatoes and carrots to cook in one pan of slightly salted water.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the meat and seasoning, breaking it apart as it cooks.
  3. Add the onions, peas, garlic and cook until near tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato paste and the broth and simmer to reduce until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
  5. If serving with gravy, (more beef stock) thicken at this stage.
  6. Drain and mash the carrots and potatoes, adding a little butter if required.
  7. Serve the meat using a slotted spoon over the mashed carrots and potatoes.
  8. Serve gravy separately, optional.