Antonio Amenedo taught me how to cook the best empanada that I have ever tried

They are delicious, healthy, it takes no time to cook them and they are so cheap!

his dish is best enjoyed with a glass of the singular Redbreast PX Edition whiskey, a pair made in Spanish heaven!

This is a real grandma’s dish, that is why it’s one of my favorites.

A classic French dish that will transport you to the French Riviera we all wish we were there.

This stew is rich in flavor and is the perfect comfort food, warming and perfect for any winter day. La Rioja, where the famous Spanish wine comes from, is an incredibly fertile area where some of the best fruit and vegetables in the Iberian Peninsula are grown (and that is a big statement).

I love the less loved cuts of any animal – you need to treat them skilfully to get the best out of them. I often find that the result is so satisfying that I keep coming back to it and this oxtail stew is no exception. It’s not a recipe that was handed down by my Mum, but is actually something I have worked out and developed myself through investigation and real passion.

When trying to cook with a bit more flavour it is inevitable in lots of different dishes the need to resource to a home-made rich and flavoursome stock. In some dishes it is fundamental to use them as water just doesn’t quite cut it. At times we all resort to the quick and ready stock cube, but if you want to eat a more natural diet or have restaurant tasting dishes that are incredibly satisfying when you serve them at the table then there is no way around it as to make your own. The difference will make you proud and your chicken paellas will taste better than ever.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to a dish to die for – Madrid-style beef tripe stew. I’m not joking: I’ve seen people fighting for the last plate of this incredible stew. Be aware – you need to have a taste for gelatinous types of food, as this dish is all about that. As you will have gathered by now, in Spain turning the ugly parts of the animal into something beautiful. The hardest part will be shopping for the ingredients; the preparation itself is very simple.

In Spain we eat a lot of chickpeas and pulses in general, it’s an important part of our diet. I always have a few tins in my cupboard to rustle up a quick dinner, it saves you a good couple of hours of simmering. This recipe is super healthy and very traditional, you normally find them as a tapa by themselves but today I needed to make a larger meal for us at home so I added a beautiful fillets of plaice which have turned them into a fantastic “plato principal”. It is more common to find this recipe made with spinach but as I have the spring greens on season and it is one of those ingredients not many people knows how to use I thought I would explain how to cook with them really easily. Enjoy!