Kitchen Timesaver #2 - Smoked Paprika

The seductive smokey aroma and flavour of smoked paprika provide authenticity to many spanish dishes, and this versatile ingredient also works well with various other cuisines - delicious added to pork and bean dishes (especially handy if you want, but don't have, smoked pork).

Fresh smoked paprika can deliver a powderful flavour hit so use sparingly. I choose the dolce (sweet) or agrodolce (bittersweet) varieties that have a deep velvety flavour. Smoked paprika is also available picante for those who like it hot.

You can find smoked paprika (usually in delightfully brightly-decorated square tins) at gourmet food shops, Spanish groceries, speciality spice suppliers and some markets. I buy mine from Rita's Coffee and Nuts at the South Melbourne Market.

Smoked Paprika contributes a wonderful flavour in gazpacho soup. You can make gazpacho without smoked paprika, but this powerful ingredient turns this recipe from mediocre to sublime. The first time I made gazpacho, I dutifully roasted the capsicum, then picked and rubbed to remove the blackened skin - a tedious, time-consuming and messy job. Adding a pinch of smoked paprika delivers convincing and beautifully mellow smokey-charred notes, without all the hassle.

Kirky's Kitchen recipes using Smoked Paprika:
Quick & Easy Gazpacho

Kitchen Timesaver #1 - Braun Multiquick Hand Blender & attachments

This is the best blender/hand mixer system I have ever used or owned. I love it for the following features:

• Easy to use and clean.
• Convenient and easy to remove and interchange attachments.
• Excellent (and variable) blending power.
• Two different sized blender jugs (500ml and 1L) suit large or small jobs. Broad range of fast or slow speeds.
• Neat design details like small drainage holes in the jugs so that water doesn't collect in the base when you tip them upside to drain after washing.
• Jugs have non-slip bases that are removeable and convert to a handy lid to seal and store contents (I'm all for anything that reduces washing up).
• Wand style blender can be used in directly in a saucepan, bowl, plastic cup or other vessel (again with the washing up!).

One of my favourite recipes is delicious gazpacho soup. It takes less than 5 mins to make, and all you need to wash up is knife, chopping board and blender-chopper. You store the soup in the jug you made it in.

Kirky's Kitchen recipes using the Braun Multiquick Hand Blender:
Quick & Easy Gazpacho

Quick and easy summer snack - Gazpacho

With Melbourne's soaring temperatures reaching record highs, all day yesterday I was looking forward to getting home and whipping up a batch of this refreshing and delicious gazpacho.

This recipe incorporates a couple a couple of my favourite kitchen timesavers (click on links to view detailed blog entries):

Kitchen Timesaver #1 - Braun Multiquick Hand Blender & attachments
Kitchen Timesaver #2 - Smoked Paprika

The first time I made gazpacho, I dutifully roasted the smoky capsicum, then picked and rubbed to remove the blackened skin - a tedious, time-consuming and messy job. Adding a pinch of smoked paprika delivers convincing and beautifully mellow smoky-charred notes, without all the hassle.

Gazpacho Recipe

• 4 med tomatoes, stems and cores removed
• 2 lebanese cucumbers, stems removed
• 1 red capsicum, stem, seeds and whitish fin membranes removed
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/4 loaf sour dough (approx 150g), crusts removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/5 cup sherry vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup water (or a little more if you prefer a thinner consistency)
  
• 1/3 tsp smoked paprika
• tabasco to taste (I use 3 good shakes)
• salt and pepper

1. Cut vegetables and bread into pieces 1-2inches.
2. Put everything into a large blender and process on high speed until smooth enough for your taste. I like my gazpacho smoothish with a bit of texture and visible green and red specs
3. That's it! Pop it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to allow the bread to soften completely and for all the flavours to mellow and blend. You may like to stir though more water as gazpacho tends to thicken on standing.
   

Gazpacho is traditionally served in a bowl with ice cubes and finely diced cucumber, capsicum and/or crouton garnish. However I like to serve in chunky wine glasses and drink it as a filling and refreshing liquid snack.
This recipe makes about 4 serves (although I am quite capable of drinking the entire quantity over a 24 hour period)

Variations
mediterrasian.com writes "There are about as many gazpacho recipes as there are Spanish cooks." Here are some variations:

• All quantities are in the above recipe are approximate - increase or decrease according to taste or availability.
• You can use tomato juice instead of fresh tomatoes.
• Additional/alternative ingredients include: chicken stock instead of water; green capsicum; red onion; celery; yellow tomatoes.
• Add sherry, chicken stock or vodka.
  
• Diced serrano ham or hard boiled egg garnish.