Spain here we come ( notice the sun cream peeking out , we live in hope) - Day 91 of 100 Food Stories.

Taking advantage of the sun at the weekend I cooked up this feast of Spanish flavours. 

Almond Albondigas (meatballs) with Manchego Cheese Toasts, Creamy Bean Dip and a Watermelon and Mint Salad.

Ingredients:
500 grms of minced beef or lamb.
2 cloves of chopped garlic.
100 grms of chorizo, finely chopped.
1 red onion, finely chopped.
100 grms of breadcrumbs.
Salt & pepper.
2 eggs.
A good pinch of nutmeg.
100 grms of dried cranberries (Spaniards love mixing fruit with meat)
150 grms of ground almonds.
1 tablespoon oil.

Manchego Cheese Toasts:
6 slices of sourdough.
25 grms garlic butter.
40 grms of grated Manchego.

Bean Dip:
1 can butter beans, drained & rinsed.
2 cloves of garlic.
A good bunch of chives.
1/2 jar marinated peppers & the oil. 
2 teaspoons smoked paprika.
Salt & pepper.
3 tablespoons olive oil.
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Melon Salad:
1/2 watermelon, deseeded.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
10 leaves of fresh mint chopped.
1/2 ptk feta cheese, diced.

A Spanish sunshine feast.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 cen.
2. Pop on a pair of plastic gloves and pop all the ingredients for the meatballs except the almonds & oil, into a bowl and give everything a thorough mix. 
3. Shape them into golf size balls and roll in the ground almonds.
4. Pop onto baking sheet, drizzle with the oil & put in oven for 20 minutes.
5. For bean dip, pop all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
6. Spread the sourdough with softened garlic butter and sprinkle with the cheese.
7. Crack on with the salad; remove the watermelon from the skin & dice into cubes. Pop into a bowl and add the chopped mint, diced feta, black pepper (no salt, feta is salty enough) and olive oil. Pile it into the empty melon shells.
8. Remove meatballs from oven and pile them up in a bowl.
9. Preheat the grill and pop the toasts until they are nice and toasted.