Today, July 7, the Fiestas de San Fermín start – the festival celebrating the patron saint of Pamplona, Spain. Every year, from July 7 until the 14, Spain gets up early to watch 5 bulls run through the streets of Pamplona when thousands of people are running in their way. I do not condone or agree with the Corridas de Toros, at all. But the Encierros is sort of the “revenge of the bulls”, IMHO.
I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since my last trip to Spain. I believe that I was Spaniard in some other life… because I love the country, the food, the people… last year, I took this opportunity to showcase a few Spanish recipes made the vegetarian way. I enjoyed it so much that decided to do it all over again…
Bacalao, or salted cod fish, is something I used to enjoy a lot before I went vegetarian, but I have found that frozen tuno can be molded and seasoned into tasting like many types of seafood dishes. One of them being brandad – a mixture traditionally made with bacalao and potatoes.
Here is how I did it…
BRANDAD-STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS
6 roasted piquillo peppers ½ cup of Tuno Antipasto recipe 2 medium-sized russet potatoes, boiled A drizzle of olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste
- In a medium-sized bowl, mash the potatoes well using a potato masher. Mix together the Tuno Antipasto and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of olive oil to give it added gloss.
- Take the roasted peppers and carefully stuff them using a small spoon. Place them in a shallow gratin dish and drizzle again with a little olive oil.
- Roast in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes until the peppers dry a bit and the filling is warmed up.
Serve alongside a green salad for a light supper or by itself as a tapa. They’re super easy to make and very filling.
Jonathan loved this dish and he didn’t even suspect it had soy tuna in it… the flavors are so good, he just gobbled them up. That’s the way to introduce your omnivore friends to your vegetarian cooking – don’t tell them all the ingredients before tasting anything. People are prejudiced if you tell them of any soy product substitutes. Have them taste the food first, and after they’re in love with it, reveal the details, if you want to…
Viva España and enjoy the next few days of San Fermín and Spanish recipes, OLÉ!!
KarmaFree Cooking 
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