Special Winter Recipes: Cooking with a Wood stove

Preparing the Artichokes

One of the great things about open fires is that they can also be used to cook with. Modern stoves often come with an oven compartment, but don't worry if yours doesn't, you can still use the central fire to cook a lot of what I'm going to suggest below. The best of all is that the food is quick to prepare, requires no extra heating and has a special taste only acquired from wood burning stoves. 

Read more below for the 7 Basic Foods to Throw in Your Stove, plus , Pies and Bakes,  Soups and liquids and finally:  4 Fire-Side Tips for ending that perfect evening with Orange Peel Candles, herbs and a warm something to round it off.

7 Basic Foods to Cook in the Stove

1: Buttered and Peppery Corns
Cut corns in half, smear with butter and black pepper, wrap in silver foil and throw in oven close to the burning embers for 25 mins. Turn. Remove when charred. 
2: Boniato (Sweet Potatoes)
Poke through with a kebab metal stick-thingy, wrap in silver foil and throw in for at least 30 mins or until soft. Then open up, add butter, cream cheese, pineapple, salmon, beans or whatever you fancy. These sweet tasting veg are a delight on a cold winters night and very, very filling.
3: Rosted Woody Pizza
For a woody roasted tasting pizza - make or buy a base, decorate as to your tastes and slip into the top oven. Careful not to burn the bottom, you may want to use a tray or something to leave space for air to move around.  
4: Baked Chestnuts
Graba a fork, make some holes, as per ususal. Lob in. Heat. Then Eat.
5: Veggie Heaven (How to use up those old veggies)
In a metal tray add sliced aubergines, peppers, onions and garlic in olive oil and herbs. Roast till the cows come home. Leave to cool and the following day serve driping over fresh bread with a fine cheese and wine. 
6: Garlic and Soy Artichokes (Artichoke heaven)
Hmmm. You'll need to check out this recipe here for tasty artichokes done in the very center of the fire with garlic and soy sauce. 
7: Baked Bananas (A final desert)
Wrapped in foil, heated and then served with honey or yoghurt. 

Pies and Bakes in a Wood Oven

My favourite dishes include fish pies, vegetabe pies, feta bakes and soya pies. Rather yummy! All you need to have is a litte imagination as you scour what is in the larder. Throw it all in a baking tray, pour over with any liquids you have hanging around and cover with silver foil. Stick it in the oven and then pour yourself a little something, out your feet up and watch a Russell Brand video or two. 
I like to throw in whatever veg I have, add a little juce, gravy or red wine. Crumble feta cheese over the top with breadcrumbs or very thinly sliced spuds. Then sit back and watch a couple more videos until you hear the sizzling begin. 

Soups and Liquids Heated

Garlic Soup

Use the top of the stove to keep food warm, or to slowly warm up something prepared earlier in the day,  like that special Winter Garlic Soup recipe here. 

But not just soups, how about mulled wine, chai tea or taking the chill off the dogs water bowl?

A Final Winter's Touch for that Winter Evening

1: Orange Skins as Firelighters:
When squeezing oranges for fresh juice over winter (what do you mean you don't?)  -  keep the skins and burn them in the oven at night. Not only does this give off an gorgeous smell throughout the house, but when they have become charred and black, take them out and keep them for the following day. They make excellent fire-lighters!
Check out how to do this here.
2: Orange Skins as Candles
Keep the skins, use the rhind inside as a wick and fill with oil! Yup its true: Check out how here!
3: Lavender, rosemary or other herbs:
Grab a stick or two from the herb garden and throw it in the fire before bed. The smell is intoxicating.
4: Glass of Something Smooth:
Turn off the lights, bathe in the warm glow, breathe in the rich aromas and sip a glass of something whilst listening to Sade's Smooth Operator for that perfect end to a winter evening. 

Orange Skin Candles

---

MORE RECIPES FROM SPAIN

TRAVEL STORIES INSIDE THE TORTILLA
And lose yourself this summer in the travel stories of another era, and learn the history and the adventures behind all the recipes in this travelogue and search for a 21st century meaning to life:  Grab the ebook/paperback or audiobook of Recipes for Living another Life. ​