vegetarian

Fried eggplant sticks, Mama Ía blog

Fried eggplant sticks —and the university city of Salamanca

Fried eggplant sticks, Mama Ía blogI never imagined when I planted two small eggplant plants in my vegetable garden that they would grow to give such generous production for our family. I get 2 to 4 eggplants every couple of weeks, just enough to supply us with produce to make some of the dishes we are familiar with, like pisto, (check the recipe here) or fried eggplant sticks. Soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, they are so addictive that you will not be able to stop at just a few!

Eggplants, Mama Ía blogUniversidad de Salamanca, Mama Ía blogI leave you with a few photos of the eggplants in the garden, used to prepare today’s recipe, fried eggplant sticks. But I wanted to add some more to this post. Today is National Teaching Spanish Day, and I couldn’t help talking about it. Why? Because (more…)

Chickpeas and Swiss chard stew, Mama Ía blog

Potaje de Cuaresma, Chickpeas and Swiss Chard Stew, for Lent — and Fallas!

Chickpeas and Swiss chard stew, Mama Ía blogPotaje de Cuaresma, sopa de vigilia, caldo de Cuaresma, are all names that refer to the same dish. The name would translate literally to “vigil stew” or “Lent stew” in English, but we’ll call it chickpeas and Swiss chard stew for the purposes of this blog. 

Fallas Valencia 2022, Mama Ía blog

Valencia’s Fallas 2022, celebrated as it was before the pandemic

Chickpeas and Swiss chard stew, Mama Ía blog

The original or most typical version of it in Spain also includes cod. However, I omitted it today and made it a more simple dish, not only appropriate for Lent but also for a vegetarian diet.

The origin of this dish, like many other Spanish dishes, can be found (more…)

Crunchy artichokes, Mama Ía blog

Crispy artichokes —and the vegetable garden Part 5: the lattice fence and the gate

Crunchy artichokes, Mama Ía blogAlcachofas, artichokes, are probably my mom‘s favorite vegetable. And if you make them using this recipe, it might become your favorite vegetable too. Bye-bye chips! For that touch of crunchiness plus an overdose of flavor, try alcachofas fritas, crispy artichokes, which could easily be called artichoke chips.

Not only are these crispy artichokes so tasty that you will not be able to stop after eating one or two, but they’re also highly nutritious.

Vegetable garden, Mama Ía blog

Ta da! We have a gate

Not only are these crispy artichokes so tasty that you will not be able to stop after eating one or two, but they’re also highly nutritious. Artichokes have (more…)

Romesco sauce and calçots, Mama Ia blog

Romesco sauce with calçots, from Cataluña to the world

Romesco sauce and calçots, Mama Ia blogI’ve been wanting to post the recipe for salsa romesco —or rather, salsa romesco con calçots, romesco sauce with calçots—, for a while. So when I spotted some very fat green onions at the market last week, I knew I had to make a calçotada at home. And what a happy coincidence that calçots are now in season in Spain! A mostly winter or very early spring dish, it was also very appropriate to make them as we were being buried in snow, as the photos can attest. School as cancelled for the whole week!

Romesco sauce and calçots, Mama Ia blogSnow in Fort Wayne, Mama Ia blog (more…)

Mushrooms with leeks and peas, Mama Ía blog

Mushrooms with leeks and peas—healthy habits and a 2021 wish

Mushrooms with leeks and peas, Mama Ía blogWe are starting out the year right, with lots of vegetables and lighter meals. Today’s recipe, mushrooms with leeks and peas, is so satisfying it will not leave you craving any animal protein.

Mushrooms with leeks and peas, Mama Ía blog

I don’t consider we over ate during the holiday season. Sure, I’ll admit we indulged in more sweets and Christmas treats. However, the extra sweets we had, when combined with (more…)

Butternut squash soup, Mama Ía blog

Butternut Squash Soup —straight from the pumpkin farm

Butternut squash soup, Mama Ía blogAt our house, butternut squash soup is to winter what gazpacho is to summer: it’s always available. That’s why I still can’t believe this recipe wasn’t on Mama Ía blog yet. There are so many recipes still waiting to be posted! 

Butternut squash soup, Mama Ía blog

Pumpkin farm, Mama Ía blog

Walking through pumpkins at Hilger Family Farm

We are deep into the season of fall, and with that, butternut squash soup can be found on my stove, in my fridge and in my freezer (yes, it freezes wonderfully!). There’s nothing like (more…)

Pisto, Mama Ía blog

Pisto —and building a vegetable garden (Part 3): THE FENCE

Pisto, Mama Ía blogI used so many of my garden vegetables for pisto that its recipe could only be posted alongside more on the progress of the vegetable garden, or Part 3. 

Pisto, Mama Ía blog

Vegetable garden, Mama Ía

Planting the seedlings on a very hot summer day

Tomatoes, peppers and zucchini have been growing with abandon, to the point where, mid November, I still (more…)

Cucumber gazpacho, Mama ía blo

Cucumber Gazpacho —and a trip to Assisi

Cucumber gazpacho, Mama ía blogWe’re starting to see the fruits of our efforts, and with a bounty of vegetables from our garden, I‘ll be posting more recipes that use them. This post brings you a wonderful gazpacho that could be rightly called green gazpacho, a cucumber gazpacho that includes not only cucumber but also avocado and some other fruits of our garden: green pepper, jalapeño, basil and parsley. You see? A green gazpacho!

Assisi, Mama Ía blog

Cucumber gazpacho, Mama Ía blog (more…)

Mojo picón y patatas, Mama ía blog

Mojo Picon with Wrinkly Potatoes, for Culinary Diplomacy Spain at Joseph Decuis

Mojo picón y patatas, Mama ía blogCulinary Diplomacy Spain took place at the Joseph Decuis farm on March 22, 2019. A lot has happened since then (I published a book!), but now it’s time to talk about that great evening, and share with you one of the recipes the guests enjoyed, mojo picon with wrinkly potatoes, mojo picón con patatas arrugadas.

Spain at Joseph Decuis Farm, Mama ía blogSpain at Joseph Decuis Farm, Mama ía blog

Joseph Decuis restaurant, located in Roanoke, Indiana, is a farm to fork restaurant that has been voted for years in a row as the best restaurant in Indiana. The restaurant itself (more…)

Kale and Barley Salad, Mama ía blog

Barley and Kale Salad with Pine Nuts and Cherries, the World’s Healthiest Country, and the Mediterranean Diet

Kale and Barley Salad, Mama ía blogThe article started with this paragraph:

“Spain has many attractions —delicious cuisine, a balmy climate, sublime music and a fascinating history. And now it can add another accolade: it has just been named the healthiest country in the world.”

I thought it appropriate to share the recipe for this powerful salad, barley and kale salad with pine nuts and cherries, to accompany this news —I will explain why later.

Serra d'Irta, Mama ía blogSerra d'Irta, Mama ía blog

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