Salads

https://amzn.to/2OmwN1N

Chicken with Cumin and Pimentón Dressing —and planning a vegetable garden (PART 1)

Chicken with cumin and pimentón, Mama Ía blogThe recipe I’m sharing today, chicken with cumin and pimentón dressing and tomato arugula salad holds flavors that remind me of summers in Spain —grilled meats, pimentón and fresh vegetables in one single dish. The grilled chicken has the right amount of heat to please every palate at the table, and the tomato arugula salad, with a dressing that incorporates the flavors of the marinade, blend beautifully in this very summery dish.

This is the summer of what could have been and will not be. Of plans that came undone and yet thankfulness for our health. Of “what if‘s” that have affected us all.

Brothers, Mama ía blogNeighbors, Mama ía blogAs I write this, I should have been in Spain for three weeks now, expecting the rest of my family to arrive today. We would have been heading to the beach on Sunday for a week of family time and fun, relaxation and tapas bars hopping, beach games (more…)

Zucchini and pinenut salad, Mama ía blog

Crunchy zucchini salad with pine nuts -and a few days in Rome

Zucchini and pinenut salad, Mama ía blogFor the most part, food ingredients taste different depending on whether they are cooked or not cooked. Mushrooms, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower, as well as carrots or brussels sprouts, can be prepared in many ways: sautéed, fried, baked, battered, in tempura, and even raw, in salads or smoothies. But few ingredients have such different flavor when you use a different method of dicing or cutting.

Zucchini and pinenut salad, Mama ía blogRoma, Mama ía blog

To me, zucchini is one of those. While I don’t usually eat raw zucchini, raw zucchini cut in ribbons is the exception, and I can eat as many of those as crispy battered zucchini (get the recipe here). (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

(more…)

Calamari and bean salad, Mama Ía blog

Calamari and Bean Salad —and a hike on Sierra de Irta

Calamari and bean salad, Mama Ía blogI am very glad the weather is still decent and we are going to have a very nice weekend, because I’m not ready to let go of summer. I’m harvesting the very last of my vegetables, and dreaming of all the fish and seafood I ate while in Spain and Portugal this summer. So before I start thinking and cooking fall recipes, allow me one last one, which transitions very well from summer to fall, and where I can enjoy the last of my homegrown vegetables: calamari and bean salad.

Alcocebre, Alcossebre, Mama ía blog

(more…)

Roasted red pepper, eggplant, cod salad, Mama ía blog

Roasted Red Pepper, Eggplant and Cod —or Esgarraet

Roasted red pepper, eggplant, cod salad, Mama ía blogI don’t know in which category exactly to place esgarraet, salads or appetizers/tapas. Esgarraet is a dish typical of the Valencian community, and very often it is served as a tapa, on top of a slice of crusty bread, or grilled or toasted bread. It consists of roasted red peppers, salt cod, garlic and olive oil, and in some areas of (more…)

Tomato and onion salad, Mama ía

Tomato and Onion Salad with Olives, always reliable

dsc_0479webI was hesitant to post the recipe for tomato and onion salad with olives, because honestly, it can’t really be called a recipe. After all, I’m just slicing and tossing together ingredients, there’s no elbow grease, not much elaboration, and the key is in the ingredients, which have to be of the best quality. But when I think about salads in general, (more…)

Summer potato salad, Mama Ía

Summer Potato Salad, and a day in Peñíscola

Summer potato salad, Mama ÍaI don’t know if it’s just me, but I associate potatoes more with fall and winter than with summer. When I think of potatoes, I imagine some deliciously roasted chunks, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary, baked to perfection, with a soft, moist inside and a somewhat crusty outside. And yet, potatoes appear in salads all through the summer, from (more…)

Sweet potato salad with sherry vinaigrette

Two Sweet Potato and Bacon Salad with Sherry Coriander Vinaigrette

Sweet potato salad with sherry dressing, Mama íaI am in a salad kind of mood these days. It must be the spring, which is still fighting to deserve its name, having just lived through a weekend of cold temperatures, wind and rain. I know it’s there, around the corner, and the anticipation of the opening of the outdoor farmers market on Barr Street in Fort Wayne keeps me hopeful.  (more…)

kale and purple vegetable salad, Mama Ía

Kale and Purple Vegetable Salad —and a Robin’s Nest

kale and purple vegetable salad, Mama ÍaIt must be spring, and heading straight into summer, because I’m craving salad. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t eat salad the rest of the year. In fact, we eat salad at home every day. What I mean is that I’m craving colorful, crunchy, large salads as the main dish. And that  kind of craving usually comes to me in
spring and summer. It must be (more…)