Garlicky sautéed cauliflower, Mama ía blog

November 11, 2018

Garlicky Sautéed Cauliflower, Considering Thanksgiving

Natacha Sanz Caballero Vegetables coliflor, glycemic index, heatlhy carbs, Thanksgiving, vegetarian

I call the recipe I’m sharing today coliflor fritita con ajos, by its Spanish name, and would translate it as garlicky sautéed cauliflower. It feels like such a Spanish dish that it almost feels wrong to translate it.

Thanksgiving, also known as turkey day, is fast approaching. This year it is even more special than before, because my two college sons will be home. We haven’t been together as a family since August! They will be home for only a few days, I know, but at this stage of our family life, it will be great, and we’ll take what we can get.

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October 26, 2018

Flan Caramel, A Classic

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets custard, Franke Park bike trails, mountain biking, postre tradicional, Spanish cuisine

Flan, or flan caramel, is one of those desserts I, and everyone my age, grew up with. Actually, it could be the dessert we grew up with. Every mom, every household, would make it, with just slight variations in the recipe. And not only at home, but every restaurant menu would have it, together with peach or pineapple “en almíbar”, in syrup, and different flavors of ice cream, most often chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. When I say this, I don’t mean that flan is an “old” dessert, made long ago, and that has been replaced by others in the 21st-century. Not at all! In fact, flan is a classic that never goes out of style, and shares restaurant menus with many other newer, fancy desserts.

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October 10, 2018

Braised Oxtail, Rabo de Toro, Cows and Cattle

Natacha Sanz Caballero Meat and Poultry beef oxtail, braises, cocotte, ganado, guisado de ternera, Spanish cuisine, Staub, stews, toros, vacuno, wine sauce

A few months ago, I posted a recipe for oxtail, a traditional Spanish dish (you can click here to check it out). However, back then I couldn’t find oxtail, but I was set on to making the dish, so I settled with short ribs, and the result was really delicious, a good substitution for sure. But last week, at my regular supermarket, I found them!

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Blackberry lavender ice cream, Mama ía blog

September 25, 2018

Blackberry Lavender Ice Cream, Saying Farewell to Summer

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets Brihuega, campos de lavanda, comunidad valenciana, helado de lavanda, helado de moras, ice cream bar, lavanda, lavender fields in Spain, Onteniente, polos mora, summer, Valencia, verano

Lavender fields in Brihuega, Spain

I am drawn to lavender. If I have to choose between scents, that will be the one I choose, whether it be hand soap or dish soap, laundry detergent or air freshener, lavender is my scent. I don’t know why, I think it is its freshness, but it could be its color, too (you just have to have a look at my closet!). But most of all, (more…)

September 12, 2018

Leche Merengada Granita —Granizado de Leche Merengada

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets, Drinks Alcocebre, Alcossebre, granizado, helado, ice cream, leche merengada, summer

It has been raining for a few days, the temperatures have dropped, and I feel under the weather, so what better time to post a recipe for ice cream than now, ha ha! When I was preparing this recipe for the blog, a few days ago, the temperatures were in the 90’s Fahrenheit, 30’s Celsius. The landscape workers that were trimming our bushes and pulling out all my lavender (sniff) had to leave early because the heat was unbearable. I was happily making my husband’s favorite ice cream, in granita form, leche merengada (loosely translated to whipped cinnamon milk granita), and we still managed to enjoy it during those high temperatures.

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August 27, 2018

Carrot Cake, for Two Special Celebrations

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets birthday, carrot cake, celebration, cream cheese frosting, tarta, tarta de zanahoria

It has been a while. I purposely intended to take a little break, enjoy the events that were happening in my life at a leisurely pace, then come back with new recipes. But the break kept getting longer, and longer, and even though I kept up with Instagram posts, the blog, and the recipes, (more…)

June 14, 2018

Tarta de Santiago, and El Camino

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets, Events & Travel almond cake, Camino de Santiago, gluten free, pilgrimage, Santiago de Compostela, tarta de almendras, Way of Saint James

The origin of tarta de Santiago, or rather, why the famous Spanish almond tart is named after the apostle Saint James, patron saint of Spain, is unknown. But for centuries, the cake has been adorned with the cross of the knights of Saint James in confectioners sugar, and visitors to the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the apostle is believed to be buried, buy it as a souvenir of their visit to the pilgrims’ city, or arrival through the Camino de Santiago, the Way of Saint James.

Monte do Gozo, where pilgrims get the first view of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Cross of the Knight of Saint James, Mama ía blog

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Roast chicken with chickpeas, leeks and lemon, Mama ía blog

May 15, 2018

Roast Chicken with Chickpeas, Leeks and Lemon, Easy and a Crowd Pleaser

Natacha Sanz Caballero Meat and Poultry chicken, easy dinner, entrée, Ethan's prom, NJHS, one pot dinner, plato único, pollo asado

Are you looking for a weeknight dinner recipe that pleases everybody, and it’s complete and nutritious? Or are you looking for a party recipe that everyone will talk about, and will look beautiful on presentation? Then look no further, roast chicken with chickpeas, leeks and lemon is that dish.

The trick for a super tasty and moist chicken is the spice rub, letting the chicken absorb all the spice flavors for a few hours before placing it in the oven. Then, while roasting, (more…)

Blood orange puff pastry tart, Mama ía blog

April 25, 2018

Blood Orange Puff Pastry Tart, like it was

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets blood oranges, breakfast, El Taroncheral, hojaldre, naranja sanguina, oranges, tarta, teatime

I’m finding it very hard these days not to long for what was. And this blood orange puff pastry tart was. It was (more…)

Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Cake, Mama ía blog

April 6, 2018

Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Cake —the 100th post!

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets 100th post, arándanos, cake, celebration, Meyer lemon, milestone

And with this one, I reached 100 posts. 100 recipes! I find it hard to believe, it has been such a joy to write all these posts and recipes, cooking and baking and enjoying every dish. A cake was in order for such milestone, and I chose this Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Cake.

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