In Provence, France....but....

I have to give up trying to post to this blog until we return, in late June.

Until then.....

Bon appetit!

Eating, drinking & sightseeing in Spain

Today we are in Granada, flying to Barcelona tonight.
Blogging from here hasn´t been easy!
We found one excellent tapas restaurant in Seville, called La Azotea. We also loved several meals in Madrid, and had a lovely lunch by the Mediterranean in the Costa del Sol town of Marbella.

I would love to post some photos from these meals but can´t quite figure out how to do so.
:-(

Lovely places, delightful food. Extra pounds?

Still in Spain, southern Andalusia and the Costa del Sol. We were spending 3 nights in a hilly town above the Mediterranean called Benahavis. Our hotel is the lovely Amanhavis, a nine-room charmer in a series of buildings dating back a few centuries. They also have probably the best restaurant in the town, very convenient to finish dinner and walk 30 feet to bed.
I will try to add some photos of the places and food we have enjoyed since my last post from Madrid. Apologies for the glitches due to using the iPad instead of the computer at home!

And yes, I am acquiring extra pounds....

View from our room, Benahavis

First course, Sevilla

Delicious lunch w Champagne, Madrid

Tapas in Madrid

Not easy to post from Spain, with intermittent WiFi access.
Lots of good eats in Madrid, including many casual, locally patronized tapas bars such as One near Place Santa Ana.
Photos include dome at tearoom I. palace Hotel, Madrid, and my husband at an outdoor cafe.

Sorry this looks so crappy, but not used to posting from the iPad.

Eating Mediterranean Cuisine -- on the scene!

I'm on the eve of a grand trip to Spain and southern France. Although we fly to Madrid and spend a few days there and Seville, most of the time we'll be near the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically -- Costa del Sol and Barcelona (Spain), followed by Provence, Nice and the Cote d'Azur.

Nice, France

I'm sure to be posting some lovely photos and who knows what else. But the usual "Healthy Foodies" fare will be suspended for most of June.

Mediterranean Fare

No doubt, this will be a lot more interesting--and fun!

Something different on the grill -- and way less messy than burgers

While you’re firing up the grill this season, consider how easy and satisfying it is to add veggies, and even fruit, to the barbeque. Try putting chunks of vegetables and fruits on skewers, or cooking them on a grill topper that will keep them from falling through the grids.  You only need to brush the food with a little vegetable oil (not olive oil, which will burn), or try the recipe below for something only slightly more elaborate. Consider also grilling whole, fresh figs – put them on a skewer – for a delicious caramelized flavor. Stone fruit such as peaches and nectarines also take well to the grill; just cut them in half and remove the pit, but keep the peel on.

Recipe: Mixed Vegetable and Fruit Grill

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

½ pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 large red or yellow pepper, cut into 4 chunks

2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 

1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into quarters lengthwise

2 medium bananas, unpeeled and sliced in half lengthwise

For the vegetables:

¼ cup canola oil

1-2 T honey

4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper

For the fruit:

¼ cup rum

2 T brown sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, honey, vinegar, oregano and seasonings. Pour most of the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Add asparagus, pepper, zucchini and onion; seal bag and turn over to coat the veggies. Marinate about an hour at room temperature.

Transfer veggies to a grilling grid; place grid on preheated grill rack. Close the grill lid and cook over medium heat about 8-10 minutes, until crisp-tender, turning occasionally.

Once you have placed the veggies on the grill, brush pineapple and banana pieces with the brown sugar mixture and place on the outside of the grill alongside the vegetables. Close the grill lid and cook with the veggies. Watch carefully and turn pineapple as needed; the banana should go skin down and not be turned (it most likely will be done first).

Remove food to a platter as each piece becomes done, keeping veggies to one side and fruit to another. Drizzle remaining marinade over the veggies and brush fruit with any remaining brown sugar mix. Serve warm or at room temperature. (You can cover with foil to keep warm while you cook any meat, poultry or fish that you also want to serve at this meal.)

 

Summer ease: make a cheese & fruit plate

What could be simpler or more satisfying than an assortment of (room temperature) cheeses, a handful of nuts, and some sliced fruit? Add a few more items if you want a rounded meal, such as crudités (raw veggies) and perhaps cold, leftover chicken. And grilled bread, yum!
Here is a cheese platter from the lovely Vinoy Hotel Resort in St. Petersburg Florida. But you can easily duplicate it at home.

In the summer heat, who wants to labor over the stove, or grill, every night anyways?