Easy Basque Cream Recipe - Goxua, a New Dessert Recipe
The name Goxua is not Spanish, but Basque, and is pronounced "go-shoo-ah", meaning sweet. As its name implies, Goxua is indeed a sweet and creamy dessert from the Basque Country of Spain. Pastry chef Luis López de Sosoaga of Vitoria invented it in the 1970's, and it is now a very popular dessert everywhere in Spain. What is it? A layer of sweet whipped cream is laid down as a base in the bottom of a dish. Liquor-soaked lady fingers are the next layer, on top of which goes creamy custard. A burnt-sugar crust or caramel sauce coats the top.
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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Easy Neapolitan Omelet, for Brunch or Dinner
This omelet or Tortilla Napolitana is a basic egg omelet, filled with some of our favorite ingredients - green and black pitted olives, shredded cheese, roasted red pepper, fried ripe tomato, and optionally sautéed onions and oregano. Most everything required is probably in your cupboard or fridge. The Neapolitan Omelet is simple to prepare for a brunch, or an easy weeknight dinner. And if you are still looking for something to prepare for your dad, this fits the bill!
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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Easy Spanish Roasted Pepper Salad
Perfect Summer Side Dish
Beautifully colorful, this roasted pepper salad is made with roasted red, green and yellow peppers. Then, simply dress with oil and vinegar, a bit of cumin and optionally, some garlic. Roasted pepper salad is a typical Spanish dish, eaten in many regions, but particularly in central and southern Spain, where the summers are long and quite hot. Although this is considered a primer plato or "first course", we serve it to accompany a roast or barbecued meat, and many times as a cool summer tapa.
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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How About a Clara this Weekend?
A clara is a refreshing drink for those long, hot, Spanish summers. You'll often see people drinking them in bars and cafes in Spain. What is a "clara"? It's a lemon beer, or Shandy. Yes, you can buy it in cans in Spain, but why would you when it is so easy to make? Mix beer with lemonade or lemon soda, and you have a Clara. (Lisa likes to add lots of ice.) It has the added bonus of being low in alcohol. If beer isn't your drink, try one of the other cool and refreshing Spanish drinks in our list.
- Clara or Shandy Recipe
- Top Spanish Drinks for Summer, Cool Refreshing Drinks from Spain
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New Recipe - Flao, Spanish Cheesecake from Ibiza
Flaó is a uniquely-flavored cheesecake from Ibiza, the Spanish island in the Mediterranean most famous for beautiful beaches and all-night dancing at clubs and bars. The crust is dotted with tiny anise seeds, while the light and fluffy cheese filling is flavored with fresh crushed mint leaves. The unusual flavor combination might seem odd, but it really works. Just ask the thousands of visitors who carry a Flaó home with them!
Spanish Cheesecake from Ibiza Recipe - Flaó
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Class Project? Try These Easy Spanish Recipes for Spanish Class
It's the end of the semester, or quarter. Has the teacher made an assignment to prepare a Spanish recipe, and share it with the rest of the class? Are you wondering what to make?! Don't panic, we've compiled a list of some easy-to-make Spanish recipes that aren't messy to eat in class, and won't break your budget. One of the most popular with our readers is magdalenas (pictured here), but there are recipes for other easy desserts and tapas.
If you have a recipe suggestion, or a dish to avoid making, or a class cooking experience to share with other students, scroll to the bottom of the list above to the Readers Respond section, then click on Class Cooking Tips and let everyone know!
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Spanish Pipirrana, a Fresh Summer Salad
Push aside the iceburg lettuce and Ranch dressing, and try Pipirrana from Andalucia! The southern Spanish classic called Pipirrana is an easy salad to prepare, which has tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, and is marinated in oil and vinegar. Want to add more? Add black olives, hard-boiled eggs and/or tuna. We like to eat it with slices of a baguette to soak up all the dressing.
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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Summer is Here - So Fire up the Parrilla, or Grill
In Spain, although a barbecue party is sometimes called a barbacoa, you'll most likely hear it called a parrillada, from parrilla, the Spanish word for grill. Tony and I put together two complete menus for your next parrillada, so you don't have to worry about planning a menu. Each menu has several dishes to choose for each course - Tapas, First Course, Main Course and Dessert, or in Spanish Tapas, Primer Plato, Plato Principal and Postre. Pick and choose, mix and match. Because we like to enjoy time with our guests instead of hiding in the kitchen, one of the menus consists of make-ahead dishes. The other menu consists of traditional dishes, some of which can be prepared ahead of time. About's Guide to Entertaining provided us with some great tips for summertime entertaining, too.
- Host a Spanish Barbecue or Parrillada - Lamb Chops, Steaks, Sardines or Vegetables, Spaniards Grill it All
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Easy Pork Loin with Sherry-Raisin Sauce for Weeknight Dinner
Brown slices of boneless pork tenderloin in olive oil. Then, sautée onions, add chicken broth, wine and raisins and cook sauce and pork until sauce is reduced. It is an easy recipe, that is ready in about 30-40 minutes. Accompany with rice, or fried potatoes, a Spanish mixed green salad, and sit down at the table. Easy enough for a weeknight, yet tasty and attractive enough for a weekend dinner party.
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Madrid's San Isidro Festival
May 15th is San Isidro or Saint Isidore's feast day. He is the patron saint of Madrid and his feast is a big celebration in Madrid. The annual fiesta or feria of San Isidro officially lasts from May 8 to May 15, but can extend for two weeks or more. A big part of the festival is the series of bullfights, in addition to concerts, dances and the romeria, (a kind of pilgrimage) to the ermita de San Isidro.
Like most Spanish fiestas, particular dishes mark the occasion. For San Isidro, there are a few that stand out: First, Red Cabbage San Isidro Style - Lombarda de San Isidro. Red cabbage is baked with apples, as well as potatoes, onions and ham. It is a tasty side dish that is sweet from the apples and salty from the ham, which is a delight to the taste buds. The other dish, traditionally served on May 15th is cocido madrileno, or Madrilene Stew, made with pork, sausage, noodles and garbanzo beans.
Desserts are never left out of the party. Madrilenos eat round ring cookies called Rosquillas de San Isidro, as well as Bartolillos - small triangular tarts that are lightly fried and crunchy on the outside, with rich creamy filling on the inside.
- Red Cabbage San Isidro Style - Lombarda de San Isidro
- Madrilene Stew Recipe - Cocido Madrileno
- Bartolillos - Cream-Filled Spanish Tart Recipe
- May Festivals in Spain from About's Guide to Spain Travel
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