Andalusia, Spain on plants

First paella in Sevilla

Another adventure for us in Spain - by now we have been in Andalusia - the area of the south of Spain for over 2 weeks and have settled into the live of nomads - moving from one province to another.

We have already been in several of the big cities - Seville and Granada with side trips from them to a few very small villages - Aracena and Lanjaron. This is not a country that is dedicated to plant based eaters BUT we have found in almost every place an option or two for us to choose from. Most excitedly is when I find vegetarian paella on the menu. 

Paella with tofu in Aracena - a very small
town north west of Sevilla. What a surprise
to find tofu in this little village.

This is a traditional Spanish dish with saffron and rice and always some vegetables but usually with different meats and shrimp, etc. Of course, tapas (small dishes) are the custom in all small restaurants and bars and we have discovered a few favorites there as well. One is Salmorejo (a chilled tomato soup ) and another is Pisto -  a ratatouille-like vegetable stew. I am going to mention specific restaurants that we enjoyed during this trip, especially ones who are dedicated to those of us who enjoy the plant based lifestyle. Seville is a big city with lots to offer.

Large market in Triana, Seville

Surprise - sweet potatoes on the street as a snack

many "meat substitute" products in
Seville grocery store

A vegetarian restaurant in Sevilla - Gaia
this was a tofu cutlet with salad

Richard's stew at Gaia

The side trips took us to Aracena for 2 nights with 2 walks to small villages - each with a local eatery and options for us. We have also cooked in our apartments when possible, enjoying the local vegetables and beans. Here all little stores have jars of beans and lentils already prepared and very inexpensive. I like trying them all. Our daytime snacks include fruit and local nuts. Figs both fresh and dried are very common here as well.

Salmorejo in Aracena - cold tomato soup

Pisto with patatas and gazpacho

Olive trees - everywhere in Andalusia

Vegan cheesecake with cherries and
chocolate cake - yummmm

After our time in Seville we went to Granada. You can imagine my amazement when discovering that our apartment was above a yoga studio and just one block from an amazing VEGAN restaurant called Hicuri. We managed to eat there 3 times during our 6 day visit. 

Pisto with vegan sausages

Now we are at the southeast point of Spain at Parque Natural de Cabo de Gatas. We are here for one week again in an apartment in a small village called Pozo de los Frailes. The coastline is dotted with tiny villages and we have a car to travel daily from one beach to the other for nice walks. There are no tourist crowds now (as there are during the summer) and so the little village we are in has NO stores! The closest is San Jose where we can buy the usual beans and veggies so I have concocted some good meals here as well.Since we have had Pisto at so many different restaurants, I looked on line for a recipe to include for you (and for me). 

Pisto Andaluz 
(http://www.rondatoday.com/pisto-andaluz-traditional-vegetarian-stew/)
2 onions
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
4 ripe tomatoes
2 zucchini
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
dash of salt (and sugar, optional)

We start by preparing our vegetables prior to putting them all in a large flat skillet. Blanch the tomatoes then remove the skin and cut into cubes. Peel and dice the onions and the zucchini, and slice the peppers.

Place a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the pan and fry the garlic and onion over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the peppers and cook together for another 5 minutes making sure to stir so none of it burns in the bottom of the pan.

Now add the zucchini for 2-3 minutes, and finally add the tomato, letting the mixture simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Add the sugar and salt, and quickly bring to the boil then remove from the heat. If your pan has too much tomato juice, let it boil away whilst stirring to avoid burning. Fresh basil or oregano are often added to give the pisto a pleasant herby taste.

Serve hot in small terracotta tapas dishes for that authentic feel, or place on the side of a plate with some fish or even a fresh salad. This pisto andaluz goes down very well with a glass of La Rioja red wine, or if you can get it, one of many excellent Ronda red wines.

By the way....Ronda is next on our list to visit next week. Stay tuned for more from southern Spain.