A Room with a View

 Finca Aldabra- Boutique Hotel, Finca Rural in Sierra Nevada

There is no place like home! Many people would  agree with me on that. However there is a solution for people who would like to go on holiday and not to lose the family atmosphere, and it is a Boutique Hotel. 

I had a chance to spend a week in Finca Aldabra and I must say that it was an unforgettable experience. This charming hotel is placed in Sierra Nevada mountains, very close to Granda and only 15 minutes away from Alhambra. It is a family business set up by couple very creative and hard-working people: Inma and Jose. They prepared 10 rooms for guests in a old house that belonged to their family. Each room is different, some of them are in Andalusian, Moroccan or French style and all of them have unique pieces of furniture and decorations.

This hotel brings along complete rural experience. On big plot of land there are horses, goats, chickens, dogs and you can even hear birds singing. Home-made food in restaurant is fresh, very often organic and delicious. The hosts have own olive trees and they serve home-made lemon olives and their own production olive oil.

If someone thinks that there is nothing to do in such a place he is  mistaken. There are a lot of picturesque routes for hiking, Sierra Nevada is around half an hour away and Granada only 15 minutes drive. There is a swimming pool, bar, restaurant and also many areas where you can comfortably read. 
  I can strongly recommend a stay at Finca Aldabra to everyone who values relaxing holiday in a nice and friendly atmosphere. Away from loud city rush, close to the nature, but also with many places to visit in the neighborhood, with  healthy lifestyle and beautiful interiors. 

Our room was in typical for Granada style

Living Room

Inma and Jose in from of the entrance to Finca Aldabra

Some of the views in Sierra Nevada

                                         
                                         

Spicy Pumpkin Creamy Soup with Coriander Pesto

This soup has nice, cream texture and spicy, coconut flavor.

Ingredients

Soup:

1 large red onion;

3 garlic cloves;

2 table spoons of olive oil;

1/3 teaspoon of dry chilli flakes;

 250 grams of fresh pumping;

200 ml of coconut cream;

1 vegetable stock cube(chicken cube optionally);

salt and freshly ground pepper.

Coriander Pesto:

2 cups fresh coriander leaves, chopped;

2 garlic cloves, chopped;

lemon juice;

salt, pepper and little bit of sugar;

olive oil (I added 1 cup, but it can be more to have more oily texture).

Garnish:

Garlic croutons;

Roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Method:

•  Add chopped onion and garlic into the saucepan with olive oil. Fry until everything will be nice and soft. 

• Add pumpkin cutted into the cubes and chilli flakes (I added 0,5 of  small teaspoon and soup was spicy enough, but everyone can add depending on spiciness they like)  fry it all together for 1 minute.

•  Add water (I filter it before adding) and vegetable cube. Boil it for 15-20 minutes.

• Leave it to cool down and then bled the soup to achieve a nice and smooth texture. 

•  Add coconut cream  and season it with black pepper and salt.

• Put all indigence for coriander pesto into the bawl or food processor and blend until all ingredients combine and create smooth and fine paste. 

Pour soup into the bowls, garnish with croutons, coriander leaves and coriander pesto.

 Mix it and enjoy it!