Sunday, June 30, 2013

Spanish "Tortilla"

This is one of my favorite recipes for spring and summer because this Spanish omelette is flavorful, but not too heavy, and you can eat it hot or cold.  I actually prefer this cold which makes it great in the warm weather and easy to prepare in advance for weekday meals as I'll cook it up on Sunday night for some of my weekday meals.  It's also a great vegetarian dish (if you eat eggs) so I like to make this when I'm not in the mood for any meats.

I've had Spanish tortillas in tapas restaurants quite often and love them (it combines so many things I love in one dish - eggs, cheese, and potatoes!).  Contrary to what you may think from the name, this is not anything like a traditional tortilla and is more like an egg and potato omelette.  This recipe is not quite like the authentic dish but it's a faster and easier version because you cook the potatoes in advance in the microwave and don't need to flip it because you finish it off with the broiler.

This recipe is also really easy to modify based on personal tastes.  I've made this with other ingredients like green onions and zucchini (instead of the sundried tomatoes and mushrooms) and that was really yummy too, but this one is my favorite version that I make quite often.  Keep in mind that if you eat it cold you may need to season it extra with some salt and pepper before serving. Also, the more additional ingredients you add, the more eggs and milk you may want to consider adding to keep the "tortilla" together.

Servings: 4 (but for me this is a 2-3 night meal dish)

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 oz sundried tomatoes, chopped
2-4 oz goat cheese, crumbled (I do 4 because I'm a goat cheese monster)
5 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup skim milk
1//2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray or olive oil
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Preheat the boiler.
  • Peel and dice two medium-sized potatoes and microwave them, sprinkled with some water, in a lightly covered bowl for about 3-5 minutes until they are fork tender.  I usually do 5 minutes with my microwave.  Drain excess water and set aside.
  • Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and when warm spray with a cooking spray or pour 1-2 tbsps of olive oil.
  • Add 1 chopped onion, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.  
  • Add 3 oz chopped sundried tomatoes, 5 oz chopped mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp dried rosemary and cook for an additional couple minutes.
  • Add the softened potatoes to the onion mix and cook for an additional few minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • While the onion and potato mixture is cooking, mix 6 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 2-4 oz crumbled goat cheese in a bowl.
  • Increase heat to medium-high and pour the egg mixture evenly over the onion and potato mixture.  I sometimes poke holes in the mixture and tilt the pan around a bit to get the egg mixture to spread evenly.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on the stovetop until the eggs are just starting to harden.
  • Carefully move the skillet into the oven under the broiler and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked and the top is golden brown.  Watch the "tortilla" carefully to make sure it doesn't burn as it cooks pretty quickly.
  • Remove from oven and either serve warm or refrigerate it to serve cool later (I like both ways but in the summer time I prefer it cool).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Optional: Tease your pugs by placing delicious Spanish "tortilla" in front of them for pictures.  This is especially tempting for Rosy who is also a goat cheese monster.

Rosy kept trying to sneak a taste.  At first she started with licking the plate, but then she got more audacious!
Now these pictures of the single slice of the Spanish "tortilla" look nice and pretty but I feel like this is not really accurate.  Usually my plates are a mess because the slices fall apart and I also don't eat in nice and neat lil slices and instead just heap large amounts on my plate.  So here are a couple pictures of what this really looks like when chowing down!
Mmm!  I just made some tonight for dinner this week!  With this crazy hot, humid, and rainy weather lately I have not felt like cooking after coming home from a gross and sweaty commute.  Hope you enjoy and if you come up with any interesting adaptations let me know!

Adapted from the potato and goat cheese Spanish "tortilla" recipe in The Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Warm Lentil Salad with Bacon and Eggs

I've been missing my yummy lentil soups (Curried Lentils and Tomatoes Stew and Lentil Stew with Bacon and Greens) but not in the mood for hot soups.  I've seen a bunch of variations of recipes for lentils and eggs on the internet so I decided to throw something together based on random things I had in my fridge and I was pleasantly surprised.  This dish was super yummy and satisfying.  And I'm a sucker for a fried egg topper (mmm runny yolk!).  I think this is my new favorite comfort food and it's definitely a lot healthier than my standard comfort foods!

Servings: 2-4 (depends on if you want a big or small dish)

Ingredients:
1 cup dry green lentils
1 bag of baby spinach
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, chopped (you could add more; I'm just not a big carrot person)
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 eggs (or more if you want - the more eggs the merrier!)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 cups water
Red wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Bring 1 cup of lentils and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Drain well.
  • Heat a pan over medium heat and cook 1 chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped carrots, 4 slices chopped bacon, and 1/4 tsp thyme about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.
  • Add the cooked lentils and a bag of spinach to the pan.  Stir everything together until the spinach leaves wilt.
  • Add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to the lentil mixture to taste.
  • Fry or poach 4 eggs so that the whites are solid and the yolks are nice and runny.  
  • Top the lentil mixture with the eggs (I do two for my dish because I'm an egg monster).
  • You can season with more salt and pepper if needed.  Because my taste buds are warped from years of eating spicy Korean food I added a couple splashes of Tabasco sauce (mmm extra vinegar taste too!).
  • Mash up the egg and enjoy!

 I hurriedly took these photos and then dug in.  Delish!