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Tortilla Espanola

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A delicious tortilla española can solve any woe…..

Tortilla Espanola

Tortilla Espanola

I think it was in Barcelona sometime around autumn of 2005 when we stumbled upon our favorite tapa bar near the Picasso Museum. When I say stumbled, I mean literally. We had just finished drinking in the wonder of the various works of Picasso which hung in a small, wooden building with old crooked windows and shutters that still worked to shade the sunbeams whose dance threatened the very livelihood of some his greatest pieces.

I am not sure if we were so awestruck by the expanse of his repertoire or we dallied so long through the maze of paintings being transported and lost in both time and space or maybe it was both because when we submerged it was evident we had blissfully forgotten to handle the groaning of our hungry stomachs.

Problem? Shouldn’t be, after all we are in the pulse of Barcelona, gastronomy heaven and tapa bar paradise. But WHERE we were was in Europe and they don’t thrive on “oras continuas” and allow a few famished tourists to break a thousand-year old tradition called “siesta”. Yes, that’s correct, siesta; the fabulous mid-day break for 3 hours where all things “stop” and everyone curls up inside to digest their mid-day feast and refurbish their soul. This wonderful “tradition” happened to slip past the dazed minds of a couple of foreign travelers.

Despite the numerous eateries within a small radius, our luck was outweighed by the tug of the 2 o’clock hour and weary proprietors who were noshing on delicacies before drifting off in slumber.

I think it was the last window we peered in while testing the door in hopes we might magically discover an unlocked entrance and an array of treats. As we glanced around the restaurant our eyes locked with the elderly lady inside who was making her way to a solo table with a tray of tapa delights. Her eyes softened with a motherly instinct and she waved her crooked hand and summoned us to enter through the side door. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation as we rushed around the building and entered the small, rustic restaurant.

We gladly sat down and breathed a sigh of relief as her daughter brought us a carafe of house sangria and a basket of fresh bread. The grandmother had disappeared but only to remerge shortly with round, flat shaped delight which at first glance somewhat resembled some sort of soufflé with fresh oregano, a few olives, and a side of a bright orange-red sauce. I had no idea what this mystery plate was and the hunger pains were overriding my normal interrogation of curiosity. Instead I was affixed on her methodical slicing into perfect wedges and finishing with a dollop of sauce and a handful of olives.

I nodded my head in deep gratitude and sliced my fork through what I could see of layers of thinly sliced potatoes and onions encased in a baked egg mixture. My mouth was watering as I could smell the aroma of this intriguing dish. As I allowed my senses to distinguish all the flavors inside my mouth, first savory and then a hint of smoke and then slight sweetness from the sauce, the subtle textures made up a perfect harmonic bite.

I opened my eyes and glanced at the elderly woman who stood so proudly as the creator of this dish and the answer to our hungry woes. I smiled and said from the depths of gratitude, “Gracias, signora, gracias”, I think the pleasure on my face said how deep it went…..

I’ll never forget my first tortilla espanola from the heart of my new Spanish friend.

Tortilla Espanola
 
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Author:
Cuisine: Spanish
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • 6 - Yukon Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 - Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
  • 7 - Large Eggs, whisked
  • Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a oven-proof casserole dish, add potatoes and toss with a generous amount of olive oil (these are going to "poach" in the oven). Cover and cook for 20 min.
  3. In a medium sized saute pan, add some olive oil and onions. Cook until translucent and "sweet" (don't caramelize). Remove from stove and add to potatoes, re-cover and cook another 20 minutes. Remove and cool to room temp. Fold in egg mixture and season with salt.
  4. In another medium sized sauté pan, line with parchment paper and heat on high for a couple minutes. Add potato/egg mixture and reduce to medium heat. Cook until firm and set, about 15-20 minutes. Make sure bottom browns but not burns.
  5. Turn oven to high broil and add sauté pan and broil for 5 minutes or until golden spots form on top. Remove from oven and invert onto a platter and remove parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, slice and serve with romesco sauce.

Tortilla Espanola

Squash Blossoms Over Baked Eggs

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Squash Blossoms with Baked Eggs 3

Squash Blossoms with Baked Eggs

About 20 plus years ago, someone mentioned to me they had eaten squash blossoms and I thought to myself, “why would anyone do that”? As with many things I have had to stick my foot in my mouth over, I was wrong, completely wrong. Squash blossoms rock, seriously they rock.

Stuffed and fried, sautéed in dishes, a top a pizza or baked on eggs (along with a million other ways) they are brilliant, simply brilliant; so when the season of squashes hits in late July and August, I pluck them from our garden as quickly as they come up (of course not the ones with the squash attached) and on the evening menu they go. In fact, the menu becomes revolved around them.

One of my favorite dishes is squash blossom over baked eggs. If I need a quick meal or a slow Sunday breakfast, this dish satisfies and never disappoints. Serve it up with warm toast or add roasted potatoes or both, your choice but make sure you have some homemade jam to accompany.

So I dare you to journey on my squash blossom fetish. This recipe is an easy way to get started and a guarantee of falling in love….with the blossom 🙂

Squash Blossoms Over Baked Eggs
 
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Author:
Cuisine: American
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 small or medium squash, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 5 - 6 eggs
  • 1 sprig of tarragon, leaves only
  • 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
  • tallegio cheese
  • 2 T butter
  • 2 T heavy cream
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to low broil.
  2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add butter until hot. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute to release fragrance. Add squash and tomato and sauté for about 5 minutes or until squash begins to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper and add herbs and cream.
  3. Crack eggs one at a time and add to skillet and make sure there is room between them. Top with desired amount of cheese.
  4. Put under broiler for 3 minutes and add squash blossoms. Put back under broiler for another 3 minutes.
  5. Remove and serve in individual bowls with bread and butter

Squash Blossoms with Baked Eggs 1

 

 

Layered Salad with Bibb Lettuce, Beets, Eggs, Avocado, and Feta Cheese

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Layered Salad of Bibb Lettuce, Eggs, Beets, Avocado, and Pepitas 1

Layered Salad of Bibb Lettuce, Eggs, Beets, Avocado, and Pepitas

Layered Salad of Bibb Lettuce, Eggs, Beets, Avocado, and Pepitas 2

Grilled Chicken Paninis with Roasted Red Peppers and Tallegio Cheese

I think layered salads in a jar are the prettiest dish to take on a picnic and one of my favorite’s is made with bibb lettuce, roasted beets, eggs, avocado, feta cheese, and pepitas.

On our anniversary this year, we decided the one thing we wanted to do was to pack the most delicious and beautiful picnic lunch we could create and the layered bibb salad was the focal point on the menu. After all, how often do you get to eat your salad out of a glass jar? That’s half the fun along with how everyone looks at you with envy and awe. If I didn’t want them to think I spend hours I might blow my cover and let them know that it really takes less time to make than a regular salad but, we will leave it at the envy and awe….that’s just how I decided to roll.

While we did have a few other goodies in the picnic basket and I could add them to this blog post, I decided just to focus on the salad in the jar. It is totally fun to pick whatever lettuce suits your taste buds and layer away with fresh or roasted veggies, proteins, eggs, dried fruit, nuts, and so on…. the more colorful, the more fun to eat and the more fun to eat, the more often you might venture into jarred salad creations!

Since I had made some yummo panini to go with our layered salad I figured something a little simpler would work best so I chose bibb lettuce, roasted beets, eggs, avocado, feta cheese, and pepitas. I did make a simple balsamic vinaigrette to accompany but if you wanted, you could grab a jar of your favorite dressing off the shelf of the grocery store and go that route; it’s great either way.

When the food was prepped, we packed it up in the car and  headed off to a special place called Tent Rocks. Tent Rocks is located in northern New Mexico and about 45 minutes from our house (I am a bit embarrassed to admit I had never wandered there in the 44 years I have lived here but we wont harp on that one). The point is that it was SIMPLY AMAZING and after an incredible hike through these lava rock formations, we sat down for our pretty (and delicious) picnic; both of these things I thoroughly believe made it taste that much better.

As we made our way through the array of panini, chips, and layered salad, we were lucky to have a visitor join us for some treats…..it was awesome to have our little buddy stuff his cheeks with our salty chips and scurry away to bury them for later and return for another load. This alone made our day and united us with a little more than our picnic lunch under the pinon tree.

Squirrel at Tent Rocks

Tent Rocks

Layered Salad of Bibb Lettuce, Eggs, Beets, Avocado, and Pepitas 4

Layered Salad with Bibb Lettuce, Beets, Eggs, Avocado, and Feta Cheese
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 Head of Bibb Lettuce or 1 Bag of Bibb Lettuce, torn into pieces
  • 4 Fresh Golden Beets
  • 2-3 Hardboiled Eggs, sliced in a cutter
  • 1 Large Avocado, diced
  • Fresh Feta Cheese
  • Roasted, Unsalted Pepita Seeds
  • 2 large glass Weck jars
  • Balsamic Dressing, preferably homemade
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ shallot, diced
  • ¼ cup balsamic
  • 2-3 T dijon mustard
  • ⅛ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. To Make Beets:
  2. Heat oven to 400. Wrap loose beets tightly in foil and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork. Take out, cool, peel, and diced or chunk into desired size. (This can be done day before)
  3. To Make Dressing:
  4. In a blender or food processor, put in garlic, shallot, balsamic, dijon, and a little salt and pepper. Pulse until blended. Put blender or processor on low and add oil slowly to emulsify. Season more to taste
  5. To assemble salad:
  6. In the bottom of the Weck jars, add a little salad, then begin layering with beets, egg, and avocado, repeat until almost at top and finish with feta cheese and pepitas.
  7. Pack or eat immediately with desired amount of dressing!

 

Eggs over Black Forest Ham and Gruyere Cheese

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Eggs over Blackforest Ham and Grueyer Cheese 3

Sometimes you just need an idea for a yummy meal and this one of eggs over black forest ham and gruyere cheese is high on my list. Not only is it simple but also the flavors are spectacular and when you add the egg on top, it becomes a “version” of a Croque Madam done in 10 minutes without the béchamel sauce. Can you beat that? No.

We often have this dish of on Sunday mornings, especially come summertime when we can sit outside, watch the birds in the feeder, see the hummingbirds dance around in the air, and gaze at our garden; it makes for an awesome way to start the day.

I do find the key to this is to find your favorite artisanal bread (mine is an onion loaf from a French bakery), GREAT black forest ham from a deli, and delicious gruyere cheese from a local cheese monger and then you don’t have to worry about the béchamel unless you can’t live without it. This version of eggs over black forest ham and gruyere cheese gives you an excuse to not have to add on another 20 minutes to make the sauce which leaves more time to indulge wherever you heart takes you!

Eggs over Blackforest Ham and Gruyere Cheese
 
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This can be a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The KEY to this is ingredients, the fresher, the better and let them shine...
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 4 slices of artisanal bread of your choice (I enjoy an onion loaf with this)
  • 1 lb of good black forest ham
  • ½ lb gruyere cheese, grated
  • Good dijon mustard
  • 4 farm fresh eggs
  • Tarragon for garnish or broken over top of eggs
Instructions
  1. Toast Bread
  2. Grate Cheese
  3. Turn on broiler on low
  4. Assemble:
  5. Put mustard on each slice and bread and then black forest ham and top with gruyere cheese
  6. Put under broiler until melted, remove
  7. In saute pan on stove, turn on medium and melt a little butter
  8. Cook eggs, sunny side up and season with salt and pepper
  9. Carefully place an egg on each piece of assembled bread and decorate or garnish with tarragon or herb of choice and serve with dijon, if desired

Eggs over Blackforest Ham and Grueyer Cheese 2