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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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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

Grilled Iron Steak with Balsamic Soaked Raisin and Green Olive Salsa

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Grilled Iron Steak with Balsamic Soaked Raisin and Green Olive Salsa

Grilled Iron Steak with Balsamic Soaked Raisin and Green Olive Salsa 1

Grilled Iron Steak with Balsamic Soaked Raisin and Green Olive Salsa 4

Who doesn’t LOVE the grilling season? I know for us, we do it 5 of the 7 nights of the week and make it a long evening of ritual and enjoyment.

While the grill heats, we usually check out the garden, talk about what is working and growing…..then we ewww and awww over the new flowers, herbs, and sprouts. I usually fill the bird feeder so we can hear the songs of chatter amongst them as they “frenzy” around the feeding tube while we peruse the backyard. We have such a lush oasis in the high desert of New Mexico and it just rocks.

Okay, now back to the food which is our evening highlight and one of our favorites is to grill iron steak marinated in a dry rub and serve it with a balsamic soaked raisin and green olive salsa, the perfect marriage of sweet, acid, and salt.

Years ago, cuts like flank, iron, or skirt were considered the cheaper cuts and not really prized for any type of gourmet experience but now in the world of culinary diversion and experimentation, chefs and home cooks from around the globe have reignited these cuts with dry or wet rubs accompanied with salsas, sauces, pesto’s, and the like….they are still fairly inexpensive and totally fill our “grill cravings”!

So if you are looking for something really easy and delish, this dish is divine! We always double the salsa recipe and put out some fresh grilled corn tortillas to munch on while we wonder the oasis…….

Grilled Iron Steak with Balsamic Soaked Raisin and Green Olive Salsa
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • Iron Steak Rub:
  • 1-2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 lbs iron steak brought to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Balsamic Soaked Raisins and Green Olive Salsa:
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons chopped white onion
  • ⅓ cup green olives, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. Iron Steak Rub:
  2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
  3. About 2-3 hours before grilling, sprinkle steak with spice rub on both sides, cover and put in fridge. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before grilling.
  4. Turn grill onto medium high heat. Cook steaks for about 15-20 or until medium rare. Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes and then slice.
  5. How to Make Balsamic Soaked Raisins and Green Olive Salsa:
  6. Put raisins and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Heat, then reduce to low and simmer until balsamic is reduced by at least half and raisin are plumped. Remove raisins with a slotted spoon, letting the reduced balsamic drip out, and put them in a bowl with the olives, cilantro, and chopped onion.

 

Posole Verde with Roasted Chicken

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Posole Verde Full View

Posole Verde with Avocado Close Up

How is it when harvesting during the fall there is a “sure” feeling that come winter all this deliciousness will run out? Yet after the holiday indulgence there seems to be PLENTLY left to fold out into winter recipes and carry us into the beginnings of growing season again. Life is so good.

A favorite New Year’s resolution for me is to make a conscious effort to cook most of our meals with ALL the yummy goodies we spent hours putting up, either by freezing or by canning. Funny, when we are going through the harvesting process we are absolutely SURE we will never forget the labor of love put in but as the months pass, somehow the time spent fades in our memory….

It was a Sunday afternoon and I went out to refresh my memory on what treasures were hidden away. As I hung over the side of my deep freezer digging away, I saw an entire box of frozen roasted tomatillo sauce I had completely forgotten about! For us, this is one of the easiest things to grow and if I didn’t figure a use, I could easily see filling another 20 jars next year….

Since we are a soup lovin family, I decided I wanted to make posole. I LOVE traditional posole but this time I wanted a bit of a change and these frozen tomatillos would be perfect! I would make posole verde and add some shredded roasted chicken and then pile on a bunch of fresh crunchies such as radish, cabbage, tomato, and avocado! I was starting to drool….it sounded so fresh and delish!

In I went and prepped the chicken to roast. While it was roasting, I pulled out some poblano chiles, jalapenos, onion, and garlic; these were the perfect sofrito for the posole. I love to get that “char” on the skins of the chile and infiltrate the broth with that flavor…ooohhhhh I was getting jazzed!

Once those flavors melded, I added the oregano and cilantro and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then came the chicken stock and hominy. It was looking awesome! Now for the star of the show, straight from our garden, the roasted tomatillo sauce, the smell brought me right back to harvest, right back to the memories of those long days preserving our garden treasures…

Lastly I put in the shredded chicken, you could leave this out and add it along with the garnishing’s on top, but I decided to marry all the flavors and fold it in. I seasoned a bit more and heated it through.

I hadn’t told Enrique what I had made so when dinnertime came, I served it up in big bowls and topped it with the fresh goodies and toasted up some fresh corn tortillas. I brought it to him and his eyes got as big as saucers, this is his soul food and when I shared that the base was all of our tomatillos, he grinned from ear to ear…….

It’s nights like this, many months later that I easily see the circle of life……

Posole Verde Close Up

Posole Verde Frontal View

Posole Verde with Roasted Chicken
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken, roasted
  • 1 T butter
  • 8 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
  • 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and halved
  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 2 poblano chiles—cored, seeded and diced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, smashed
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Three 15-ounce cans of white hominy, drained
  • Finely shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped onion, diced avocado, queso fresco, corn tortillas, and lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse chicken and throughly dry. Melt 1 T of butter and coat chicken and brush all over and cover with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour and 30 min. Remove and allow to cool and shred meat into separate bowl, discard bones and skin.
  2. Put husked tomatillos on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in oven for 30 minutes or until soft. Put into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a large, dutch oven, heat 1 T of vegetable oil until hot. Add onion, poblanos, and jalapeños. Add oregano, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Cook until soft and chiles have a little "char" on skin.
  4. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes, Add chicken broth and hominy. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the shredded chicken to the stew and cook just until heated through.
  6. Serve the posole in deep bowls, passing the cabbage, radishes, onion, avocado, queso fresco, corn tortillas and lime wedges at the table.

 

Pork Loin Pasties with Caramelized Onions, Potatoes and Roasted Garlic

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These pockets of deliciousness are called pasties. They are Cornish and are traditionally filled with beef, potato, and onion and topped with a rich gravy but I fondly remember them as being called “love letters from home”, wondering why?

My parents grew up in Butte Montana and if you know anything or have heard anything about Butte, it is a copper mining town. People from ALL over the world migrated there at the turn of the century to get a piece of the action of the booming mining industry. All of the influxes of ethnicities is what made Butte the “melting pot” of the west and with that came all the wonderful cuisines.

It was and still is very very shall I say colorful? Oh let me be honest, it is a total trip to be there, total. Its worth a visit just for the experience, trust me. Maybe in another post I will fill you in on some Butte stories….

Now back to why they are called “love letters from home”. The underground miners worked long days in very dangerous conditions and they each carried a lunch bucket because when they went underground, they didn’t come back up until their shift was over, typically 10-12 hours. During their shift work, labor was really intense and they needed a substantial meal to get them through the long hours. The pasty was one of the staples in their lunch buckets for a couple of reasons, it was hearty but more importantly, every time a miner left for work there was a chance he wouldn’t come home so their wives or mothers sent these as a reminder they were loved and to return home at the end of each day.

I adored that story and when my mother and grandmother made these for us I always knew they were “love letters from home” and I like to pass that same feeling on when I make them for the ones I love.

I remember we always made them during the fall and winter because they are the ultimate comfort food. It took a small army of helpers for the prep work. We were enlisted to peel the potatoes, cut the onions or dice the meat while my mom or grandmother made that perfect crust.

As they baked, which felt like eternity, we anxiously stood near the oven. The smell was out of this world yummy and when they came out, we each chose the one we wanted, the more crust the better, slathered on a ton of gravy and mix all of it together with the homemade coleslaw.

Here is my personal version, filled with pork loin, roasted garlic, potatoes, and caramelized onions topped with a home made pork gravy. It is totally WORTH it to make them from scratch, I promise, after all, you are sending a “love letter from home” and those take time..

Pork Loin Pasties with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Garlic
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Cornish
Serves: 28
Ingredients
  • 10 lb Pork loin roast, diced to ¼ inch
  • 3 onion, halved and thinly sliced and caramelized
  • 1 Bunch garlic cloves, roasted
  • 10 Medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
  • 12 Cups Flour
  • 12 Sticks Butter
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 4 Cups ice water, plus more if needed
  • 1 Onion (Chopped)
  • 4 Pork loin ribs
  • 1 cup white wine, preferably pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
  • Ham rue, I use "better than bullion brand"
  • Chicken rue, I use "better than bullion brand"
  • ½ Cup Flour
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Early in morning, measure 6 cups flour in a bowl and cut up cold butter, salt and work together flour and butter until mealy. Add water slowly and just squeeze to bring together. Don't work dough or it will get too hard. Once it comes together, put into 4 small balls and put in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with other 6 cups flour.
  2. On stove top, heat medium sauté pan and add 2-3 T butter and melt. Add onion and cook down until caramelized.
  3. Heat oven to 350. In a sheet of foil, add a bunch of garlic cloves. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and dot with a little butter. Roast until golden brown but shake foil packet 2-3 times while cooking.
  4. Cut up pork loin into small dice, ¼ inch. With a tabletop grinder or kitchen aide grinder attachment, grind potatoes. Put out 3 bowls and divide pork evenly. Add ⅓ potatoes without water and incorporate into meat. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in ⅓ onion and garlic. Repeat with other 2 bowls.
  5. Take 2 dough balls out and divide into 3 or 4 slices and start to roll out into individual rounds. Put a full scoop of meat plus a bit more. Brush with water. Top with butter and fold over. Trim extra dough and fold over and pinch together. Put on parchment lined baking sheet. Sheet should hold 5 pasties and each bowl should make about 9 pasties.
  6. Turn oven to 350 and brush top of pasties with milk. Cook for 45 min then switch for another 45 min.
  7. While making pasties, cook pork ribs with salt and pepper for 45 min to 1 hour.
  8. While pasties are cooking, put 1 stick of buttering Dutch oven over med heat.
  9. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add drippings from ribs and ½ cup flour. Stir until rue. Add 1 cup wine and fill with water. Add ham rue to taste and a little chicken rue. Boil until thick and season as needed. Strain and return to pot.
  10. Serve pasties immediately with gravy and coleslaw.
  11. Can cut recipe down if wanting to make less but they freeze beautifully.
  12. If freezing, individually wrap each pasty in foil and place in a ziplock bag. Reheat at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.