Tortilla de Patates (Spanish Omelette/Spanish Tortilla)

What the Spanish call a "tortilla" is not the tortilla that we think about when referencing Mexican food.  This tortilla is actually an omelette with fried eggs and fried potatoes.  It can be served by the slice, and is found in pretty much every eatery/bar in Spain.


Recipe- Spanish Tortilla

• 10 ounces red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch pieces

• 8 large eggs
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and cool.

2. Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Mix in potatoes. Heat oil in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add egg mixture; cook 3 minutes, occasionally stirring egg from sides of skillet. Place skillet in oven and bake eggs until set in center and no longer wet on top, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove tortilla from oven. Immediately place skillet on cold wet kitchen towel to prevent further cooking. Let stand 2 minutes. Run spatula around edge of skillet and under tortilla. Lift skillet and tilt, sliding tortilla onto platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cut into wedges.

Country Tuscan Salad

Once of my most vivid food memories is when I was in the Tuscany region of Italy. I had an inspiring Tuscan white bean soup--inspiring because it warmed my stomach.. and my soul. I was visiting my friend Grace, and she took me to a hole in the wall sandwich and soup cafe. The cafe was small and somewhat ordinary looking, but at lunchtime, the cafe bustled with Italians loudly ordering their soup to go in a language that was foreign to my ears.  There is nothing more exciting for a traveling foodie, than finding that hole in the wall cafe that serves authentic regional food that the locals frequent.

I have  ordered the "Tuscan bean soup" at several establishments since, but none compares.

Last week, I picked up "Country Tuscan Salad" from Trader Joe's.  I was drawn to it because it didn't have meat, and it was much lower in sugar, fat, and calories than the other salads.  What I hadn't expected was to be brought back to the bustling cafe in Tuscany...

Though the salad did not remotely compare to the soup, the balance of flavors did. I recreated my own last night, since I don't fancy paying $2.99 for a small salad.

Country Tuscan Salad

Diced green and red bell pepper
shredded carrots
lettuce
shaved Parmesan
white beans
Parmesan garlic vinaigrette

Toss the ingredients, and serve immediately.

If you don't want to make your own, just pick one up from the "lunch" section at Trader Joe's for $2.99!

Tomato Tart--this ain't pizza!

The bar is OVER and the blog is BACK! There will be bi-weekly updates, so check back often.
It's summer, and one of my favorite things about summer is summer vegetables!  Do your body and your taste buds a favor and pick up some beautiful tomatoes at your local farmer's market this weekend.

I enjoyed two slices of this for dinner along with a glass of champagne. The herbs de provence provide a hint of lavender, and celebrate the ripeness of the tomatoes.  The egg custard provided a smooth texture, contrasting the flakiness of the homemade tart crust.

To make this tart, you will need to either make the crust, or use a pre-made crust.

12 tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 par-baked 9-inch tart crust (see roasted potato tart recipe)

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

2 large eggs

1/4 cup light cream

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper.

1. Position your oven racks so that one is in the center. Preheat to 375 degrees.

2. Put the tomato slices in a colander, and place it in the sink. Let the tomatoes sit for 15 minutes to drain off any excess liquid.

3. Spread the mustard evenly over the tart shell. Sprinkle the cheese over the mustard, and sprinkle the herbes de Provence over the cheese.

4. Working from the outside in, lay the drained tomato slices in overlapping concentric circles, making sure the crust is covered entirely.

5. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, or a large measuring cup with a spout, to break up the yolks. Whisk in the cream, salt, and pepper. This is your custard. Pour the custard evenly over the tomatoes until it comes to about 1/4 inch from the top edge of the crust.  (If you have a little extra, don't worry about it).

6. Place the tart on the center rack in the oven, and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the custard is set. (Set custard won't jiggle when you shake the pan and will be firm when you touch it). The tomatoes in this tart may give off a hot liquid--don't confuse this with uncooked eggs and overcook your tart. The liquid will evaporate as the tart cools.

7. Remove the tart from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Allow the tart to cool slightly.

Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Mushrooms Tart

I bought a tart pan about 3 months ago, so I have been meaning to make a tart for quite some time!  I decided to bake a savory tart so that it could also be dinner.

This project had a combined preparation and bake time of about 2 and a half hours. That time can be greatly reduced by buying an already prepared pie shell, or simply preparing the tart dough ahead of time. Also, it takes me a really long time do simple tasks like slicing mushrooms.  

It was super delish.  This dish also reminded me that vegetarian dishes can be hearty and flavorful.  The chopped fresh tarragon definitely added a layer of complexity.

1 par baked pie/tart crust
1 lb of small red potatoes (about 4), sliced into thin discs (about 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup light whipping cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Gruyere or Parmesan cheese
1 lb of white button mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Combine the garlic, onion, potatoes, and half of the olive oil (1/8 cup).  Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and ground pepper.  Spread out mixture evenly on a cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake 15-20 minutes, until onions are translucent. Let cool.  Reduce oven to 375.

2. Sprinkle the fresh tarragon onto the crust.  Put the potato mixture into the tart crust.  Whip the eggs, whipping cream, and salt in a small bowl.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Pour on top of the potato mixture in the tart pan.  Don't try to use the entire egg mixture if it looks like it is going to overflow.  Leave about 1/4 inch from the top of the pan.  Bake 55-60 minutes, or until the egg mixture sets.  If you jiggle the tart and the egg mixture does not jiggle, then it is set.  Remove from oven.

3. While the tart was baking.... heat 1/8 cup olive oil over in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown sliced mushrooms in the skillet for 5-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and stir. Remove from heat.
4.  Once you remove the tart from the oven, sprinkle the 1/2 cup of cheese on the top.  Spread the mushrooms evenly on top of the cheese.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Chili

I wanted to make something hearty and healthy. I love this recipe because it's pretty much all vegetables and beans. It's low-sodium, low-cholesterol, and fiber-licious! If you want to save time, just used canned beans instead of cooking the beans yourself.

I also didn't bother "dicing" the vegetables. Instead, I pulsed them in a food processor. I was careful not to over-pulse them because I wanted the soup to be chunky. I can't even imagine how long it would take to dice all of these vegetables! There are a lot of ingredients, but don't be intimidated.

And remember, chili always tastes better the second day.

Recipe- Vegetable Chili

2 cups dried black beans, OR 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup dried kideny beans, OR 1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced or chopped

3 medium carrots, diced or chopped

4 celery stalks, diced or chopped

3 red bell peppers, diced or chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 zucchini, diced or chopped

1 yellow squash, diced or chopped

1 cup canned or frozen corn

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/3 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 28 oz can Italian-style tomatoes, diced

1 and 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, diced or chopped

salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1. If using dried beans, soak them overnight. Drain and rinse. Boil them in 8 cups of water. Reduce heat once boiling and let simmer for one hour. Remove and drain. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium, and add the minced garlic. Reduce the heat if the garlic starts to brown. Increase the heat to medium high and add the onion. Sautee for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.

3. Add the chopped vegetables, one at a time, every five minutes in the following order: carrots, celery, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper (together), zucchini and yellow squash (together), and corn. Then, add all of the spices and cook another 5-10 minutes.

4. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or more--until the chili thickens. Serve warm and garnish with sour cream, cheese, grilled chicken or grilled steak.

Falafel

I decided to make falafel because one of my vegan readers suggested it. Falafel is another great way to use fiberlicious garbanzo beans. I remember when I first had falafel--it was in the latin quater in Paris about three years ago. Falafel is really popular in North Africa and the Middle East. It's a great vegan recipe that has a "meaty" feel to it.

If you don't have a deep fryer, cooking it can be tricky. Most people complain that it falls apart in the skillet. I had a mini-disaster the first time I made falafel, about a year ago. The oil in the skillet was waaaay too hot. Luckily, Lucy was around and helped me figure out how to cook it at the right temperature. If you can monitor the temperature of your oil, you probably won't have any problems. Also, remember to let the oil "re-heat" after you take a batch out (meaning, wait about 5 minutes or so before putting another batch in your skillet).

I stuffed these in pita with onion, tomato, lettuce, and herbed cucumber yogurt (see recipe below).

Recipe- Falafel

1 15 or 16 oz. can garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 tablespoons fresh coriander

1 tablespoon fresh mint

1 teaspoon cumin or cumin seeds

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 tablespoon salt

pepper to taste

oil, for frying

1. Ground peas in food processor (or blender) until smooth. Mix in everything else. Pulse. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Using wet hands, make round balls (see picture).

3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Heat in 1/4 inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat in shallow frying pan. Fry a few at a time, turning halfway (about 8 minutes total). Transfer to a paper towel. Reheat oil in between.

Herbed Cucumber Yogurt

1 cup plain yogurt (low fat)

1 kirby cucumber, peeled, seeded*, and chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

*to seed cucumbers, i cut in them in half, legnthwise, and then scoop out the seeds with a spoon

Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve as sauce inside pita for falafel.

Curried Corn Chowder

I love soup. I love soup because it is healthy, and I can control exactly what goes in it! I love soup because you can't really mess it up--anything goes. I love soup because it not only warms the body, but it warms the soul. Yes, Los Angeles is not a winter or fall city, but it has been around 60 degrees or so here, so this is soup weather for us!

A good soup cannot be made in 5 minutes. The ingredients need time to get to know each other. I think that soups are kind of magical--you take a bunch of independent ingredients, and you make something that is greater than the individual ingredients.

I served this soup with dinner rolls that had been in my freezer. I defrosted the dinner rolls, and then I cut them in half and broiled them in the oven with a dab of butter and some grated parmesan cheese until the cheese was slightly dark and bubbly.

Enjoy this healthy, vegan dinner alternative!

Recipe- Curried Corn Chowder

Preparation/Cook time: about an hour and a half
Servings: 6

1 big yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. fresh thyme OR 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 and 1/2 cups frozen or canned corn
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp. sugar
2 tablespoons, unsalted butter, clarified (see directions below)
1 tablespoon Madras-styled curry powder
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon salt
pepper, to taste

1. Saute the onion, garlic, and thyme in 2 tablespoons butter (regular) in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring occassionally to keep the onions and garlic from sticking to the bottom of the pot. After the onion has begun to reduce in volume (5-10 minutes), lower the heat to medium and continue cooking for 10-15 more minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.
2. Add the corn, stock, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the stock simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the clarified butter. To prepare clarified butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan until the milk solids have separated from the oil (there will be white, cloudy liquid floating on top after melting the butter). Use a spoon to scoop out the milk solids. Milk solids cause butter to burn more easily, which is why we are removing them.
4. In a separate saucepan, warm the clarified butter over medium heat. Add the curry powder, and cook until the curry aroma permeates every inch of your dwelling (3-5 minutes).
5. Remove the soup from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes. Pour half of the soup into a blender, and blend. Return blended soup into the soup pot. Heat the pot over medium heat; then stir in the clarified butter/curry blend (step 4).
6. Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cook for another 15 minutes, until all the flavors come together. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.