Spanish Omelette (Tortilla de patata)

For years, every time I went to a Spanish restaurant I would always ask for my favorite, tapa “Tortilla de patata” or Spanish omelette. Although they were always good, they didn’t taste like what I grew up with. One of my goals in this cooking journey was to learn how to recreate childhood food memories. I also want to pass this tradition to my son.

This recipe originally comes from my grandmother. She passed away in 2011, so I didn’t have the chance to ask her for the recipe. My brother who kept the tradition alive was kind enough to give me the recipe step by step, like she used to do it. And OH BOY it does taste good. It took me couple of weeks to make it look good, but the flavor was always there. It tasted great when it was hot and even better as a cold snack.

Let me know what do you think.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

2-3 big red potatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
6-7 eggs
2-3 cups of frying oil

How to do it:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise, slice the potato in pieces 1/8″ thick. Rinse the potatoes (this releases all the extra starch).
2. Peel and chop the onion.
3. In a large, non-stick frying pan heat the oil on high until it starts to smoke. Drop a single potato piece into the oil to make sure is hot enough to fry. Carefully place the potatoes into the frying pan, spreading them evenly. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. The potatoes are ready if you can poke a piece with a fork and it easily breaks in two. Be careful to not over cook, you are not trying to brown them, you are trying to cook them. Add the chopped onions for couple more minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula. I prefer to place the potatoes and onion mixture in a big colander for a couple of minutes to allow more oil to drain. Note: Drain them over a bowl and not into the sink and down the drain.
4. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, add salt and beat by hand. Add the potato and onions and mix together.
5. Heat a non-stick frying pan (approx. 9-10″)  to medium or medium-low. When hot enough, pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Allow the eggs to cook around the edges. Using a fork or spatula, carefully lift up one side of the tortilla to check if the egg has slightly browned (see photo).
6. NOTE: This is the hard part of the recipe, so be careful. Do over the sink  in case you spill a bit of the egg mixture. When the mixture has browned on the bottom, it is ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Carefully, place a large plate (12″ or so) upside down on the frying pan to cover the top. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on the top of the plate, hold it steady and quickly turn the frying pan over. The omelette will fall into the plate. Put the pan back on the stove and let it reheat again. Slip the omelette back into the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let it sit in the pan for couple more minutes. Slide the tortilla de papatas onto a large plate. And you are done!

Buen provecho!

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Cream of Asparagus

Asparagus is a vegetable I really enjoy. When they are on sale I like to buy a bunch and prepare them in different ways.

I was thinking to grill this bunch, but it was cold outside, so I decided to check my recipes to see if I could find a tasty soup to make. I embellished the recipe by adding a couple of ingredients like the sour cream and the bacon. When it was ready, I was surprised how good it tasted.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups onion, diced
1/2 teasp garlic, chopped
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, diced (approx. 2 bunches)
1/2 new potato, diced
1 dash salt
1/2 tsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 qts fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
1/2 tsp yellow mustard seed
1 tsp fried bacon
1 tsp sour cream

How to do it:

1. Sauté onions and garlic with olive oil
2. Add rest of ingredients – EXCEPT bacon and sour cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes
3. Remove soup from heat and puree with a food processor or immersion blender
4. Return to the pan to reheat if needed
5. Server in bowl. Add bacon and sour cream

Buen provecho!

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Baby Clams Marinera Pasta

This is a delicious old  family recipe. My grandmother, mother, sister and brother all have cooked this dish and now it is my turn.

Originally the dish was served on white rice, but I decided to change it up a bit and substituted pasta for the rice. Success! It was great. Here is how I made it.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic chopped
1 tbsp Italian parsley chopped
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 lime
1 cup chicken broth
1 can baby clams
1 pkg spaghetti pasta
1 tbsp parmesan cheese

How to do it:

1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat
2. Sauté the garlic and parsley until lightly browned
3. Add flour and mix well until lightly browned
4. Add the juice of the lime
5. Add chicken broth slowly. Reduce until slightly thick
6. Add the baby clams and salt to taste. Let it cook until it has a nice thickness
7. Cook the spaghetti per box directions and your preferences
8. Plate the spaghetti, add the sauce and add top with parmesan cheese to taste

Buen provecho!

This photo and other variations are available for purchase as royalty free images without our logo (web resolution to high quality). This recipe is also available as a collectable and printable. Click here to buy.

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