Spanish Tortilla

So the other day, I was reading Vanessa's blog and thought that her Spanish Tortilla sounded yummy, easy, inexpensive, and I had all the ingredients. Perfect! Dinner was solved. So I took her recipe and made a few adjustments.
I will say, the flipping is a little tricky - but if you have a plate, it probably would have worked better than me trying to use the lid of my frying pan (not as balanced).

Spanish Tortilla

adapted from Vanessa
vegetable oil
3 potatoes
8 Eggs
1/3 cup of milk
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 slices of thick ham, cubed
1/2 green bell pepper, cubed
cilantro, for garnish
1 tomato, diced, for garnish

Heat oil over medium-high heat. You want just enough to coat the pan and about half way up your potatoes. Cook until potatoes are almost fork-tender (about 8 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese; set aside.
Once potatoes are browned and almost fork tender, drain oil. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Add in your egg mixture. Add ham and peppers. Gently stir the egg mixture for a few seconds. Cover pan with a lid. Once you feel like it is done on the sides and bottom, here comes the tricky part! Get a plate out and flip the pan over to the put the Spanish Tortilla on the plate. Then slide the Spanish tortilla off the plate and back into the pan so the other side can cook. (She made it sound so easy!) Once cooked through, remove from pan, garnish with cilantro and tomatoes.
Serve warm or room temperature. Serves 4-6 people.

Simplified Eggs Benedict

I was going to make a delicious breakfast Saturday morning before we had our anniversary celebration. Well, it didn't happen. Our church had a softball tournament Saturday morning starting at 8:30, Lou didn't wake up until 7:45... so we had cereal. We'd save it for Sunday. Well, Sunday we were invited to breakfast with some friends and the breakfast was bumped again.

So this became the first-day-of-school meal. Yes, AC had his first day of Law School this morning. He needed some protein to get his mind going and off his stomach. (Eggs are brain food, did you know?) So I made my version of Eggs Benedict. The sauce is not that similar to a hollandaise sauce except for in texture, and slightly in color. But I don't use eggs and there is much less butter (So that makes it healthy right?). It is much easier to make. My roommate actually taught me how to make this sauce, she called it her egg gravy. By the way, she hates mustard but still uses it in this, so the taste is not strong at all for all you mustard-haters.

Simplified Eggs Benedict

egg gravy, see below
4 eggs
4 slices of Canadian bacon, heated up in small frying pan
2 English muffins, cut in half and toasted

Faux-Hollandaise aka Egg Gravy

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until slightly golden in color. Add mustard and a little salt and pepper. Slowly add the milk, a few tablespoons at a time until well incorporated. Once all milk is in, bring to a soft boil until the thickness is to your liking. If it gets too thick you can add more milk.
Poach eggs and toast just before ready to eat. To poach eggs bring water to a soft boil, turn heat to low. Drop eggs in gently and let simmer over low for about 4-6 minutes or until yolks are hard enough for you. To test, push gently on the yolk with the back of a spoon. Remove with slotted spoon and drain off water.
To assemble place English muffin, then Canadian bacon, then egg, then sauce. Serve immediately and eat up (cause nobody likes cold eggs).
Serves 2.

Tips:

• Here is the timing I like to do (I like my eggs on the runny-side):
• 1. Put water on stove to boil
• 2. Start egg gravy
• 3. Once you added milk to the gravy - place eggs in the water, English muffins under the broiler (or in toaster if I am making this for one).
• 4. Once gravy is almost thick enough, warm up Canadian bacon.
• 5. Assemble with all ingredients ready at the same time (or almost).
• I have heard lots of tricks of how to keep your egg whites together and have less of that web-y stuff in your water. But really, the only thing that really works for me is to have the freshest eggs possible. Look at the date on the box and make sure you are getting the newest eggs in the store.

German Pancakes

I grew up on a more fattening version of these pancakes - but really the only difference I notice in the final product is that the top of the pancake doesn't have little puddles of butter on the top. Don't get me wrong, they were tasty, but I like this German Pancake recipe just as much. This is delicious served with those delicious berries that are in season.
This recipe is easily halved - sadly, my baby and I eat the whole half recipe. I put this in the oven when we wake up and by the time we are dressed and hair done - it is ready for us to eat. Mmm. Love a delicious, quick breakfast recipe!

German Pancakes

adapted from allrecipes.com
3 Tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt

Place butter in 9x13 baking dish and place in oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine remaining ingredients in blender, blend until combined. Once butter is melted, remove baking dish from oven. Poor in batter. Bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with strawberries, powdered sugar, or maple syrup! (or if you are like my husband, all of the above!)

Omelets

Lately, I have been on an omelet kick. I love trying out different fillings for them.
I have found that this method makes the perfect omelet. Yes, each step really does make that big of a difference.


Warm 3 eggs in hot water for 5 minutes. Crack warm eggs into bowl, add a pinch of salt, and blend with fork. Heat a 10-inch non-stick aluminum pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add 1 tsp room temperature butter and brush around surface of pan. Pour eggs into center of pan and stir vigorously with rubber spatula for 5 seconds. As soon as a semi-solid mass begins to form lift pan and move around until the excess liquid pours off into pan. Using your spatula move around the edge of the egg mixture to help shape into round and loosen edge. Let omelet sit in pan for 10 seconds without touching. (This is when I add the fillings, have them prepared in advance, you don't have much time to stuff!)
Shake pan to loosen from pan. Lift up the far edge of the pan and snap it back toward you. Using your spatula, fold over 1/3 of the omelet. Slide omelet onto plate and fold over so that omelet is a tri-fold. Coat with 1/2 tsp butter. Serve immediately.

My fillings of choice:

• sundried tomatoes
• scallions
• fresh parsley
• Italian blend cheese