Comfort Food: Tortilla Espanola

We went to Spain in the late fall of 2008. We were on one of those cruises, you know, the sixteen day trans-Atlantic extravaganzas. We started in Rome, and on day three we were in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a weird mix of fairy tale Gothic and modern. It looks almost like a Disney version of a medieval city. People tell me that happened during the Olympics, when they were scrubbing up the city's image. Still, the Ramblas and the Boqueria market are stunning and wonderful, and I had my first Tortilla espanola at a cafe on Las Ramblas.

That was when I decided to make tortilla at home. My first few were just okay. My potatoes were too starchy, my eggs not quite right...

Then I got it. I like my tortilla cooked medium well, with no runniness to the egg. If you like yours less done, just adjust your cooking time.

So. You'll need onion or shallot and garlic. Chop it up and toss it in a good non-stick pan with some butter and olive oil. Seriously, I have a tortilla pan set I only use for this.

Sautee on medium high until tender. Then you add the potatoes. I like to par-cook, and I usually boil fingerlings and cut them in pieces. This time I used the mandolin to cut 3-4 Yukon golds, and parcooked them in the microwave in a bowl of water. This hugely reduces cooking time. Stir to coat with butter, oil and onion, then cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. (if using the fingerlings, half a bag or so is about right)

This tortilla also had diced proscuitto and green chiles. I added them during the potato phase, cooking them along with the potatoes.

Once the potatoes are tender, remove lid and crank heat up to medium high again. Crisp the potatoes for a few minutes.

While the potatoes get golden, crack 6-8 eggs in a large bowl. It has to be big enough to hold all the potatoes, because you'll temper the eggs before putting them in the pan.

Then you whisk the eggs together with salt, pepper, and your choice of seasonings. I love cayenne and a little oregano, but if you were doing more traditional, you could use some thyme and sage or some paprika and sea salt. You dump the hot potatoes into the eggs, mix them well, and put them back in the pan. Lower the heat and cook until eggs are set. Then turn heat back to medium high to cook a nice crust on the eggs.

If you have a tortilla set like I do, this is where you slide the locking top pan onto the bottom pan and flip. if not, you do it like I used to. Take a large, heat safe plate. Flip tortilla onto it. Then slide it back into the pan, wet side down. Cook on medium high until egg is cooked on the second side. Then remove to a plate.

BA and I like ours lightly brown. In Spain, I saw tortilla that ranged from barely cooked in the egg area, to brown like mine.

We serve with creme fraiche or Mexican crema, a sprinkle of cheese, and some tomatoes or salsa. In Spain? Mostly served plain. :D

Either way, it's comfort food at its yummiest, and naturally gluten free.

Yummy!

Julia

Happy New Year!

I have my blackeyed peas in the Crockpot, cornbread at the ready, and a lovely mix of baby spinach and kale for my greens. :D

I'm ready for good luck in the new year. You?

Jello Cookies!

I did it!

I reinvented the Jello cookie! :D

So, before you ask, my mother used to make me Jello cookies every year for xmas. I love them. Like genuinely.

I hadn't had them in 20 years until last night. 

:D

before you start: these need a cookie press. I love mine. They're expensive, you can make cheese straws with them, and they're fun. :D This is the one I have: http://www.lnt.com/product/cookie-presses/171318-450/kuhn-rikon-kuhn-rikon-clear-barrel-cookie-press-with-storage-case-2461-cbl.html?utm_source=googleproductads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term={keyword}

Preheat your oven to 375.

Sift together in a bowl:

4 c. all-purpose gluten free flour

2 1/2  t. xantham gum

1/2 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

Then, using a mixer, blend

1 1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 3 oz package of regular Jello (I used cranberry)

Once that's light and fluffy add:

2 eggs, one at a time

then 

2 t. vanilla and

1/2 c. heavy cream

Add your flour mixture slowly. When this is done, the texture is very much like really well played with PlayDoh. No, really.

Now use your cookie press and make cookies.

Now, let me tell you. Cookie presses take a little patience.

Patience, and a cold, ungreased cookie sheet.

If the cookies won't stick, wet your dough with a little more water. Try pressing harder. Try wiping off your cookie sheet with a paper towel. It's a process.

You cook these babies at 375 for 10 minutes. Take them off the pan immediately and onto a rack to cool.

They're yummy. Trust me.

Here they are with my spritz cookies (that recipe is for tomorrow). 

Flour Tortilla Recipe Coming/Mom's Enchiladas

Good news! 

Of course, I need to measure and photograph, but it's coming. 

*bounces*

So, today?

Mom's Enchiladas.

My stepmother, Terrie, was an amazing cook and I loved her enchiladas (which really aren't enchiladas, but more like a burrito casserole, but she called them enchiladas, so we do too.

The recipe is super simple (and, Daddy, forgive me, I made some tweaks, which I'll note)

1/2 cut up onion

1 lb hamburger

1 can fat free refritos (she just used her own, but I didn't have any homemade here...)

cumino, garlic salt, chili powder, salt

gf flour tortillas

cheddar cheese

1 can of Wolf Brand Chili (I omit this, I admit it. It's too much grease for me and makes me queasy. Forgive me, Terrie.)

sour cream and salsa to top

So, you cook up your onion in a wee bit of olive oil, then you brown your meat. I use the super-di-duper low fat meat, so I don't have to drain. If you've got just a wee bit of grease, you're cool. If you've got more than that? Pour it off. Season your meat. No, there are no measurement. You have a mouth. Tasting is the fun part of being the one that's cooking (well, that and that you can con someone else into doing dishes...)

Now, tump in your beans. If you're using homemade, use 2-3 ladles. Cold is fine.

Stir until everything it hot and gooey.

mmmmm

Now, take your tortillas and plop a nice fat spoonful in the middle and roll them up, putting them seam side down in a casserole dish. (Now, two things -- 1. Terrie put cheese inside the tortilla here. I don't need it or the extra fat, so I don't. 2. if your casserole dish sticks, grease it. I have the Rachael Ray ones and those babies are magical. Nothing sticks. I have used them for 2 years and am stupid for them.)

Now, if you're Terrie you'd put the can of Wolf Brand Chili over the top. I like to use the remaining hamburger bean goo. You could also use enchilada sauce, if you wanted to, or chile con queso. Maybe a can of tomatillo sauce (although I don't like green sauce with hamburger). 

Then, cheese that baby!

:D

Cook it in a 350 oven until it's hot and bubbly and the cheese is melty and wonderful.

Then I like to top with a dollop of sour cream and some salsa.

Sourdough Starter

So, I decided to start making my own bread again. It's an on-again off-again thing with me. I love the smell and taste of fresh bread and I love the cost (versus $8 a loaf pre-made), but you have to, especially with sourdough. Still, it's the holidays and I love baking and I loved my old sourdough recipe.

So, how did I do it?

First I started it. 1 cup of water, 1 cup of rice flour, 2 1/2 t. of yeast and stir before covering with a tea towel. If you don't like using the yeast, you can wild start with a couple of purple cabbage leaves and a few strips of apple peel, but I didn't have any cabbage. :P

Stir every 12 hours or so for 3 days, then you feed her.

1/2 c water and 1/2 c rice flour.

If you're going to use your starter, feed it at least 4 hours before cooking. 

That's it. Feed it daily. If you cook with it, you don't have to discard. If you don't cook, discard as much as you feed. :D

Simple simple. :D

Today, I used my starter to make sandwich bread, using the recipe from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring (which, if you don't have it? Totally worth the money).

Helote tacos and homemade margaritas!

Simple, quick, vegetarian and gf.

Corn tacos are a breeze to make and cost next to nothing. They had corn on the cob on sale at my  grocery store for a dime an ear, so I bought two. I cut the kernels off while half of the onion that was left over from tuna salad was cooking in a little olive oil on the stove. I added the corn, heated up the corn tortillas (I keep them in the freezer because we only ever use 4 at a time and they come in packs of 20.) When the corn was cooked, I added a 1/4 c. of cojita cheese (you can use any cheese, really. I like cojita because it keeps its shape a little), some garlic powder and a healthy dose of cayenne and a pinch of salt.

Lorna likes hers with avocado. I like mine with tomatoes. :D

The margarita? A jigger of good sipping tequila, a jigger of cointreau, a jigger of lime juice. Ice, shake, pour.

YUM!

Lemon Pound Cake

Here's my quick, weekday, not diet friendly lemon poundcake.

1 vanilla gf cake mix (I like Pamela's)

4 eggs

12 T. cold butter, cut into chunks

1/3 c. water

2 t. oil of lemon (or 2 T. lemon juice)

Zest of one lemon

Put your ingredients in a mixing bowl and whir on low for 30 seconds (the butter will still be lumpy, but the cake mix should be all moist). Bake in a loaf pan at 350 for 60-65 minutes.

I like to glaze mine with a mixture of powdered sugar, lemon juice and rum, but that's just me. :D