Tortilla Española (Omelet with Potatoes)

The Spanish word "tortilla" translates simply into "small cake". In Mexico it is used to describe the familiar breads from corn or flour used as the basis for burritos, enchiladas and the like. In Spain, it is used to describe this omelet with potatoes, the Spanish equivalent of a fritata. It's a filling, delicious dish that can easily be used for a hearty breakfast or a light lunch or dinner.

One note: don't skimp on the oil, or you'll never get the crispy golden crust. 

The Book: The Culinary Institute of America's Breakfasts and Brunches.

Description: This book comes from one of the top cooking schools in the United States, and it offers an impressive array of breakfast and brunch choices, complete with a few menu suggestions at the beginning. The recipes range from breakfast drinks through to salads and sandwiches, and from the simplest items (such as soft boiled eggs) to more sophisticated takes on familiar foods. The book definitely leans towards the American view of breakfast, with plenty of recipes for pancakes, waffles, muffins and pastries. However, there are also some other offerings. While the book is geared towards breakfast, many of the recipes in it can easily be used for a light meal at other times of the day.

Language: English.

Genre: breakfast, pastries, light meals.

Veg Status: the majority of the book is vegetarian friendly, although definitely not vegan-friendly. There is only one section dedicated to meat, and even that one also offers a wide range of vegetarian potato recipes such as hash browns. The other sections contain very few recipes with meat, and most of those easily convertible to vegetarian.

GF Status: Not great. Most of the book is dedicated to pastries of all sorts, obviously heavy on the gluten.  You will find some fine options in the egg section as well as the salads, and an experienced GF baker armed with a good flour alternative can probably make most of the other recipes work, but I wouldn't buy this book as a gift for the celiac in my life.

Tortilla Española

Ingredients (for 4 servings): 

- 1 large onion, minced or very finely diced

- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced

- 2 large potatoes (or 3-4 smaller ones), medium dice

- 8 eggs

- 1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional) 

-1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tbsp of olive oil, divided

Preparation: 

1. In a large frying pan, heat about 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. 

2. Add the potatoes and salt, stir, lower heat, and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fairly soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the chopped cilantro (if using). Add the vegetable mixture to the eggs and stir. 

4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan over high heat, and make sure the pan is very hot before adding the egg mixture. Allow the eggs to cook until set, without stirring. When the bottom of the eggs becomes golden brown, carefully flip the eggs over with a spatula and cook until they get the same color on the other side. 

Gazpacho (chilled tomato soup)

Gazpacho is the ultimate summer dish. It's not only cold and refreshing to eat, it's also cold and refreshing to make, as it doesn't require turning on the oven or stove.
It is quite an easy dish as long as you have a good blender or food processor. Without either one, it's quite a lot of work and won't have quite the right texture.

There are lots of versions of gazpacho out there, but I used this one as my base.

Here I garnished it with finely diced cucumbers and onions as well as some lightly browned almond slivers, but you can garnish it with lots of other things.

Gazpacho is at it's best if allowed to rest overnight in the fridge, so that all the flavors combine. But you can eat it as soon as it's ready if you like.

Gazpacho

 

Ingredients (for 4-6 portions): 

- About 6 medium tomatoes (1 kilo/2 lbs), preferably very red and ripe. 
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 medium or 2 small cucumbers, peeled.
- 1/2 red onion, peeled
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 medium Jalapeno or other hot pepper, deseeded
- 1/3 cup of olive oil, preferably extra virgin
- 1 handful of almonds and 1 slice of bread (gluten free is fine) OR 2 slices of bread OR 2 handfuls of almonds
- 3 tbsp of lemon juice or a light vinegar such as sherry vinegar or cider vinegar (but not balsamic).
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
- Water or ice cubes, as needed. 
- For garnish (choose any combination of these, or nothing at all): finely diced cucumbers, finely diced tomatoes, finely diced onion, finely diced hard-boiled egg, croutons, lightly browned almonds.

Preparation: 

1) chop all of the vegetables into a large chunks. If using bread, cut the bread into small chunks.

2) Put the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic, jalapeno, olive oil, almonds/bread and lemon juice/vinegar into a food processor or blender, and blend until you get a relatively smooth mixture (although it will still have a bit of texture, especially with the almonds).

3) Season with salt and pepper. If you would like a slightly runnier texture, add a little bit of water (but not much!) at this point. If you plan to eat the gazpacho right away and would like it to be really cold, add a few ice cubes (but only if your blender can handle them!). Blend some more to get the seasoning mixed in and the ice (if using) fully crushed.

4) Serve with the desired garnish and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pea Soup

This soup, which we like to call "witches' brew" in my family, has the advantage of being incredibly delicious and looking quite elegant, while at the same time being ridiculously easy to make.

Pea Soup

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings): 

- 1 package (4 cups) good quality vegetable broth (or 4 cups of water flavored with buillon powder, but this is less recommended).

- About 2 packages of frozen peas (I used 2x12 oz package, so total of 24 oz or about 700 grams, but you can play with the exact amount).

- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional, and a bit of oil if you are using it).

- Salt and pepper to season.

- To serve: sour cream/creme fraiche, croutons (all optional)

Preparation: 

1. In a medium pot, saute the onion in a bit of oil until softened (if you are using the onion). Add the broth (if you aren't using the onion, just put the broth directly in the pot). Heat to a boil.

2. Add the peas into hot broth and cook for about 10 minutes, until the peas are mushy.

3. Using a stick blender (better option) or a food processor/regular blender, carefully puree the soup until it is completely smooth and green, without chunks of pea or onion in it. Reheat the pureed soup. I like the soup quite dense, but you can add broth or water to adjust the consistency to one you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve the soup hot. I like to serve it with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and some croutons, but of course this is up to you.

Baked Creamy Tomato Gnocchi

With winter making an early appearance this year, I was craving something rich, creamy and soothing. I suddenly remembered a dish served in one of our local restaurants, which consists of gnocchi in a pink sauce, topped with mozzarella and then baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  This dish would be particularly great served to guests in individual serving dishes, but works well family style as well.

Because I was in a hurry, I used store-bought sugo rosa sauce for this, but I give here my usual recipe for pink sauce (which can also easily be used as regular tomato sauce by removing the cream). You can choose to use ready sauce if you want to save time.

Baked Creamy Tomato Gnocchi

Ingredients (for 3-4 portions): 

- 1/2 onion, finely diced. 

- 1-2 tsp of olive oil 

- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes (NOT tomato paste/tomato sauce/peeled tomatoes) 

- Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, chilli powder

- Herbs (optional): basil, oregano, parsley, fine chopped

- about 1/2 cup of light or heavy cream (or to taste) 

[You can replace all of the above with some prepared pink pasta sauce]

- 500 grams/1 lbs gnocchi - frozen or dry (you can use GF gnocchi for this).

- 1-2 handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation: 

1. Set a pot of water boiling for the gnocchi. Preheat oven to 425 F/220 C, or prepare the broiler.

2. In a separate pot or deep pan, heat the olive oil and sautee the onion until soft and golden. Add the the crushed tomatoes. Season to taste with the spices. When the tomatoes are warmed through, add the herbs (if you are using them), and then stir in the cream. Use as much or as little cream as you like to get the right color of sauce to your liking). Remove from heat. 

3. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Cook according to instructions until they are ready (usually the gnocchi will float). Drain. Put the gnocchi back in the pot. Slowly begin adding some of the pink sauce to the gnocchi. Add  just enough to make sure that they are fully coated + a bit extra (but you don't want the dish to be very liquid). If you have sauce left over, just store it in the fridge in a sealed container and use within a few days. 

4. Spread the saucy gnocchi into an oven safe dish (ideally, one that is broiler-safe would be best, but you can make due without it). Sprinkle shredded mozzarella (as much or as little as you want) over the top of the dish. If you are using a broiler safe dish, place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly. If you do not have a broiler or an appropriate dish, bake the dish in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly (it won't get as lovely a golden-brown shade without a broiler). 

Yogurt and Pasta Salad

This cool tangy dish is ideal for crazy heat-wave days like the one we are having today.
It is filling but at the same time light and cool.

It is from the Israeli vegetarian cookbook I mentioned at an earlier post.
The original recipe flavors the salad with a little bit of sumac, a nice lemony spice. I didn't have any on hand, so I used another middle-eastern spice, Za'atar. But if you have neither, just skip them.

Yogurt and Pasta Salad

Ingredients (for 4-6 portions): 

- 1 package (1 lb/500 gram)  short pasta

- 400 grams (2 small containers, about 2 cups) plain yogurt

- Juice from 1/2-1 lemon 

-  2-3 scallions (green onions) finely chopped

- Zest from 1/2 lemon 

- Handful of fresh basil, chopped 

- Salt and pepper to taste 

- Pinch of sumac or zaatar, to taste (optional) 

Preparation: 

1. Make pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain and wash under cold water until the pasta is cool. 

2. Meanwhile in a bowl combine the yogurt, lemon juice, scallions and lemon zest. Season with about 1/2 tsp of salt.  

3. When the pasta is ready and cool, toss the pasta in the yogurt dressing. Check seasoning and season with black pepper and additional salt as needed. Plate the pasta and top with basil and sumac or zaatar. 

Israeli Couscous (Ptitim) with Peas and Lemon

In Israel, ptitim (known around the world as Israeli couscous or pearl couscous) are the most basic food you could possibly find. They are the thing you serve with ketchup to your very picky toddler who refuses any other sustenance. So the fact that in recent years they have showed up on the menus of gourmet restaurants around the world is a consistent source of hilarity for Israelis.

The "traditional" Israeli way to serve these is with nothing other than a bit of fried onion - and I will speak no ill of that, because they are absolutely awesome that way.
However, sometimes you do want to try something a little different, so here it is. 

If you can't get your hands on Israeli couscous, you can make this with Italian orzo, which is basically the same thing. Also, in Israel one can get gluten free ptitim (which are, in fact, what I used in the picture you see), but sadly they have not yet made it to the US. If you want to make this gluten free, I suggest using similar flavors but adding cooked white or brown rice.

Israeli Couscous with Peas and Lemon

Ingredients (for 3-4 portions): 


- 250 grams uncooked Israeli couscous (ptitim)
- 2 handfuls of frozen peas
-  finely chopped herbs (I used garlic chives, but dill or mint would work well)
-  1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation: 
1. Cook the peas: either heat them in the microwave with a little bit of water for about 2 minutes and strain, or cook them in a pot of boiling water until tender and drain. Set aside.

2. Make the couscous: do not make it in the regular (cooking until the water is absorbed). Instead, cook it like you would pasta: boil water in a pot, add the couscous, cook until al-dente and drain. 

3. In a large skillet or in the same pot you used for the couscous, heat the olive oil. Add the herbs and cook for about 1 minute. Add the couscous and the peas and stir. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon on the couscous and stir. Taste to see if you are happy with the tartness. If not, add more lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Polenta with a Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

This isn't really a proper "recipe" so much as a nice idea for a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner. The warm polenta is filling and hearty, while the salad adds flavor and freshness.

The trick to making this "quick and easy" is getting your hands on some packaged pre-cooked polenta, like this brand (but any brand will do). If you can't get prepared polenta then you'll have to work harder because you'll need to cook the polenta and then let it set for a while.

Polenta with a Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients (for 1-2 portions): 

- 1 package (18 oz, 500 grams) pre-cooked polenta, cut into thin slices. 

-  1 tbsp olive oil (optional if baking) 

- 2 tomatoes 

- 1/2 red onion 

- a handful of basil, finely chopped (or pesto sauce) 

- 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

- salt and pepper 

- 6-7 small balls of fresh mozzarella (Ciliegine) or a bit of regular fresh mozzarella. 

Preparation:

1. Prepare the polenta. There are two options for this: either heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the polenta slices over medium-high heat, turning them in the middle, until it is warmed through and develops a bit of a crispy crust. The other is to put the slices on a baking tin in a hot oven or under the broiler (again, turning them) until they are warm and a bit crispy. 

2. While the polenta is cooking, prepare the salad. Finely dice the onion and the tomatoes, and combine them together in a bowl. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper and dress with balsamic vinegar. Mix the salad well. 

3. Place the cooked polenta pieces on a plate. Top with the salad. Tear the mozzarella balls into halves (or tear/cut small pieces of fresh mozzarella) and spread them throughout the salad. 

Enjoy!

Easy Ice Cream (no ice cream maker needed)

The last week has been very hectic, so I haven't had time to really cook, let alone post anything. There is some serious cooking planned for the Thanksgiving weekend, however, so I how to have many recipes coming your way soon.

In the meantime, here is a quick little recipe for ice cream to tide you over until the next post. This recipe was my grandmother's recipe and is still a huge success. I posted it to Allrecipes.com a long time ago and you can see some pictures that people have uploaded of their various flavors.

Easy Ice Cream

 

The basic ingredients are very simple: 

* 4 egg whites (these are not cooked in the recipe, so if you want to be careful then used packaged pasteurized egg whites)

* 2/3 cups of sour cream (you can use low/non-fat you can also use plain or vanilla yogurt).

* 1/2 cup of white sugar (the Splenda equivalent also works)

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

To prepare the ice cream: 

1. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add white sugar and vanilla, continuing to beat until soft peaks form. Carefully fold in sour cream until well blended. Fold in any additional flavorings or goodies at this time. 
2. Place the mixture into the freezer and stir every 30 minutes or so until frozen. This can be made without stirring, but the texture will be icy rather than creamy. If you have an ice cream maker, you can put the ice cream mixture in the maker, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

 And now for the interesting part: 

You can use this recipe, as is, to make plain ice cream. But if we're being perfectly honest, plain ice cream is a little boring. The trick to this recipe is that you can add ingredients to make it any way you like it. Here are some options:

- soak raisins in rum and add both the raisins and the rum to the ice cream.

- add instant coffee or cocoa powder to the mix.

- add mint extract and chocolate chips or broken sandwich cookies

- mix in fruit of various flavors

Shakshuka (Eggs in Tomato Sauce)

Shakshuka is one of the classics of Israeli cooking and its fans have been known to engage in hard-core arguments about the appropriate way to make it (with or without beans, with or without peppers etc.)

For my part, I think that the ultimate way to make shakshuka is with a tomato sauce containing plenty of onions and peppers. In this case, canned crushed tomatoes really work better than fresh tomatoes, because the sauce should be very thick and rich.

The ideal way to serve shashuka is with a large slice of fresh challah bread or pita bread for dipping. However, especially if it's being made for dinner or lunch it can also be great served with some rice on the side.

Shakshuka 

Ingredients (for 2 people): 

* 1 tbsp olive oil

* 3-4 eggs 

* 2 small bell peppers (color of your choice), coarsely sliced or diced

* 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

* 1 small onion, diced 

* 1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (optional, but recommended) 

* About 1/2 large can of crushed tomatoes 

* Seasoning: salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder

Preparation: 

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or saute pan that has a cover, on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until they begin to soften. Add the peppers (bell and hot), and continue cooking, stirring occasionally,  until the onion and garlic are somewhat golden and the peppers have softened. 

2. Add the canned tomatoes into the pan and season to taste. Stir well, so that the vegetables and seasoning are evenly distributed in the sauce. 

3. When the sauce is heated through, break the eggs into the sauce (allowing each egg it's own space). Cover the pan. 

4. Cook the eggs to your preferred degree. Personally, I recommend cooking them until the whites and yolk are just cooked and firm, but not really well done. 

Enjoy!

Pasta with tomatoes, asparagus and fresh mozzarella

This is just a quick and easy dish that works for lunch or dinner.
For the pasta, I used Trader Joe's lemon-pepper pappardelle, which are delicious, but any other pasta (including, of course, gluten free pasta) will work just as well. If you use non-lemony pasta then giving this dish a good squeeze of lemon juice at the end will make it even better.

Leave off the mozzarella for a version that is both low fat and vegan (but note it will also not have a protein).

Pasta with tomatoes, asparagus and fresh mozzarella

Ingredients (for two generous portions): 

* about 250 grams (8.5ish ounces) of dried pasta (you can also use fresh, of course, but the quantities are up to you). 

* 1-2 tsps olive oil 

* 1 bunch fresh green asparagus (preferably thinner stalks, but whatever you can get)

* 1 large or 2 small-medium tomatoes, preferably ripe and red, diced. 

* 2 cloves of garlic, minced 

* About 1/2 package (4 oz, 100 grams) fresh mozzarella (I prefer the small balls of mozzarella, called ciliegine, but any good fresh mozzarella will do).

* salt and pepper

Preparation: 

1. Boil a large pot of water, salt generously and add the pasta (if you're using really fast cooking pasta, like fresh pasta or angel hair, don't add the pasta until you have the other ingredients ready). 

2. Discard the lower third of each asparagus stalk. Chop the rest into pieces, about 1 inch (2 cms) long. About 3 minutes before the pasta is expected to be ready add the asparagus into the boiling water with the pasta. 

3. In a large non-stick pan, heat the olive oil on a medium flame. Add the garlic to the oil and fry until it is lightly golden. Add the tomatoes and then salt and pepper them (seasoning the tomatoes makes them give up their juices more easily, which adds more sauciness without adding unnecessary oil).Stir occasionally while you wait for the pasta to cook.

4. When the pasta is cooked al-dente (the asparagus should also be softer now, but still a bit crunchy) and before you drain it take about two tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and add them to the sauce. Then drain the pasta and asparagus and add them into the pan with the tomatoes. Stir well so that the asparagus and tomatoes are interspersed throughout the pasta.

5. Plate the pasta. Tear the mozzarella into bite-size pieces and add them to the pasta. The cheese will only slightly melt from the heat of the pasta, leaving it's delicious fresh taste.

Enjoy!