Spanish Omelette

Spanish omelette (or tortilla) is a common tapas dish made of potatoes and eggs.  My partner is actually half Spanish, and the first time I had this was on vacation in Tenerife made by his Tenerifian dad.  I attempted to make it when we got home but didn't realize quite how many eggs were required, so it ended up being less omelettey then it should have been.  You can eat it warm, or at room temperature.  We tried it when it was freshly warm and then at room temperature with some cantaloupe for breakfast the next morning - it was great both times.

My partner really wanted meat in his, so before flipping I sprinkled half of it with chopped ham.  You can add loads of different things to the mix such as mushrooms, chorizo or peppers.  I added garlic which I don't think is traditional, but we love it.

Spanish Omelette

serves 6 as a starter 

1 1/2 pounds potatoes - diced (about 4 medium potatoes)

oil - enough to shallow fry (about a cup)

1 medium onion - diced

2 cloves garlic - finely minced

10 eggs

salt & pepper

In a large skillet on a low heat, gently fry the potatoes in a single layer until they are cooked through but not browned.  This takes a while (about 20 minutes) and depending on the size of your pan may need to be done in two batches.  Remove the potatoes and drain on kitchen paper, then fry the onion gently until softened, adding in the minced garlic in the last minute to lightly cook.  Crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk lightly.  Mix in the potatoes and onions - season with salt & pepper.  Tip the mixture back into the skillet and gently cook until the bottom is browned to your liking (about 5 minutes).  Place a plate on the top of the omelette, flip the whole thing over, then slide the omelette back into the pan and cook that side.

Open (Breakfast) Quesadilla

Although I've called this a breakfast quesadilla, you could easily make it for lunch or dinner by omitting the eggs if you wanted.

I love Mexican Tex-Mex food (I say Tex-Mex because I haven't ever had traditional Mexican food, only the Westernized versions).  As previously declared, breakfast dishes are amongst my favorites - so why not combine one of my favorite cusines with my favorite meal of the day?  This meal is easily adapted with whatever you have on hand, and can be made meat-friendly by adding some chopped bacon or sausages, however, I don't think the meat will be missed much in this one because the beans and eggs are high in protein and super-filling.

I know this isn't actually a quesadilla since there's only one tortilla and it's not folded...actually it's more like a giant tostada (although the base isn't crispy like in a tostada).  This meal actually evolved from lunchtime quesadillas so that's why I've continued refer to it as such - but since it's neither here nor there I shall continue calling it an open quesadilla.

Open Breakfast Quesadilla
serves 1-2 (depending on greediness)

1 large tortilla
1/4 cup black beans - drained and rinsed
2 eggs - scrambled to your liking (or you could fry/poach them and put them on top)
1 small tomato - diced
a couple mushrooms - thinly sliced
a few thin slices of peppers
a couple chilies - finely chopped (if you like it spicy)
small handful black olives - sliced
2 spring/green onions - chopped (if you don't have these you could substitute thinly sliced red onion)
small handful grated cheese
small handful coriander/cilantro - roughly chopped
1/2 avocado - chopped

Put tortilla on a baking tray and lightly grill in oven on both sides.  Pile on toppings (apart from the coriander and avocado), finishing with cheese.  Place under grill until cheese is melted.  Top with chopped coriander and avocado.

Baked Eggs in Potatoes

 Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. I often will daydream about my next breakfast when eating dinner or trying to fall asleep. I love big, hearty breakfasts so when I came across the idea of baking eggs it intrigued me. Most baked egg recipes I've seen include spinach and add cream to the egg to make them very soft and creamy and don't seem very substantial. However, a recipe at the Food Network looked right up my alley so I adapted it to my personal preferences. I am not a fan of runny eggs in any situation so cooked mine til they were almost hard boiled, thus this dish came out more like a 'skillet' meal, which are favorites in American breakfast restaurants. 

It was delicious, and the cherry tomatoes added some sharpness to the potatoes and egg. When I make this again (which I definitely will!) I'm thinking of adding some chopped peppers (green and/or red) to the potato mixture and some mushrooms along with the tomatoes. Other than that it was perfect. And, if you're cooking this for a meat eating loved one, you can easily add some cooked bacon around the edge of the dish or some chopped up cooked sausage in with the potatoes.

Baked eggs in potatoes
Serves 2 as a starter, 1 as a main course

1 medium potato - cubed
1 teaspoon neutral oil (sunflower, groundnut, vegetable etc.)
1 small onion - chopped
1 clove garlic - finely chopped
2 birds eye chillies - finely chopped (if you like things spicy)
handful cherry tomatoes
2 eggs
small handful of cheese for sprinkling
fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F. Parboil the cubed potatoes until they are almost fully cooked through. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat, add potatoes and fry for a couple minutes until they start to color. Add chopped onion and continue browning potatoes and softening onions. When the potato and onion are nearly done add the garlic and (if using) chillies and fry for another minute, season with pepper. Divide the potato mixture between the mini-casserole dishes making a small well in the center. Place the cherry tomatoes around the edge, then crack an egg into each, season with pepper. Bake in the oven 10-15 minutes, until the egg is cooked to your liking (10 minutes will produce soft egg whites and runny yolk, mine was probably cooked closer to 20), then top with cheese and put back in the oven until melted.