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Let me just start off right away and say that the pan frito?  Is not optional. lmao  Pan frito, or “fried bread” makes this subtly flavored soup really something special.  As I’m sure you already know, we are soup junkies in this house.  I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and, in fact, do so often.  You see, one of my kids is anti-vegetable.  (the nerve!)  But if I make this?  I sneak lots of veggies into her at once.  mwa-ha-haaa  You can add more veggies to this, spinach is a great addition.  And it’s easy.  I mean *really* easy.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion
2 pounds (1 kilo) zucchini
1 smaller sweet potato
2-3 potatoes
2 carrots
1 double cube of bouillon
water to cover vegetables
1 cup milk or evaporated milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 slices of bread, cubed

Preparation:

Heat oil over medium high heat and lightly brown the garlic.
Add remaining vegetables, roughly chopped (peel the sweet potatoes,potatoes and carrots).
Add enough water to cover the vegetables, and your bouillon cube.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.
Allow to cook about 20-30 minutes, until veggies are tender.
Remove from heat, and add the milk.
Using an immersion blender, buzz up your soup until smooth.
Serve with pan frito and freshly grated Parmesan.
To make the pan frito, heat the olive oil in a skillet, and toss the bread around until golden.

So, remember I was telling you about all the grilling we’ve been doing?  Often times, the leftover grilled meats and vegetables are less than appealing, am I right?  I mean, who wants to eat a cold chorizo?  Chorizo is one of the best things EVAH just off the coals, but later?  Not so great.  They tend to be dry when reheated, and generally not the most appetizing of foods.  Other ingredients are easier to find uses for, like roasted peppers and baked potatoes for example.  Potato salad, anyone?  But, I was feeling guilty about tossing all of those lovely chorizos after our barbecues…there must be *some* way to salvage them?  Well, there is.  And it’s delicious!  And they are revived to their delectable juicy selves.  Awesome! :D  Just look at these tasty little bites of goodness:

There are many names for this particular style of egg dish.  Here in Spain, we call it a “tortilla,” whereas in Italy, it’s called, “frittata,” and in the States it’s generally referred to as an omelette (depending on your heritage, that is. lol).  The funny thing is that tortillas are made with eggs, but it’s really about the ingredients you add to them.  Traditional Spanish tortillas are all about the potatoes.  This one includes the conventional potatoes, but also includes delicious toasted garlic, onion, roasted red peppers and grilled chorizo to make for a mighty tasty, wonderfully easy meal.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Spanish onion, minced
3 baked potatoes, skin removed and roughly chopped
3 chorizos, grilled and chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized, deeper saute pan.
Saute garlic until golden, then add onions and continue to saute until translucent.
Add potatoes, chorizos and peppers and heat through.
*note* if you don’t have leftovers, I suggest baking the potatoes in the microwave or oven until done, and cooled, using canned roasted peppers, and for the chorizo, just saute it until cooked through before adding the potatoes and peppers)
Meanwhile, beat eggs with salt and pepper until beginning to froth.
Reduce heat to low, and pour eggs over meat and vegetables.
Stir around a bit, to permit egg to solidify slightly, then cover.
Using a spatula, press egg toward center occasionally, to form the rounded edge.
After about 10 minutes, when egg is beginning to set, carefully place a large plate over the saute pan (one that larger than the pan).
This is the tricky part.
I usually count to three and flip the tortilla onto the plate.
Please be careful not to burn yourself! It’s also important to make sure the egg is beginning to set before doing this, or you’ll have egg all over the place. Ask me how I know this. LOL
Wipe out saute pan, and add a bit more olive oil.
Slide the tortilla back into the pan and cover.
Repeat the pressing of the sides occasionally, and when the egg is really looking like it’s set, sort of “shake” the tortilla around in the pan a bit to prevent sticking.
This should take about 10-20 more minutes, depending on the size of your pan.
Repeat the “flip” process (I find that it looks prettier when you flip a second time).
To see what a finished tortilla should look like, have a look HERE.
Serve as desired. Here I’ve cut the tortilla into cubes to serve as tapas.

Potaje (pronounced po-TAH-hay) is a delicious multi vegetable stew very typical of the Canary Islands.  Here, rather than have all the food served at once, meals are served in courses.  Generally a first course, which can be either a soup, stew, salad, or pasta and is then followed by the main course and of course following that, dessert and coffee.  Many restaurants in Spain offer a lunch “menu,” where you can choose a first and second course from the day’s specials, and it comes with a beverage and dessert.  I’m pretty sure that the variety of potajes are as varied as the chefs that prepare them.  There are lentil potajes, watercress potajes (look for this one soon), corn potaje…the limit is your own creativity, much like soups and stews everywhere else in the world.  Let me share with you my mil’s recipe for Potaje Canario….

Ingredients:

*note, add or subract at your preference, the amounts are approximate.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon smokey paprika
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
a few sprigs of thyme
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cob corn, broken in two pieces
3 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 large handful green beans, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 large handful of fresh pinto beans, shucked (you can also use canned)
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 of a sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 chunk of pumpkin, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 thick slice of bacon, sliced (omit for vegan/vegetarian)
enough broth to generously cover vegetables (I used about 3 1/2 quarts I’d guess?)

Preparation:

In a large stockpot (this makes a LOT!), heat olive oil and saute garlic just until golden.
Add tomatoes, onions, paprika, thyme and bay, then season with salt and pepper.
Saute until vegetables are tender (this is called the “refrito.”)
Add remaining ingredients and generously cover with stock.
Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer about 30 minutes.
Remove lid and simmer another hour or so, until the stew begins to thicken.
Adjust seasoning.
Serve with Queso Fresco and nice crispy baguettes.

What?  Not another soup recipe, you ask?  Nope, not this time.  lol  I am stepping ever so cautiously out of my soup comfort zone and venturing out into the world of main dishes this time. ;)  I’m well aware that Salisbury Steak is one of those things that may bring back memories of the freezer section of your grocery, but this particular recipe bears absolutely no resemblance to those little frozen meat like pucks.  And I swear, the mashed potatoes are real! lol  Homemade Salisbury Steak is pure comfort food, tender patties bathed in delicious gravy, with a side of the ultimate mashed potatoes (mine really are the best, I swear) and sweet corn.

 

Ingredients:

6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
3-4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream, Quark cheese, or Greek yogurt
3/4 cup milk
salt to taste

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 package Knorr onion soup mix
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons oil
a splash of Worchestershire sauce
a splash of Kitchen Bouquet
3 cups water
2-3 tablespoons flour
thyme to taste

Preparation:

First, cover potatoes generously with water in a larger pot.
Season with salt and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to medium.
(you’ll want to start the Salisbury Steaks now)
Boil potatoes about 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Drain.
Add butter, sour cream and milk.
Season with a bit of salt.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher.

In a large bowl, combine meat, 1/2 of the packet of soup, bread crumbs, milk, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Form 6 ovular patties.
Heat oil over medium heat and place patties in pan.
Cook about 6-8 minutes per side, until browned.
Add water, remaining soup mix, Worchestershire and Kitchen Bouquet and season with garlic powder, salt, pepper and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low.
Allow to cook about 15-20 minutes.
Remove patties to a plate.
Make a flour slurry with the flour and a bit of water.
Whisk into sauce.
Serve “steaks” and mashed potatoes with gravy and vegetable of choice.

Minestrone is such a great soup for winter, isn’t it?  It has a little bit of everything in it, and is so versatile.  The ingredients can be changed up to fit anyone’s tastes, whether you like it with bits of ham or bacon, with cheesy tortellini (as I’ve done here), or easily made vegan as well.  This is a great recipe if you have a bunch of odds and ends in the refrigerator that  you’re looking for ways to use, too.  Don’t be frightened by the long list of ingredients, this is one of the easiest things in the world to make, and not only that, it’s hearty, delicious, and warming for those icky cold winter blahs.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper of choice, chopped
1 16 ounce (400 grams) can plum tomatoes, crushed
1/2 head cabbage, roughly chopped
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
a generous handful of green beans, trimmed and cut
a generous handful of pinto beans, shucked
2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small acorn (or other) squash, peeled and diced
2-3 zucchini, washed and chopped
1 large bunch spinach, washed and chopped
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
3 quarts vegetable broth (or more to generously cover vegetables)
oregano, basil and thyme to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
2 cups tortellini

Preparation:

Using a large stockpot, saute garlic in olive oil until golden, then add onions and stir around a bit.
Add remaining ingredients except tortellini and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook about an hour then add tortellini.
Bring back to a boil, then cover and remove from heat.
Allow to stand about 30 minutes (to cook tortellini).
Serve with freshly grated parmigiana if desired.

It’s not quite an omelette, not quite a frittata, but something in between.  The Tortilla Española, or Spanish Omelette is one of the most ubiquitous Spanish foods there are…it’s appropriate for breakfast, lunch or dinner, snacking, parties, everyday…it’s just…one of those things that is ever present.  The thing about Tortilla, is that it isn’t so much about the eggs, but rather about the potatoes, or other fillings that are added to it.  The classic tortilla is made up of potatoes, onions and eggs, but there are as many variations as there are imaginations, so feel free to be creative.  Creative not only with ingredients, but choice of presentation as well….this can be served in wedges, squares, in a baguette sandwich, alone, accompanied by bread or toast….you get the idea, right?  There are an infinite number of ways to make and serve Tortilla…it’s all good. 

Ingredients:

4-6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1 large onion, minced (about 1 cup)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying

Preparation:

Heat olive oil over medium, medium high heat, in a medium sized skillet (I like non-stick for this, with rounded sides if possible).
First toast the garlic until just golden, then add onions and sautee until translucent and beginning to brown.
Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently (or until potatoes have cooked through).
Drain any excess oil into a dish and reserve.
Add potato mixture to beaten eggs, and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle a bit of the reserved oil into sautee pan (over medium low heat) and pour in omelette mixture.
Stir mixture around constantly until you can see that it’s beginning to set.
Once you see that the mixture is beginning to set, reduce heat to low, and press in from the sides with a wooden spatula, moving any liquid towards the center (but not stirring–just pressing into the sides of the tortilla).
When the omelette seems to be solid at the sides, get a large plate (bigger than the pan) and cover the pan.
Here comes the trickiest part.
Count to 3 and flip the tortilla onto the plate.
Hope to God you didn’t break it (the plate *or* the tortilla).
Wipe out skillet with paper towels, and drizzle with a bit more oil.
Gently slide (with the help of your wooden spatula) the tortilla into the skillet to cook the other side.
Cover and cook, gently moving the pan occasionally so that the tortilla doesn’t stick, until cooked through.
This is relative…as some people prefer their tortilla firm, and others prefer it just a bit creamy inside. You choose.
Clean the plate you used earlier to flip the tortilla, and repeat “the flip” procedure.
Garnish with parsley if you so desire and serve either hot or cold.