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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.

Elle.  She is SUCH an amazing cook, and one of my very bestest friends in the whole wide world.  We met long, long ago at a recipe site, and have been friends ever since.  She’s like my internet sister.  I mean really, we have so much in common it’s scary.  Well, not *scary* really, just uncanny.  lol  So, I’ve posted many times about my dear friend’s recipes, and am SO happy that she’s finally started a blog of her own to share her amazing recipes and photos.  Last week, she posted a recipe that made me want to run–not walk–to my grocer to buy the ingredients, like, right then.  Seriously.  But, since my food budget had already gone over for the week, I had to wait until this week to make her recipe.  MAN that sucked to have to wait, but you know what?  It was SO worth it.  This one is going into regular rotation, folks.  It’s quick, easy and absolutely fabulous. I made a few slight changes to the recipe, as noted below.

Ingredients:

2 pounds (1 kilo) chicken fillets (fairly thin fillets)
2 eggs + 2 tablespoons water, beaten
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
olive oil for frying
1/2 pound (100 grams) provolone cheese, sliced or grated
1/4 pound (50 grams) ham, minced (I just used a thick slice and minced it)
1 small can roasted peppers (I cheated and didn’t roast my own :O lol)
1 handful of chopped chives

Preparation:

First dip chicken in beaten egg, then dredge in bread crumbs.
Season with salt and pepper and reserve on a plate.
Repeat with all fillets.
Heat oil over medium heat in a larger skillet.
Fry fillets about 4 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through.
While frying, preheat the broiler in your oven.
Remove chicken fillets to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.
Line a baking sheet with foil, and then arrange cooked chicken on the sheet.
Top with peppers, ham and cheese.
Season with a little oregano if you like.
Broil for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

Ok.  So here I am.  In the middle of a “winter” depression sort of wallowing state…and BAM!  Out comes the sun.  The warmth.  The joy of breathing the air that sustains us.  The little push I needed to get the fack out of my house and do something.  So of course, where *does* one go when one wants to get out and explore new territory?  Tread new ground and experience new sensations?  Well, the Central Market of course.  Duh.  *rolls eyes*  “What stuff is fresh and wonderful and juicy and succulent today?  What awaits my dear windowless, but filled with birdsong kitchen?” I ask.  The answer?  Artichokes.  And Mushrooms.  And a few other things to tantalize the senses.  You see…it’s artichoke season!  Being from Minnesota, up until recently, I had no idea wth an artichoke really even was in its original state, let alone how to prepare one.  But last year,I made it my bidnez to learn.  This year?  I made it my bidnez to look beyond the typical artichoke dips, and dipped artichokes for that matter and decided to stuff that puppy.  Well, it really wasn’t a puppy….I’m not *that* adventurous (or heartless), but it was hella good, let me tell you….the mushroom stuffing is almost like a paté, but not quite. 

 

This was a bit of a mistake at first, being all zealous with my food processor and stuff, but in the end, it wound up being better than I expected.  Yay!  All hail mini food processor! Woot!  Lookit what came of the adventure in veggie shopping—first, the ingredients:

BTW…if you’re not terribly familiar with fresh artichokes and how to choose them, here is a quick tip:  Be sure to choose heavy artichokes for their size.  The outer leaves should be a little tough, but not loose or soft.  If you can find them without the brown edges–even better.

Ingredients:

6 artichokes
1 lemon, halved (half to lemon the artichokes, half to throw in the cooking water)
sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely minced
1 cup minced mushrooms (fresh)
1/2 cup minced ham (omit for vegetarian)
1/4 cup cream
grated parmigiano to taste (about 2-3 tablespoons)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped chives to taste
2-3 tablespoons grated parmigiano
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Preparation:

First, prepare the artichokes.
For instructions on how to do this, please consult this post, with the following exceptions:
First remove all tough outer “leaves.”
After having rubbed the chokes with lemon, remove the stalks and centers with a paring knife.
While the artichokes are boiling, prepare the filling.
Using your mini food processor, mince first the garlic, then the onions, then the mushrooms. (If you don’t have one, you can obviously do this by hand, but for me? I saved a huge chunk of time using the gadget. lol)
Heat butter over medium high heat.
Saute garlic first, then add onion and saute until translucent.
Add mushrooms and saute over medium heat until liquid has evaporated.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add in ham and stir.
Add in cream, stir around and reduce a bit.
Add in some grated parmigiano cheese.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
When artichokes are finished cooking (it should take about 15 minutes, more or less…depending on the size of your chokes), drain and cool sufficiently to handle. (VERY important. I burned the crap out of my hand trying to stuff them while hot. *such* an idiot. :P)
Add chopped chives to filling mixture and stir.
Fill artichokes with mushroom filling.
Combine a bit more Parmigiano and the bread crumbs and top the chokes with this mixture.
Broil for about 5 minutes or until golden.

It’s so weird how certain foods seem to appear all at once around the blogosphere…I have been craving onion rings for weeks, and finally decided to make them this week…well, while making the rounds I saw that Kevin at Closet Cooking had also made onion rings recently! LOL  Great minds think alike, that’s all I can say. ;)  Are you guys familiar with the Bloomin’ Onion appetizer at the Outback?  Yeah, right?  I love the seasonings they use, but that thing is such a Pain (capital P) to make at home…plus, it never turns out the way I imagine it…usually it breaks apart and winds up being some sort of onion mess rather than looking like the pretty flower it’s supposed to.   Onion rings are much easier to do, and if you have a deep fryer, well, then all the easier yet.  So, I thought why not make a batter with similar flavors to that of the ”Bloomer,” (hehehehe I had to, folks.  I just had to) but in ring form?  Perfect.  Seriously.  They went fabulously well with my bacon and Gouda burger, a bit of alioli (I should post the recipe for that, it’s so easy) and the requisite ketchup and mustard. 

Ingredients:

For Burgers:
1 1/2 pounds (3/4 kilo) ground beef
dried onion to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/2 pound (200 grams) bacon
6 slices Gouda cheese
6 buns

For Un-Blooming Onion Rings:
2 large yellow onions, sliced into rings
1 1/2 cups flour (about)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 bottle of pilsner beer (drink the other half while you’re cooking! lol) or sparkling water
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
a bit of paprika
Sunflower oil for frying

Preparation:

For Burgers:
Combine all burger ingredients (except bacon, cheese and buns) and form 6 patties.
Brown bacon and drain on paper towels (leave the drippings in the pan).
Fry patties over medium high heat until cooked to desired doneness.
Serve with Gouda slices and crispy bacon.

For Un-Blooming Onion Rings:
Whisk together all ingredients except onion slices in a medium sized bowl.
Heat oil to just below smoking point.
Gently toss onions in beer batter.
Carefully! Add onions to hot oil, and turn over as they brown (the timing will depend on the size of your rings).
Drain on paper towels.

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.

So, as most of you already know, yesterday was Chinese New Year.  While I’m not Chinese, I must admit I’ll look for any excuse to celebrate! LOL  So, I made some Asian treats in honor of this special day.  Chuck over at Sunday Night Dinner posted his mom’s top secret recipes for Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce) and recently, and I just couldn’t go another day without making some of my own…my Gawd that stuff is good!  It’s also been a while since I’ve made fried rice, and my dear hubs really loves a chicken curry version that I do, so it was set…spring rolls and fried rice would be our menu for the day.  I realize that my menu doesn’t have all of he traditional elements of a Chinese New Year menu, but heck, it’s the sentiment that counts, right? lol  I decided to do a step by step for the spring rolls, like Chuck (sheesh I’m such a total copycat!), for those of you who might not have rolled them before…I know that before I tried to make them the first time I was a little intimidated by the idea.  But, it’s really very simple, as you’ll soon see.

First of all, the Curry Chicken Fried Rice:

Ingredients:

I should note that most of these amounts are approximate…this is one of those dishes that I just sort of eyeball the stuff and throw it in there.

4 cups cooked jasmine rice, cooled
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1 pound diced chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons curry powder
a generous splash of soy sauce
a few drops of sesame oil
2-3 cups mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, sprouts, green onions)

Preparation:
Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat.
Coat the bottom with a bit of sunflower oil.
Saute garlic first, then add onion and ginger and saute a minute or so.
Add in chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Stirfry until cooked through and beginning to brown.
Add in curry, soy and sesame oil and toss to combine.
Add in rice and toss around, with the help of a paddle or large spoon, working the chicken mixture into the rice to coat.
If the rice is sticky, you might want to toss in another splash of oil.
When rice has a nice yellow color, add in vegetables and serve.

And now the Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)….I was much inspired by , though I just had to make some changes (you know me!)…I sort of morphed his mom’s recipe with mine, and the resulting roll was just fab.

Ingredients:

1 small bunch cellophane noodles (about 3 cups after soaking)
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 large carrot, shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced
1 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce
a splash or two of sesame oil
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
18-20 spring roll wrappers (I used the frozen ones this time)
oil for frying

Preparation:

Before anything else, put the cellophane noodles in a large bowl of cold water to soften.
Now, mix all spring roll ingredients except wrappers and oil in a large bowl.  I find it’s best to get your hands in there and mush it all up using manual labor…a spoon just won’t cut it for spring roll filling.

Now, place a wrapper on your cutting board and add about 3-4 tablespoons of filling at the center, like this:

Now fold the sides in towards the center, and moisten edges with a bit of water.

Carefully fold the bottom portion of the roll up over the filling, pressing tightly:

Now, tightly roll up the spring roll and place seam side down.  Cover with plastic wrap and repeat with remaining rolls.

Now, heat oil to moderate heat…I like to use my deep fryer for this, but you could also use a deep pan.  You’ll want the oil to come at least half way up the roll.  Carefully fry rolls in hot oil about 5 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through.

Serve with lettuce leaves wrapped around the roll and Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce).