Spanish tortilla 10.000 miles away from Spain

Spanish tortilla 10.000 miles away from Spain

Since you want it nice and easy…



TORTILLA A LA ESPAÑOLA ( by Luisito)



2 lbs French fries (if possible done from peeled raw potatoes cut in two and thinly sliced)

2 lbs. Fried onion up to a brownish colour

Cheddar cheese grated or sliced

1 Dried Spanish sausage (salamín) slice thin

12 eggs

¼ cup olive oil



Heat half of the oil in a good heavy Teflon coated frying pan.

Place half of the French fries on the bottom

Add half of the fried onion on top of the French fries.

Enough slice or grated Cheddar cheese to make another layer

Same with the Spanish sausage

The rest of the fried onion making another layer

The French fries as final layer



Very carefully move the frying pan so as to heat the oil evenly

Pour the beaten eggs.

Keep the frying pan on the move over low heat so as to cook evenly and slowly

Be sure the “tortilla” moves independently from the pan so it won´t stick when ready to turn.

When the egg is creamy on the top (and solid on the bottom), flip over a serving dish.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same frying pan.

Return the overturn tortilla by sliding it.

Couple of minutes moving the pan around and it is ready to serve.

It should be golden yellow on both sides and slightly creamy in the middle.



Great with a good Cabernet Sauvignon, but if you can find a Uruguayan Tannat “with some time in an oak barrel” you will achieve perfection.

Buen Apetito!

Luis

Rutabaga and Winter Roots Apple Soup

¼ lb (1 stick) butter (113gm)
1 cup roughly chopped onion (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup Granny Smith apple (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup rutabaga (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup butternut squash (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup carrots (1/4 Kilo)
1cup sweet potato (1/4 Kilo)
2 cups chicken stock (1/2 L)
1 cup white wine ( 1/4 L)
1 cup apple juice or hard cider(1/4L)
2 cups heavy cream (1/2 L)
¼ cup maple syrup (60ml)
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Sour Cream for decoration
Peel and chop and discard seeds of fruit and root veggies.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots, and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
Add the chicken stock, wine and apple cider and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the veggies are cooked through and tender.
Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper. Heat to desired temp serp with a dollop of sour cream.

Marinated Eggplants

1 Lb Eggplants
3 Cloves of garlic
3 Bay Leaves
olive oil
white vinegar 1/3
white wine 1/3
water 1/3
Kosher salt
crushed hot red peppers
black peppercorns

• Wash and dry the eggplants
• Cut both ends and slice them1/2 in thick spread the slices out on a colander
• shake the Kosher salt on the eggplants for 1/2 an hour trying to sweat the bitterness out them
• Pat the slices dry with some paper towels.
• Put slices on a pot and cover them with a mixture of 1/3 each of water wine and vinegar
• Bring to a boil till they are tender but not soft.
• Dry the slices with paper towels.
• In a glass jar put three slices some chopped garlic and some crushed red pepper and some peppercorns
• the bay leaves should go on the side of the jar once you are finished with the previous step
• fill the jar with olive oil till it covers all the eggplant, let it sit for three days

You can use a glass bowl if you don't have a jar. You should not use red pepper if you don't like them hot.

Tortellini Salad

1 Red onion
1 Red pepper
1 Yellow pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup chopped Genoa Salami
1 cup chopped cheese (Provolone or whatever you like)
1 cup green olives stuffed with pimentos (sliced in half )
1 Pint of grape or cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
1 cup chopped roasted peppers (optional)
1 cup marinated artichokes chopped (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
5 lbs of tortellini

Vinaigrette:
2 tlb Dijon mustard
2 tlb Sugar
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1 1/4 cup of olive oil

Chop all ingredients except tortellini, tomatoes ,and olives.
Prepare the vinaigrette while cooking the tortellini according to package. Usually you have to boil water add the tortellini for about 4 minutes and they are ready. Immediately run cold water after the are done so they stop cooking. It is better to have them all dente.

Add the chopped ingredients to the tortellini in a large bowl, + the tomatoes , the olives and the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you hate olives or any other ingredient omit it. If you have stuff in the fridge that you think you like, add it don't be bashful e.g. zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli,carrots left over chicken or turkey.

Arleusian Garlic Soup

2 Tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup whole garlic cloves peeled
1 1/4 lb potatoes quartered
2 carrots quartered
8 cups (1/2 water 1/2 chicken broth)
1/2 cup of heavy cream
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce
chopped parsley for decoration (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and gently cook the garlic, stirring often till it begins to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients except cream and hot sauce.
Bring to a boil, cover and cook gently for an hour.
The veggies should be soft. Let it cool. Pure the soup in a blender or food processor.

Reheat, add cream and hot sauce.

Serves 6
Note if you multiply the ingredients times four you do not need 32 cups of liquid. 26 to 28 cups will be enough. Cook the veggies in 20 cups of liquid and add 6 to 8 more cups after you blend according to your taste and the consistency you would like.

Cajun Grilled Colossal Shrimp

1 Pound Colossal Shrimp (10-12/ lb)
2 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons Tabasco
4 Dashes Worcestershire
Juice from 1 large Lemon
Salt and Pepper

Slit shrimp along backside and de-vein- Butterfly
Combine Cajun, Oil, Salt and pepper in a large bowl.. Add Shrimp. Toss, let stand for 15 minutes.

Light grill to medium heat.

Cook shrimp 4 minutes per side.

While Shrimp are cooking combine remaining ingredients in your original bowl.
When shrimp are done, add to bowl, toss.

Peel and eat!

This one came from Mark Haban and he likes them hot. If they are too hot for you, omit the Tabasco, since the Cajun will be enough.
Thanks to Mark Haban

Shrimp Dip

2 Pounds fresh cooked shrimp

1/2 Cup chopped Celery

1/2 Cup minced onion

Salt and Pepper

Lemon juice (one lemon)

Hot pepper sauce

1/2 Cup chopped flata parsley

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Pint of sour cream

2 Tablespoons of grated horseradish

2 Tablespoons on minced garlic


Mash shrimp into small pieces (you can use salad shrimp 500/pound) Mix all ingredientes together. Refrigerate. Serve with crackers, flat breads or crudites.

Lets Start with Shrimp

Shrimp Scampi (Gambas Al Ajillo)

1 1/2 lb of shrimp at least 16/24 size. If peeling save the skins and or heads for future use. You can make Shrimp bisque with the skins. I'll post the recipe later

1 Stick of Butter (1/4 Lb)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons of garlic or more if you like it. Chopped

1 Tablespoons of oregano

1 Tablespoons of basil

2 Teaspoons of Hot Sauce or Sriracha Sauce or Tabasco

1  small lemon or 1/2 large Lemon
1 Lime

1 Loaf of Crusty Italian or French Bread.

Place oil and butter in a pan. (when done you will serve the scampi from the pan. Usually in my house it goes from the stove to the Island where everyone is gathered anyway. If it is for a sit down dinner place on separate plates and serve.

When butter is melted and mixed with oil, add the garlic for one minute and spread around the pan add the shrimp the basil and the oregano. Cook till the shrimp is turns pink turning to cook all of them ( do not overcook). Lower the heat to medium or less. Squeeze the fresh lemon and lime using your hands as a sieve to prevent the seeds to fall into the pan ( if some do don't worry). finally add the hot sauce (Sriracha preferably since it has more garlic). Toss around so all the flavors coat all the shrimp. You are ready to eat or dip.

On this one remember that the shrimp is just an excuse. The idea is to be able to dip the bread in the delicious butter garlic sauce, and eating the shrimp is just an aftermath.

Huy Fong brand (Sriracha)