Spanish Tortilla Using Leftovers

Wow, I turned leftovers into a Spanish omelet a/k/a a Spanish tortilla and it was scrumptious. If you have more people to feed you can double the eggs I used and toss in another potato as the dish will be much the same. I didn't want to eat leftovers of my leftovers so only used one potato and 4 eggs. The dish is fast and easy ... cooked and baked in a single 10 1/2" cast iron skillet. Here's what you do:

Spanish Tortilla

Ingredients

Drizzle of olive oil

small onion, sliced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 large potato, sliced thin (I didn't peel mine.)

1 large fresh mushroom, sliced

1/4 cup red and green peppers

1/2 Jalapeno pepper, minced

1 cup beef, diced (I had leftover top-round beef, you can also use ham or sausage or chicken.)

1/2 cup of butternut squash, cooked and cubed

4 eggs

Cajun seasoning to taste

A sprinkle of Herbs de Provence

Directions

1) Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a 10 1/2-inch cast iron skillet. Brown the potatoes, onion, celery, and mushroom.

2) While they are browning toss in the red and green peppers and minced jalapeno pepper, if using, to let them grill a tad.

3) Add the beef (or ham or chicken or sausage) distributing it evenly in the pan.

4) Lay in the cooked butternut squash (or another leftover vegetable).

5) After the meat and vegetables warm a bit and the potatoes and onions are brown, crack and scramble 4 eggs in a separate bowl then pour them over the other ingredients in the pan. Salt and pepper and spice the dish as you like it.

6) Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. The potatoes will need the baking to get tender. Remove from the oven and flip it over into a serving plate. Cut into wedges.

I'll be making more Spanish tortillas for dinner this year.
What a great one-pan meal when you don't have the time to let pizza dough rise. Likewise, a Spanish Tortilla is less work than making a quiche.

I love how versatile the dish is! After you grill the onions and potatoes in a little olive oil you can add nearly any vegetable (carrots, asparagus, etc.) or meat (ham, sausage, chicken, etc.) to it. Or not! You could eat it plain. Who knew grilled potatoes, onions, and eggs are sooo delicious! Spaniards and Mexicans, that's who! I could eat either cuisine every night of the week!

You may also enjoy:

Making Pizza Dough

My Oma's Gurkensalat

All Beef Salisbury Steak

Homemade Chicken Fingers

American Potato Salad

Photo: iStock

In an earlier blog, I shared my recipe for German Potato Salad which my mother made often in our house. But she also learned how to make American Potato Salad. With the addition of eggs, it can serve as a quick yet satisfying one-dish meal for one person, or as a side dish for many people at a barbecue. In other words, you can make a little or a lot!

Over time I learned why I like homemade American potato salad better than almost any prepared by a deli. I like my American potato salad creamy yet dry and dense, as opposed to runny; and I don't like any trace of sweetness, usually the result of pickle radish as an ingredient in deli potato salad. Here's my simple and relatively healthy recipe for one serving, which I ate as dinner yesterday:

My American Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized potatoes, microwaved tender (use the starchy variety: Idaho, Russet, Golden, etc)

2 large eggs

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1-2  stalks of celery, finely chopped (eyeball the amount)

2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon Dion mustard

A good sprinkle of Zatarain's Creole Seasoning

1 teaspoon of dried garlic powder

A few turns of the peppermill

Optional: Plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1) Microwave the potatoes unpeeled until tender, about 8 minutes.

2) Boil your eggs on a stovetop until hard, about 5 minutes. When done, drop the potatoes and eggs into a bowl and chop. I don't peel the potatoes, but you can.

3) Add the finely chopped onion and celery to the bowl and mix.

4) Follow with the mayonnaise and Dion mustard. At this stage don't worry if it's too dry just work to incorporate all the ingredients.

5) Toss in the spices. I eyeball it, then adjust the spice to taste as the final step.

6) If my potato salad needs more creamy ingredients, I use a dub of Greek yogurt before adding additional mayonnaise. If it still tastes like mayonnaise, I leave it alone. If the Greek yogurt makes the potato salad too bland I add another spoonful of mayonnaise to the bowl.  Also now taste to adjust your spices.

That's it! I ate my one-dish dinner warm. When I make a bigger batch, into the refrigerator it goes until serving.

If you have bell peppers, green onions, scallions, or olives, feel free to toss them into your potato salad. I prefer keeping the ingredients simple but will toss in leftover vegetables to get rid of them. (Did you know olives although savory are technically a fruit?) Nonetheless, making potato salad more complicated isn't necessarily tastier. Fewer ingredients are just as delicious! An easy, peasy, breezy preparation. Enjoy!

You may also enjoy:

Let The Barbecues Begin

Real German Potato Salad

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Buttermilk Layer Cake: Vanilla Or Chocolate Frosting

What 6 Foods Are Always in Your Kitchen?

I know people who eat all their meals out and keep practically nothing in their cupbards or refrigerators, except for bottled water, or perhaps a single serving of yogurt. Not true of me. Although I can be a minimalist in other areas, I never let myself run out of certain foods. You will always find them in my kitchen. Here are six:

1) milk – I buy a gallon a week, per person. That's a lot, isn't it? Lots of Vitamin D!

2) eggs – Boiled eggs make easy snacks, or sandwiches on very short notice. {All you need for a serving is: 2 cut-up hard boiled eggs, salt, pepper, low fat mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and diced red onion.} Plus, eggs are needed for baked goods and a variety of simple dishes like meatloaf, stuffed peppers, and even green salads.

3) peanut butter – I buy it freshly ground at a neighborhood health food store, and it only has one ingredient, peanuts. You don't need sweeteners, hydrogen vegetable oil, or anything else. Pure pb is delicious and a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs food.

4) solid white tuna – A quick and easy meal. Actually, “light” tuna has less mercury, but I prefer the texture of solid white. Just don't eat it more than once a week.

5) sharp cheddar cheese and 6) saltine crackers – This is my favorite "at home" snack. And when I get carried away, it becomes a dinner.

Other foods may come and go, but not these staples. Now do tell, what 6 foods are always in your kitchen?