Oven-baked Spanish Tortilla

Can be served hot or cold for any meal. Traditionally served in small cubes as Tapas with beer.

Oven-baked Spanish Tortilla – Tortilla Español al Horno
modified from: http://spanish-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/traditional_spanish_omelette

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb onion (about 2 medium onions), chopped
• 2 1/2 lbs potato (about 8 medium potatoes), peeled & thinly sliced
• 10 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.


2. Boil potatoes until not quite soft (about 7 min) and drain.


3. Heat olive oil in frying pan and fry onion until tender. Add garlic and saute a few more minutes.


4. Let potatoes, onion, and garlic cool slightly.


5. In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together. Add the cooled onion/garlic mixture and stir.


6. Mix egg mixture into the potatoes.


7. Grease a 9 x 11-inch dish fairly liberally with oil.


8. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking-dish and flatten the top surface of the mix – no peaks wanted!


9. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes until its golden brown - make sure its set in the center using a sharp knife to test it. When ready remove from the oven and leave it cool to cool and set a little more. (about 5 minutes)


10. Loosen the edges with a knife and serve.

Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes

I discovered this wonderful food blog the other day called "Our Best Bites." When I started looking through the website, I was very impressed by the type of recipes they posted. They not only look great but appear relatively simple to make. I just found the website last week and have already made two of the recipes. I was going to use the blue cheese in this recipe but when I went to the store, the Gorgonzola was a better deal so I used it instead and they turned out delicious!! I often take about 10 baked potatoes and make a big batch of twice baked potatoes that I freeze for side dishes later. They take just a minute to reheat in the microwave or I can throw them in the oven with my main course if I have the time. I will definitely be switching my twice baked potatoes recipe to this recipe though! They were worth every calorie! 

4 medium baking potatoes
½ Cup sour cream
1 oz (1/4 cup) crumbled bleu cheese (or Gorgonzola)
¼ Cup milk or buttermilk
4 Tbs real butter, cut into chunks
¾ tsp salt
Dash pepper
½ t garlic powder
8 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (I used crumbled bacon bits from the salad section)
Grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub them lightly with a bit of shortening or vegetable oil (helps crisp the skin) and place directly on oven rack, or a cookie sheet. Bake for one hour or until potatoes are done.
2. Remove potatoes and let cool just a bit. Cut an opening on the top and hollow out each potato, OR cut each potato in half (as shown in photos) to make 8 servings. You may want to hold them with a potholder as they will still be hot!3. Scoop out the insides and place in a bowl. Mash, and add butter, sour cream, bleu cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic. Beat with a hand mixer until fluffy. Carefully spoon mixture back into potato shells. Place in a baking dish.

Return to hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.
4. Remove and sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese over each potato bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Original recipe found here:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/stuffed-bleu-cheese-potatoes.html

These were just a little on the soft side. I might cut back a little on the milk next time so they're not quite so mushy. Also, I usually bake my potatoes and don't have time to make the recipe while they're still warm. I often don't make them until they've completely cooled and have never had a problem. 

Chicken Ranch Pizza

I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I love Little Ceasars Chicken Garlic Pizza and wanted to make one just like it - well, this came pretty close! It was my second time making a Pizza, and first time making Pizza dough - it was easy and I'll be making this again and again.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Ingredients:
3 chicken thighs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
Italian seasoning (about 1 tsp.)
1/3 – ½ cup Ranch dressing
2 Roma or 1 large tomato, diced
½ red onion, sliced
½ lb. cheese, Mozerella or Monterey Jack
and whatever other toppings you like!

Saute chopped chicken thighs in olive oil with 3 minced garlic cloves & Italian seasoning.

Make the crust and spread it out on a cookie sheet with sides.

Mix Ranch dressing with 3 minced garlic cloves, spread onto the crust. Add toppings: cooked chicken, tomatos, red onion, etc. Top with shredded cheese.

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust
4 ½ cups flour
1 ¾ tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
¼ cup olive oil
1 ¾ cup ice cold water
Mix in bread machine for 7 minutes.
Makes 2 rectangle-cookie-sheet sized pizzas.
Make sure you make the crust thin as this dough does not work with a thick crust! If we only want one pizza, we put the other half rolled in flour into a zip lock bag. It can be refrigerated for about a week or frozen and later thawed.

Baking Pizza Tips
When the oven is at temp, place pizza in the center of the middle rack to allow for maximum air circulation around the pan. A simple cheese and pepperoni pizza prepared in a 12" diameter pizza pan will bake evenly and thoroughly in a 450° F oven on the middle rack in only 12 min.

Adding more toppings to the pizza adds more moisture and mass to cook through. For example, a deluxe pizza with four or five different toppings generally requires a longer baking time at a lower temperature, perhaps 325° F to 350° F for 25 to 35 minutes.

1) The cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown,
2) The crust edge has browned, from a medium to a golden brown, and,
3) Carefully lift the edge of the pizza to inspect its bottom - should be evenly browned.

(Baking tips from: http://pizzaware.com/howtomakepizza7.htm)

Fiery Volcanos

This is from my mom's kitchen, I don't know where she got it. But it's good! And easy to make. I often serve this to company.

Fiery Volcanos
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups rice
1 lb. ground beef
¼ cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 15oz. can pineapple tidbits
1 4oz. can mushroom pieces
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
2 TBSP. vinegar
1 TBSP. cornstarch


Directions:
Prepare rice.

Brown and drain ground beef. When meat is half cooked, add the onion. Then add the salt, pepper, pineapple, mushrooms, tomato sauce & vinegar.

Remove ½ cup of the broth and wisk in the cornstarch. Return it to the pan and bring to a boil to thicken. To serve, spoon over rice “volcanos”.

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Enchiladas

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Enchiladas
recipe from: http://hubpages.com/hub/Scrambled-Egg-Breakfast-Enchiladas-A-10-Minute-Recipe-for-a-Great-Mexican-Breakfast

(This recipe is for one, multiply the recipe as needed.)
3 eggs whisked in a bowl with a pinch of salt
3 corn tortillas
A spicy and smooth tomato based salsa (A red chili sauce would also work here)
A bit of grated mild to medium cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey jack or other mild cheese
Sour cream
A few thin slices of white onion and cilantro sprigs (if you have any)

Heat 2 pans on the stove, both at medium. One pan should be a non stick fry pan suitable for scrambling eggs – the other needs to be a very heavy flat surfaced fry pan or skillet, suitable for dry frying the tortillas. Cast iron or something of a similar heft will shine here.

When the pans have pre heated, add a splash of oil to the non stick fry pan, and scramble your eggs. Remove the pan from the heat before the eggs are entirely cooked, as they will continue to set after you add them to the tortillas. Take them off about 30 seconds before they would look like you would want to eat them and place in a bowl off the heat.

Once your eggs are waiting at the side, take your corn tortillas and dip them to completely cover them in the spicy tomato salsa. Add another scant splash of oil to your heavy cast iron like pan, and place both tortillas face down beside each other to sear.

Let the tortillas cook for about 1 minute (checking to see that they are not burning) and then flip them over. Once you have flipped them, pile your eggs onto the tortillas, dividing evenly, and then cover the eggs with a bit of grated cheese. After another minute or so, fold the tortillas over the eggs (Don't bother trying to roll them up, just fold them like mounded quesadillas) and then move to a serving plate. The tortillas should be very softened and the sauce should be browning up and crisping in places.

The tortillas may stick a bit, but don’t worry about it. Use a heavy metal spatula and just scrape them firmly off the pan. They will look fine on the plate.

Top your finished enchiladas with sour cream and more spicy salsa and place cilantro leaves and thin slices of crispy onion over the sour cream. These are great with refried beans on the side, but quite substantial enough without them if you don't have any handy.

Georgia's notes: I made this for the first time this morning. I used a mild red enchilada sauce. As I was in a hurry, I forgot the sour cream etc. on top, but it was still quite good. The top two tortillas in the package didn't hold together very well (as is often the case) but the second two turned out looking better. I'll be making this for breakfast the rest of the week! A nice change from fried eggs & toast every morning. :)