Tortilla Espanola

It really warms my heart to see that not only are people making my recipes, they are loving them! I guess I'm doing something right. I Just had to share this news with you. A while back (around the time I started my blog) I posted a few recipes on allrecipes.com but never really looked back after becoming obsessed with trying to make the top 10 on Foodbuzz (which I have still yet to achieve - although i'm pretty sure there is some sort of trick to posting at a certain time). This am I got a notification saying your recipe has been reviewed I couldn't resist to see what was written.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tortilla-Espanola-2/Detail.aspx


Please check out my reviews for a very easy and delicious breakfast Tortilla Espanola otherwise know as a Spanish omelette. 

RECIPE RE POST: 

6 - 8 eggs whole (eggs should justcover the potato and onion mixture).

2-3 large potatoes or a about 10 small red or yellow skins will do - small cubes or you can also slice thin on a mandolin 

1 spanish onion (red onion also works, the sweeter the better) - finely chopped or slices like the potato

bunch of fresh parsley - chopped

salt & pepper - to taste

olive oil - 2 tbs

paprika (smoked) - 1 1/2 tsp

PREP: Chop everything needed and Pre heat your oven to 350 - 400 degrees

COOK: In a medium to large non stick pan add 1tbs (or more) olive oil and heat, then add your potatoes. This may take a while ( you can also par boil the potatoes until they are half cooked and dry off before frying them. Toss them with s&p and some paprika - keep them moving every few minutes so that they don't stick to the pan. When they have softened up a bit - 8 mins or so add the onions and continue to cook on a medium heat until the mixture takes on a golden colour and pieces of the potato start to fall apart. Then take the pan off the heat, add the mixture to the beaten eggs and toss the parsley in as well. Add a little more olive oil to the dirty pan andtransfer the the entire mixture back into the pan on a low-med heat. Let the bottom cook for a few minutes and shake the pan a bit to get everything moving. Then place pan in the oven (*make sure your pan is oven safe!) It only takes a few minutes for the omelette to puff up and cook through. If you find after 5-10 minutes that its still gooey inside turn up the heat to the oven, or even broil for a few minutes - keep our eye on it so it doesn't burn. When the top is firm and golden its done. Cut into triangles and serve.

*in Spain this dish is sometimes served gooey in the center, it's you preference though. You can also serve at room temp. 

Paella & Beer on the beach

Paella is one of my favorite Spanish dishes. It's a rice dish that can contain mixed seafood, vegetables, beens and or meats with lots of wonderful spices aromatics and grated tomatoes. This is a seafood paella not completely authentic the famous crust on the bottom of the pan was lacking but it was delicious none the less. I enjoyed this communal dish last December on my pre wedding trip to the Riviera Nayarit in Nuevo Vallarta. We were staying at the RIU Vallarta resort which is famous for throwing theme parties. That day was obviously Spain day with a celebratory  beach paella party at noon. I was delight to see rows of paella pans lined up with an intoxicating aroma wandering down to the ocean. Nothing better then eating fresh seafood while sipping a cold corona on the Pacific. I'm dreaming of my next vacation, hopefully to Spain!

Happy Fathers Day

Fathers day is indeed a  Hallmark holiday I hate buying into it, but I have to say it's one of those days you absolutely have to honor! Since I'm now a married  woman I have acquired another set of parents thus another father to praise and celebrate on this glorious Sunday.  We decided to do an a.m. meal with my husbands parents - a keep it simple bagel brunch where I prepared a delicious tuna salad and we picked up some Montreal Bagels from Bagel House and cream cheese obviously. I also had an awesome eggplant and tomato dish I made a few days ago that I decided to bring along (it's totally their type of dish - sort of Moroccan/Israeli style stewed salad).  We also brought some Colombian pastries from Columbus Bakery  on Dufferin st. the pastries or "dulces" as we call them really remind my father in law of the treats he had back home in Venezuela.  Everything was delicious and enjoyed by all and I even had some of the Eggplant salad to take over to my dad's house for dinner later on. 


We decided to order Middle Eastern for my own father. I didn't have it in me to cook for everyone tonight and I felt bad to ask my step mom to help as her daughter just had her first child last night. A big congratulations to Justine and Aaron on their little baby girl. What a great way to celebrate a first fathers day. 


Getting back to dinner, I did manage to make a chopped salad/ taboule with whole wheat cous cous and wheat berries obviously not a traditional taboule. We decided to order from Me Va Me which was very good, although we all agreed the hummus had an odd creamy look and texture although the taste was pretty damn good. My sissy and I decided to keep it simple hot appetizer combo consisting of Moroccan cigars, falafel and sambusa (triangle crisp pastry filled with roasted spicy veg) hummus, tahina and scoug (hot sauce). Then shawarma, pita and garlic drenched veg along with my Taboule salad. I would definitely order from Me Va Me again! Their shawarma was very good, although my father complained he likes more crunchy dry pieces I say there was a nice balance of dry crunchy pieces and moist chickeny deliciousness. I would skip the garlic drenched veg or trade it in for some rice or potatoes since they were a bit too mushy for my liking. 


Hoping everyone had a happy and hearty fathers day. 


Recipes: Tuna Salad - serves 4
INGREDIENTS: 
3 cans water packed tuna (I always use Calipo) 
2 heaping table spoons of mayonnaise (I make my own, but you can always use store bought) 
1 celery stalk - brunoise (fine chop into small cubes)
2 mini cucumbers - brunoise (remove seeds) 
1 shallot - brunoise
1/2 red pepper - brunoise
1/2 lemon - juiced
handful chopped parsley or dill (or both)
1 tsp keens mustard powder (optional)
s & p - to your taste
PREP: combine all ingredients and enjoy!


Mayonnaise - always be sure to use fresh eggs with mayonnaise * raw egg warning. 
INGREDIENTS: 
egg yolk
1 tsp dijon mustard ( I used grainy this time)
3/4 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs white wine vinegar (optional)
s&p - to your taste
PREP: separate one egg discard the white. In a clean glass bowl add mustard to the yolk and start to incorporate the oil (extremely slowly) while whisking mixture vigorously. The first 30 seconds of this process is the most important to properly emulsify the mixture. Incorporate 1/2 of the oil then add lemon juice to loosen up the mixture. Add the remainder of the oil and add the vinegar if desired then add salt and pepper to taste. 


Roasted eggplant salad- serves 6
2 large eggplants - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large can of plum tomatoes
6 garlic cloves - finely sliced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
pinch oregano 
drizzle olive oil
drizzle of honey (optional) 
splash of white wine vinegar or wine
PREP: Pre heat oven to 350. Place cut up eggplant in bowl and cover in a handful of sea salt (this will draw out the moisture and the bitterness) let them sit for 30 mins then rinse well, and pat dry. Toss eggplant in olive oil and fresh cracked pepper and place on a sheet tray. Scatter the tomatoes, spices and garlic. 
COOK: at 350 for 45-1 hour
SERVE: at room temp 


Taboule Salad: serves 6
INGREDIENTS: 
large English cucumber  - remove seeds and brunoise
2 red peppers - brunoise
2 celery stalks - brunoise
1/2 spanish onion - brunoise 
3 large radishes - brunoise
3 small cloves of garlic - minced
2 large handfulls parsley - fine chop
2 large tomatoes - hot house (roma are great too because they contain less liquid, but use 4-5 instead of 2) brunoise
1/2 cup wheat berries
1/2 cup whole wheat cous cous
1 lemon juiced 
drizzle of olive oil 
s & p - to your taste
splash of white wine vinegar 
PREP: For wheat berries combine 1/2 cup of w.b. with 1 3/4 cup of water and pinch of salt bring to a boil - then cover and lower heat to a simmer ( about 35-45 mins). For cous cous - place in a glass bowl then boil water and add a small amount (1/3 cup) to the cous cous (cover for 2 mins) fluff the cous cous with a fork and taste to see if it is tender. If there are any grains that have not puffed up and softened add a little more water and do the same. Then add all ingredients together and enjoy!


Sorry no photos tonight. 

Two Tomatoes On A Vine

I'm back from my weddingmoon extravaganza. Two weeks in sunny beautiful Mexico flew by and I'm back home in Toronto dreaming about all the fun and delicious days we had. Our wedding group was made up of about 50 something Torontonians  and another 10 stragglers from the US of our nearest and dearest friends and family. The majority of us stayed at the Dreams Villamagna resort in Nuevo Vallarta - It was a modern all inclusive resort perfect for a large group on a destination wedding. Everyone had a great time relaxing enjoying inexpensive beach massages and an endless supply of mojitos and fish tacos. I have to admit it really was the perfect group of people and everyone got along famously. The wedding was absolutely gorgeous as well! I've decided that over the next little while i'm going to write short and long posts to give you all a sneak peak into our wedding week. There will be a bunch of fabulous ideas on event planning for weddings and other special summer gatherings. I will also post some restaurant reviews and my cooking experience from  fantastic vacation home in San Pancho from a super cool local chef Sofia Silva Sanchez . For now I leave you with one of the group photos from the wedding. Chow for now. 
~ Mrs. Tomato Snob ;)

MIA ME

Sorry my little and BIG Tomato Snobs i've been MIA the past few weeks. I'm getting married on a beach in one weeks time, and i'm going crazy with final little details. Not to mention some family drama with emergency trips to the hospital, and mysterious rashes. I think the dust is finally starting to settle just in time to take off on my two week wedding extravaganza trip to Nuevo Vallarta Mexico.

I didn't wan to leave you all high and dry so here's my parting food for thought. My dear cousin/ matron of honor/ older sister type passed along for me today and I thought it only right to pass it on to all of you.

Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destoryed Our Most Alluring Fruit
Review of Tomatoland

The book hasn't technically hit shelved yet but let's get on top of this controversial topic.  If any of you have comments please post em to encourage a discussion. I'll be sure to have something to say next month.

Take care all and chow for now,
- Soon to be Mrs. Tomato Snob ;)

Spring has Sprung-ish

Is it that time of the year already? I couldn't believe my eyes last week at Fiesta Farms. There was a huge pile of gorgeous local heirloom tomatoes. I'm still scratching my head over this. Isn't it still a bit cold for tomatoes? We even had a snow frozen rain storm last night, and the one warm day we had last Monday couln't have harvested fruits of this size. Heirloom tomatoes are a visual stunner, although I find the flavor can be hit or miss. Somehow I managed to pass up on purchasing one, I was on a mission that day, and I promised myself not to veer off course.  I couldn't hold back from taking a few pictures though, they are just so pretty. If any of you have visted Fiesta recently, pick one up and let me know how they taste.

Ravishing red risotto follow up - Arancini

One of my most favorite things about making risotto at home is the chance of  for leftovers at the end of the meal. Risotto the next day isn't too appetizing on it's own, in fact for me once risotto has cooled to room temperature I've lost interest in it completely. The key to a perfect creamy risotto is to serve and enjoy it right away.  Once the satisfying rice dish cools it becomes stiff and cement like loosing all it's luster.  That is until the next day when the pliable rice patty can be formed into balls then stuffed with beautiful cheese, coated with bread  crumbs and fried to perfection. This dish is know as Arancini named for it's appearance and resemblance to an orange (in Italian orange means arancini). The dish  originates in Sicily and can be found filled with meat, nuts, mushrooms or cheese and served with marinara sauce or on it's own. This simple dish is a wonderful appetizer and will definitely wow with or without a surprise filling. 
ARANCINI INGREDIENTS: 
left over risotto - for ravishing red risotto recipe 
fresh buffalo mozzarella
egg - lightly beaten 
panko bread crumbs - any bread crumbs will do, panko fries up extra crunchy and light
fresh grated  pamagiano reggiano - pecorino romano will also do
canola oil for frying 
PREP: cut small (bite size) pieces of mozzarella then take  table spoon of rice and mould around the cheese to form ball. * if rice doesn't stick together you may quickly blend it to make a paste. Once all the rice balls are formed then create a dredging station of egg, and panko each in their own small bowls or plates. First dip the ball in the egg, then roll into the panko... do this for all of the balls. 
COOK: Heat your oil in a medium frying pan with about an inch of oil (the arancini will be shallow fried ie. not completely submerged in the oil which is a deep fry) I don't use a thermometer, but if you are using one to check your temp for frying you'll want it to be at around 350. To test the oil without thermometer just toss in a small amount of panko (or make a small sample arancini) you'll want little bubbles to start forming right away. Be very careful frying the oil can splatter and easily burn you. Only put a few arancini in at a time - do not overwhelm the pan (this will drop the temperature of the oil too quickly and the balls will fry up gross and greasy). Fry in batches and  have a paper towel handy and place the cooked rice balls after removing from oil. The balls will only take a few minutes until they turn golden. If you desire lightly salt and pepper the ball when they come out of the oil - I just grate some of the cheese on at this point since the risotto has already been properly seasoned. 

SERVE: As I said before you can serve with simple marinara, but honestly the beet risotto is excellent in it's own. I served with a simple arugula salad with citrus vinaigrette, we didn't even touch the tomato sauce.
Mangia bene !!

Latin meets Asian - Part 1 Black Sesame Crusted Tuna Tostada

A while back I was competing in the Food Buzz food blogging competition. Right before I was eliminated I hosted a
dinner party that was inspired by my favorite restaurants Asia de Cuba  and Sushi Samba both have multiple locations around the world, and are heavily influenced by Latin and Asian flavors. I wanted to give you a glimps of the dishes I prepared for the evening. One of the appetizers was this delicious Sesame crusted tuna tostada. Clearly this photo was taken a while back, because I can confidently say my skills have gotten better since then. Also in a mad rush to feed my party guests and finish 10 dishes with out a sous chef a realize I forgot one of the components of this crowd pleasing dish.  Aahhhh well there's always next time. 
INGREDIENTS:
Corn and jalapeno round chips - you can find these at most local supermarkets ( I will update whith the brand later, just can't remember now, but they are delicious!)
2 avocados (simple guacamole) - chopped and mashed
1 -2 tomatoes - cubed into small pieces
fresh ahi tuna (sushi grade) nice rectangle filet - trim before cooking
black sesame seeds - enough to cover fish
chives - chop into thinly to form small rings
garlic - 1 clove minced
2 limes - juiced
s&p
hot sauce - I use Franks Red Hot - few drops or to your taste
PREP: Chop tomatoes and chives. 
FOR THE GUAC: Chop and mash a few avocaos (keep one of the pits - i'll explain later)  Finely chop and mince garlic (you can also use a fine microplane for easy mince) add lime juice s&p and a few splashes of hot sauce.  Place the pit in the bottom of the bowl - this will prevent (even better then citrus) the avo from turning brown. Set aside
FOR TUNA: trim your tuna and rub a small amount of oil (any oil thats flavorless)  all over to help the seeds stick to the flesh. On a clean dry plate add sesame seeds a little salt and pepper, then roll tuna so that seeds cover every side. 
COOK: In a non stick pan heat a  very small amount of canola oil, when the oil is hot place the tuna - make sure is sizzles when it first hits the pan, and then turn the heat down slightly. Sear on each side for 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how thick the fish is. Remove from heat, and let stand for a few minutes or if serving later refrigerate (to stop the tuna from over cooking). When ready to slice use a very sharp knife and care fully cut into thin slices. 
TO SERVE: place a dollop of guac in the middle of the corn chip and smear in a circle, place seared tuna on top. Then sprinkle diced tomatoes and chives over everything if you want a little flaked sea salt is also nice. Enjoy!

Ravishing Red Risotto

Mistura is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Toronto. I was introduced to this fine Italian supper club years ago by a Sommelier I knew. Mistura quickly separated it's self from the rest of the fancy-shmancy restaurants for their excellent service and impeccably executed seasonal Italian menu.  Chef Massimo Capra from Restaurant Makeover on the Food Network is the head chef and owner of this delicious and romantic establishment. This recipe is inspired by his signature Risotto Rosso a delicious red beet risotto. I thought since I had half a bottle of red wine and a bunch of beets left I would give it a try. Risotto INGREDIENTS: Serves 2
serves 4
arborio rice - 1 cup
4 cups stock or water. 
4 beets - roasted then finely chopped
2 shallots - finely chopped
1/2 cooking onion - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
4 sprigs of thyme - remove leaves discard stems & finely chop
drop of olive oil
1 1/2 cups parmesan or grana padano
s & p
1-2 tbs butter - you can use more if you're not concerned with calories - more makes risotto creamier
good red Italian wine something dry - 1 cup
truffles or truffle oil - optional
PREP: For the beets you can roasted them at 400 for 45 minutes, then place them in a bowl with plastic wrap until the are room temp - to loosen and remove the skin (* wear gloves). You can also boil the beets (peeled) then use the water instead of the stock.  Finely chop all aromatics (onion, shallots and garlic).
Place stock or water in a sauce pan on a medium heat - you will need to slowly incorporate into risotto during the cooking and it won't work unless the broth is warm. 
COOK: Sautee onion, shallot and garlic in a medium hot pan until tender, make sure to season w/ s&p then add rice and thyme - parsley can be substituted but do not add it until the very end of the cooking process as it can not stand up to the heat and will turn brown. Make sure every grain is pretty much glistening before adding the red wine. Then start to slowly incorporate the warm stock 1 ladle at a time - add more stock when the liquid  has incorporated. Continue this process for about 15-20 mins adding the beets with about 5 minutes left to cook  until the rice is al dente then add  extra butter if desired and parmesan cheese which is mandatory. 
SERVE: Drizzle of truffle oil or shaved truffles a squirt of lemon is also nice and obviously extra cheese!

Iron chef Canada - Chuck defeats my boy Bobby

Yes I know this post is coming a few days too late, but damn it i've been busy this week! This doesn't mean I'm not so freaking proud of my fellow Canadian Chuck Hughes. I must admit I was shocked to hear the judges all agreed that he should conquer over heavy hitter Bobby Flay. I must admit this battle was bitter sweet for me since I'm such a Flay fan. I also must say "what the *&^&^% Bobby you lost on a lobster battle?" Either way a HUGE congratulations to Chuck, who started off his lobster menu with one of my favorite snack/coctails the bloody ceasar. Rimmed with the famous Montreal Steak spice and garnished with a juicy lobster claw this classic Canadian beverage did not disappoint.  The following dishes included a lobster roll, risotto, Jerk lobster and Chuck's famous lobster poutine which didn't bode well with the judges. What humored me was knowing this is a  regular dish on the menu at his popular Montreal resto Garde Manger. I remember ordering it a few summers ago thinking it was a pretty darn delicious take on the dish. Chuck attributes the disappointment with his dish to be the wrong type of cheese curds. Anyone who knows proper poutine knows that the cheese curds really do need to be those squeaky rubbery ones you can buy anywhere in Quebec - the aged white cheddar just didn't do the trick. The Montreal chef received very positive feedback on his risotto and Jerk lobster which I'm dying to have the recipe for. My one question is where was the dessert? Lobster is such a delicate sweet crustacean I figured at least one of the chefs would attempt a sweet parting gift for the judges. Maybe next time boys. Félicitations bien mérités Chuck!