Potatoes, Patatas

LASDI© (Photos by Adrian Garcia)

Another tapas night with friends.  I ALWAYS look forward to those nights because we put our heads and cooking prowess together and come up with a tornado of tapas!  While The Hubster and I waited for our sweet neighbors to arrive, we went ahead and snapped some pics of what we put out for our half, and ohhhhhhh, BOY!  This stuff was BEYOND BUENO!

I made mushroom-, pine nut-, and cheddar cheese-stuffed puff pastries, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, mini-Reuben sammies (it IS March, after all!), a quite-lovely cheese board with the sharpest cheddar and GORGEOUS artichoke hearts (stems included!).  All those hyphened menu items!  But to be as authentic as possible, I made a legit tapas called patatas bravas.  I, of course put my own spin on it and they were delcioso!

Go on and spend a night with community and each of you bring a prize!  Call it tapas night or call it whatever you want - just bring THESE to the table with you!

PATATAS BRAVAS

4 - 5 butter gold potatoes, scrubbed, dried, and sliced lengthwise into 8 wedges

1 1/2 cups canola oil

sea salt

pepper

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

1/4 cup sour cream

paprika

1 can ro-tel for dipping

4 green onions or scallions, sliced thin

Heat canola oil in heavy skillet (I use my cast-iron, of course) on medium-high heat for two minutes.  Place potato wedges from one potato carefully into oil.  Let cook for five minutes.  You will be tempted to turn them over before then.  Don't.  After five minutes, flip them and let them cook another five minutes.  You will be tempted to pull them out before the five minutes is up.  Don't.  Carefully take them out one at a time and lay them on a cooling rack with paper towel underneath (see notes).  Sprinkle them liberally with sea salt and pepper.  Repeat cooking with the next potato and directly before removing them from the oil, lay the first batch on whatever tray or plate you would like to use for your display. While the next batch of potatoes are cooking, mix the horseradish and sour cream and drizzle (prettily!) over the potatoes on the platter.  Sprinkle with paprika and then a bit of green onion.  Repeat with each layer of potatoes, crisscrossing each layer over one another for an authentic look. 

Notes: Any heavy skillet will do as long as it is deep enough to fit the oil.  For crispy potatoes, use the cooling rack.  If you don't have one or want softer potato wedges, simply dry them on paper towels laid on a plate or platter.  I use a condiment squeeze bottle for the horseradish sour cream drizzle.  I put the ro-tel in a cute bowl next to the potatoes for people to pile on top of their bravas if they like.  Hora de comer!!

Green Eggs & Span (ish Chorizo)

SHE2016©

There are up sides and down sides to my obsessive compulsivity.  I know a lot of people can't imagine what the up sides could be, but I can tell you that for Life As She Does It, they scream volumes about the Bohemian Glitter Girl I am, and help me reach The Masses (that's YOU!), all while being a cathartic-and-helpful outlet.  The particular obsessive complusive part of me I'm referring to (Yes.  There are several) is the monthly themes.  I've been doing it for as long as I can remember.  It stretches from clothing to food, too.  So for example: March = Green or Irish.  Yes, I'm Italian, but the OCD transcends that fact.  I wear green every day in March.  Please don't ask me to explain in one post, just trust that there is a method to my madness.  As far as food in March, I either cook green food items, or Irish food.  This last Saturday morning, I created a Spanish take on green eggs and ham by making scrambled eggs loaded with cilantro with some Spanish chorizo and avocado on the side.  The Spanish chorizo was quite salty, so I drizzled some of the leftover mustard sauce  I made for the corned beef a couple of nights before, and it was absolutely luscious.  Stay tuned for the monthly themes to come; in the meantime, eat green to your heart's content and know Spring is right around the corner!

CILANTRO SCRAMBLED EGGS

4 eggs

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbs cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1` cup packed cilantro, chopped coarsely

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 tbs butter

In a medium-sized bowl, scramble the eggs using a small whisk or fork for a solid minute.  

I EATS ME SPINACH

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

What does one do upon waking up on the first day of unemployment for both yourself and The Hubster?  You sleep in, smell the coffee brewing to wake up, and COOK AN AWESOME BREAKFAST!!  No feeling sorry for yourself in THIS HOUSE!!  This is Life As She Does It, after all!  So what I made was this incredible take on tortillas de espinacas  It is a Spanish tapa, which usually consists of spinach made into a 'tortilla' with cream cheese and potatoes.  I omitted the potatoes and added BACON!   And we all know......bacon makes everything better.

TORTILLAS DE ESPINACAS (She-Style)

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1/2 onion, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed

sea salt

pepper

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp mustard powder

3 eggs, scrambled

1 tsp water

1/2 brick cream cheese, room temperature

bacon or turkey bacon slices, cooked

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

In a heavy pan (I used my cast-iron skillet, of course!) sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom, and heat for one minute on medium heat  Add onions and garlic, and let cook for about two minutes, stirring from time-to-time to avoid them getting too dark.  

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

Squeeze spinach over the sink a handful at a time to remove excess water.  Sprinkle into the pan, using a wooden spoon or small spatula to mix with the onion and garlic and spread out throughout the pan  Sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper, then add cumin, nutmeg, and mustard powder.  Stir again, then spread out throughout the pan.  Add the water to the scrambled eggs and gently pour over the spinach mixture to ensure it is evenly distributed throughout the pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Change heat to low and let cook about three minutes or until firm on the edges and loose in the middle.  Cover and let cook another three minutes until firm in the middle.  Remove from heat and let rest for a minute  

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

Using a spoonula or butter knife, spread the cream cheese over the spinach-egg mixture.  Let rest another minute.  Slice like a pie, and top with bacon  Take your coffee cups and say "cheers!" and then..ATTACK!

NOTES: I use neufchatel cheese, which is super-creamy, but has less fat than cream cheese.  I also served this with some watercress sprinkled with balsamic and it was a perfect complement.  Still inclined to feel bad or sorry for yourself?  Just add a mimosa to this combo and all will be well!

Tapas Totales!

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

To sum it up, this was a night of tapas and home-made margaritas that would make you slap yo' mammasita!  A couple of friends came over and I made gambas al ajillo (shrimp and garlic sauce), empanadas with crema-paprika sauce, chorizo-tortilla pizzas, baked pappas (fingerling potatoes), and a little concoction I put together that we will call Frito Masa Dulce (fried sweet dough).  I wanted it to be a play on sopapillas, but more Spanish-style and doughnut-y.  So I took our go-to home-made pizza dough recipe, sweetened it up and then fried it, and sprinkled good ole powdered sugar on top!  And that is the recipe I am sharing with you today.  De nada. 

FRITO MASA DULCE

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 pkg fast-rising yeast

2 tbs sugar

 1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp apple pie seasoning

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 tbs honey

1 cup warm water

canola oil

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add wet ingredients and water and stir with a fork until combined.  Cover with a damp paper towel and let rise for an hour.  In a heavy pot (I use my cast iron Dutch oven,  of course!), heat 1 and 1/2 inches of canola oil on medium-high heat.  Using a little extra flour so the dough doesn't stick to your hands, use fingers to flatten out the dough to about 9x12 on a counter sprinkled with a little flour.  Use a cookie cutter to cut into 12 equal-sized pieces.  Gently drop one piece at a time into the oil, and fry for about one minute on each side, until golden brown.  Take out with a slotted spoon or spatula and let drain on paper towel.  Once they are all done, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

NOTES:  Drizzle with honey or maple syrup if you want to raise the bar of delicioso even higher!!