Spanish Tortilla

Eggs are definitely my favorite ingredient to work with!
They are so versatile! They can be used for sweets and savory dishes, they give cakes structure and they last forever if kept in the fridge (as they should be here in the US since eggs are pre washed prior to going to stores and any minimum moisture left in an egg shell can serve as a growth medium as well as allow growing bacterias to get into your egg! UGH!)

Which reminds me of a very interesting article I once read (below) that explains different handling methodologies for eggs in the US versus Europe. Very interesting if you have time for the reading: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/

 But anyway... Back to the recipe!

So I had to make a quick lunch today and realized I had no leftovers in my fridge and nothing to thaw in my freezer! Before I started to panic, I opened the fridge and saw the carton of eggs and half an onion. But I didn't want to eat a plain omelet... Then it hit me! A dish my mom used to make all the time when I was a kid: SPANISH TORTILLA! I didn't really like it back then, I'll be honest, as I'm not a huge fan of potatoes but then I realized I could sautee them first and make them crispy to help improve the flavor. I also had leftover cream and parmesan in my fridge so I knew any dish I decided upon couldn't taste bad. Grab that old potato there in the back of my pantry and voilà... A fast feast!

Spanish tortillas are basically a thick omelet  with potatoes and, as far as growing up where I did, some onions sometimes too. Feel free to skip these if you don't have any or if you don't like them. Sautée the potatoes and onions for extra flavor but don't feel guilty if you don't have time for this step as the dish will work just fine without it.

> Ingredients: (for 4)

1 large potato, steamed, diced small
4 eggs (any size!)
1/2 large onion diced small
1/2 T vegetable oil
1/2 T butter
1/8 teaspoon of paprika
salt & pepper to taste
3 T heavy cream (optional, I had in my fridge so I used it. Can be replaced by milk)
1 T Corn starch mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder (optional, only if you're using the milk or cream)

1. Pre heat oven to 400F.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the paprika, salt and pepper. Add the cream (or milk) mixed with the corn starch and baking powder if you're using them. Set aside.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil in high heat and sautée the diced onion and potato cubes. Let them form a nice crispy brown outside, sautee them (or stir) every now and then adding the butter halfway through.
4. When they're golden brown and fragrant, about 5-8 minutes, lower the heat to medium, spread them roughly in the bottom of the pan, cover with the egg mixture and let the bottom cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Throw the skillet in the preheated oven to finish baking, 5-10 more minutes at the most, depending on how much it cooked on the stove top. Use a knife or toothpick that when inserted in the dish comes out clean to make sure the center of the pan is fully cooked. If you have any cheese in your fridge, cover the mixture with it before taking the pan to the oven.

Let it cool for a couple of minutes before slicing it.

Serve with toasted slices of buttered bread or a salad if you're trying to take it easy on carbs (remember your fancy omelet has potatoes in it!)

Hint: I had a small piece of parmesan in my fridge that I grated and incorporated to the batter. It tasted really good!