Tag Archives: potato

Brandad-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

7 Jul

Today, July 7, the Fiestas de San Fermín start – the festival celebrating the patron saint of Pamplona, Spain.  Every year, from July 7 until the 14, Spain gets up early to watch 5 bulls run through the streets of Pamplona when thousands of people are running in their way.  I do not condone or agree with the Corridas de Toros, at all.  But the Encierros is sort of the “revenge of the bulls”, IMHO.

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I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since my last trip to Spain.  I believe that I was Spaniard in some other life… because I love the country, the food, the people…  last year, I took this opportunity to showcase a few Spanish recipes made the vegetarian way.  I enjoyed it so much that decided to do it all over again…

Bacalao, or salted cod fish,  is something I used to enjoy a lot before I went vegetarian, but I have found that frozen tuno can be molded and seasoned into tasting like many types of seafood dishes.  One of them being brandad – a mixture traditionally made with bacalao and potatoes.

Here is how I did it…

 

BRANDAD-STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS

6 roasted piquillo peppers
½ cup of Tuno Antipasto recipe
2 medium-sized russet potatoes, boiled
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the potatoes well using a potato masher.  Mix together the Tuno Antipasto and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil to give it added gloss.
  2. Take the roasted peppers and carefully stuff them using a small spoon.  Place them in a shallow gratin dish and drizzle again with a little olive oil.
  3. Roast in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes until the peppers dry a bit and the filling is warmed up.

 

Serve alongside a green salad for a light supper or by itself as a tapa.  They’re super easy to make and very filling.

Jonathan loved this dish and he didn’t even suspect it had soy tuna in it… the flavors are so good, he just gobbled them up.  That’s the way to introduce your omnivore friends to your vegetarian cooking – don’t tell them all the ingredients before tasting anything.  People are prejudiced if you tell them of any soy product substitutes.  Have them taste the food first, and after they’re in love with it, reveal the details, if you want to…

Viva España and enjoy the next few days of San Fermín and Spanish recipes, OLÉ!!

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Horseradish Potato Pastelón

6 Apr

I am in love with anything with horseradish in it… cheese, mustards, etc.  And to show my appreciation towards horseradish, I decided to create this pastelón.  It’s really a clean-your-fridge recipe… but delicious in its own right. Confirmed by my friend Jonathan, who was my guinea-pig for the day…

 

HORSERADISH POTATO PASTELÓN

About 2 lbs of potatoes – russet or red-skinned potatoes work well here
4 tbs of butter
¼ cup of milk
1 tbs grain mustard
1 tbs prepared horseradish
½ yellow onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of shredded carrots
½ cup of broccoli, cut into small pieces
¼ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil
Himalayan Pink Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

 

  1. Boil the potatoes in salted water in a medium sized pot.  I tend to just put enough water to only cover half of the potatoes.  That way they boil and part steam and cook faster in my experience than if you submerge them all in water.
  2. While the potatoes cook, we prepare the vegetable filling…  In a medium skillet over medium heat we add a bit of olive oil and sauté the chopped onions and garlic for a few minutes.  Add the shredded carrots and mix well with the onions and cook until the carrots and onions soften, about 3-4 minutes. Lastly, add the broccoli florets, mix in with the rest of the ingredients and let cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then turn off the stove and let the broccoli cook with the residual heat from the skillet.
  4.  When the potatoes are cooked and fork tender, drain the water and mash the potatoes in the same pot you cooked them and add the butter, milk and mash them well with a potato masher.  Add the mustard and horseradish.  Season with Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Mix it all in well. 
  5. Spray a glass baking dish with Canola Oil spray and place 1/3 of the potato mixture at the bottom of the dish and spread it all as evenly as possible.  On top, add the vegetable mixture in one even layer.  Lastly, top with the remainder of the potato mixture.  Finish with a layer of sprinkled parmesan cheese on top.
  6. Bake in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes until the cheesy top has a nice golden brown crust.

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HashBrown Spinach Casserole

25 Jan

I already shared this version of a hash brown casserole with you guys… but this version really came about as a clean-out my fridge recipe.  I was tired of seeing the bag of hash brown potatoes in the freezer, a small container of French Onion Dip, the spinach, the shredded cheeses. 

I challenged myself to cook with stuff that was already “opened” – no need to open a new package of anything to save in the fridge.

 

HASHBROWN SPINACH CASSEROLE

1 lbs (about 1/3 a bag) of frozen hash brown potatoes, somewhat thawed
About 1 cup of frozen cut-leaf spinach, somewhat defrosted too
4oz of French Onion Dip – you can use one from the store or make it yourself
2 tbs plain yogurt
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend – Asiago, Mozzarella, provolone, etc.
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix together all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
  3. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish bake in oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potato is fully cooked and the top is golden brown.

 

No need to salt this dish in my opinion… the times I used additional salt, even a little, it turned out salty.  The dip and the cheeses will provide plenty saltiness to the dish.

Try this with my Watercress Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing… super yummy.

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Hash Brown Casserole

15 Jan

I mentioned to you how much I love the Hash Brown Casserole from Cracker Barrel.  It’s one of my favorite things to eat when I travel in the US.  If I see a Cracker Barrel sign on the side of the road, I immediately salivate.   Very Pavlovian…

So skimming thru this same internet, I found a bunch of recipes that looked awesome and reminded me of the hash brown casserole I usually have at Cracker Barrel.  Most of them included bacon or other stuff that you and I do not eat anymore, so I came up with my adaptation…  Here are the results:

 

HASHBROWN CASSEROLE

1½ lbs (about ½ a bag) of frozen hash brown potatoes, somewhat thawed
½ medium onion, chopped finely
4oz of sour cream
½ can of condensed cream of mushroom soup – I use the reduced sodium version
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup corn flakes, crushed
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste
1 tbs melted butter

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the cornflakes and butter. 
  3. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish and top with the crushed corn flakes and drizzle melted butter over the corn flakes.
  4. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potato is fully cooked and the top is golden brown.

 

This version does not taste really like the casserole at CB, but it’s definitely mighty tasty.  It’s those kind of recipes I love…  where you just assemble the ingredients, place them in the oven and you can then leave it alone, while you shower, check your email, meditate and it’s ready.  Just serve it with a salad on the side and you have a complete meal.

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Tortilla Sandwich

12 Jul

It’s super typical to see on Spain lots of prepared sandwiches or “bocadillos” already made in the windows of bakeries and quick service shops.  They’re prepared daily for people to grab something quick for breakfast or lunch…

One of the most traditional and peculiar ones are the Bocadillos de Tortilla… which is as simple as it sounds – a piece or Spanish Tortilla in between 2 breads and eaten as a sandwich.  Where I first saw this on the menu was in the Spanish sandwich chain Pans & Company…  and carb-phobics might think this is too much carbs in one single bite, but let me tell you, it’s awesome…

 In Barcelona, they serve them with “pan con tomate” and the tortilla inside.  In Madrid, I saw them with just tortilla and a slather of mayonnaise on the bread.  Either way, I had to wait until reaching home to have my very own version.  The wait was well worth it…

 Bocadillo de Tortilla

 

TORTILLA SANDWICH

1 serving of Spanish Tortilla – cut to fit the bread
1 whole grain demi-baguette
Egg-less mayonnaise
2 slices of tomato, optional but highly recommended
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spanish Olive oil
 
  1. Toast the bread as you wish.  Slather both bread halves with eggless mayo.
  2. Place the pieces of tortilla on the bottom half of the sandwich.  Add the tomato slices, if using. 
  3. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper and add a small drizzle of olive oil.

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