Make it! My Take on a Fresh Tomato Spanish Tortilla

I've never loved tomatoes more than I have this summer.  I'm not actually sure why.  Maybe it's because I've planted fewer tomato plants and so each red or yellow orb seems a little more special.  Maybe the tomatoes this year just taste different.  Either way I'm enjoying tomatoes more that ever before.  But here's the thing,  I don't like store bought tomatoes. Call me a brat, but I just don't.  I'll do without. From the garden though? I'll find a way to incorporate them into breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

This took less than 5 minutes to prepare.

And speaking of breakfast, lunch or dinner, here's a terrific and simple dish that's as lovely to look at as it is delicious.  If you're lucky enough to grow your own tomatoes  (or zucchini, or squash, or any other tasty veggie), or have neighbors that share, this will make for a flavorful meal at any time of the day. It's high in protein, and anywhere from $.20-$.65 per serving and makes 6 servings (1 egg a piece).  Bulking it up with potatoes and veggies is a great way to get some more vitamins and filling of tummies. It's a perfect vessel to use up more shabby vegetables or tomatoes. 

The hallmark of a traditional Spanish Tortilla is thinly sliced potatoes and eggs cooked in a round dish and sliced in wedges.  If you'd like a more traditional preparation, see here. It's a simple dish similar to an omelet, but my version is easy and takes less time (well - if you have leftover roasted potatoes like I did that need using up).  It's also just so pretty to look at.  You can serve it hot or cold.

As with anything I cook, this is a loose recipe.  No need for strictness here.  Add anything you want really that sounds yummy to you.

Here's how I made mine...

Easy Spanish Tortilla with fresh Tomatoes

6 Eggs

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Small handful (1/4 cup-ish) shredded cheese (I used a Trader Joes 4 cheese blend with parmesan)

Tomatoes or other veggie thinly sliced

Leftover roasted potatoes

Fresh parsley (any green herb - dried or fresh works)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put your eggs in a round baking dish. Sprinkle salt pepper and smoked paprika to your taste.  Add in the roasted potatoes that you served four days ago at a dinner party and need to use up because you will simply not waste any more food.  Slice tomatoes thick or thin and lay on top of the eggs (the tomatoes, not you). Sprinkle with cheese even if you are lactose intolerant because: CHEESE.  Add some fresh parsley to the top.

Cook until eggs are done (probably 20-30 minutes or however long it takes to clean the kitchen).  I do a quick 5 minute broil on high at the end to get that beautiful golden top (keep a watchful eye so you don't burn it).

Try to forcefeed your daughter who hates tomatoes. 

Golden and bubbly. Prepare to stuff in face.

 That's it! Easy huh?  

Do you make egg pies or Spanish tortillas in your home?

Make it! Sunday Blessings and Moroccan Inspired Plum Chicken

Yesterday was a lovely mix of lazy and productive--exactly how I like my Sundays.  I spent a good chunk of the morning in bed, followed by grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking.  I like a tidy house, but often let the laundry get a wee out of control (out of sight out of mind in that basement laundry room). I've been working on keeping up with the laundry almost everyday, and so far it seems to be helping with the transition back to school, and maintenance of my sanity. Keeping on top of things throughout the week allows for these blissful Sundays. 

I had two good friends over for dinner last night. They also happen to be neighbors, so it's easy to throw together impromptu dinner parties. When my little girl is with her dad I spend extra time in the kitchen experimenting with recipes, dancing to Otis Redding and sometimes having a nice adult beverage along the way. I like having an afternoon to myself now and again, but when I make something delicious, I am always so disappointed she missed it being the little foodie she is. 

Blissful but sweaty, very sweaty, in the kitchen.

I had an abundance of plums from my generous neighbor Suzie, so I wanted to work as many into the recipe as possible.  I had picked both purple plums and yellow, but the yellow ones were already overripe and needed to be used immediately.  If you don't have a source of free plums, you could try prunes, raisins, wilty apricots or peaches, and even an apple or two.  Anything to give that touch of sweetness. 

I had my heart set on Moroccan chicken after my friend Deborah mentioned she had some recently.  I googled "Moroccan chicken" for inspiration on spices and searched the cupboard and found that I had smoked paprika, cumin and turmeric.  Those would be the smoky, savory flavors balancing the sweetness of the plums.  Moroccan recipes are often a wonderful marriage of sweet fruit and smoky, spicy flavor. 

As are most of my "recipes" (I put "recipes" in quotes because I'm an off the fly cook and think that a little confidence and a few techniques in the kitchen are far more important than any recipe), this was an easy dish, and relatively frugal.  The price per serving was approximately $2.24 per person, but could have easily been cheaper if I had used cheaper meat and veggies.  At one time I would have only have had the option of using less expensive ingredients.  I think you could easily get the recipe down to at least $1.25 per serving if not lower if using less expensive chicken and veggies (i.e. not organic).   For me, while I do adhere to a budget, I choose to put some of the extra money I have now towards food.  It's valuable to me.  I didn't always have that option when I was in my very lean years where I was living on $150/month for two people to eat.  The important thing is that we try to fill ourselves with nourishing food within our budgets that are enjoyable and healthy.  

I did serve this with some sides from the garden, but it is easily  an entire filling meal on its own. Lemon rice would also be delicious with this dish. 

Without further adieu...

Moroccan Plum Chicken

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs (feel free to use more, this is how many came in the package I bought)

1/2 pound of rainbow carrots (bag is 1 lb)

1 onion

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or some other oil

Spices (turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper) 

Kosher salt

Potaoes (I think I used about 1 pound - I abide by the "use as many as can fit in your pan" rule"). 

1/2 jar of Trader Joes Green Olive Tapanade

8 skinned plums (Since these were free I didn't factor them into the overall cost.  Possibly slightly unfair, I know). 

Chicken thighs are a cheaper cut of meat no matter if you buy conventional or organic.  The higher fat content in the meat makes this an extra flavorful and juicy cut.

Start by taking your meat out of the package and put them on a plate.  Salt them generously on both sides with kosher salt.  Sprinkle with turmeric, smoked paprika, and cumin an both sides.  I like the chicken to be out of the fridge for about 40 minutes before I cook it.  It really helps to get all that flavor in there.  

Take your overripe plums and slide the skin off (an easy task with such ripe fruit).  Pop the pit out by squishing the plum with your fingers. I squished the plums into pieces into a small pan just using my fingers.  Sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon. Honestly, I don't know if it's entirely necessary to cook the plums to bring out the flavor.  I did for about 20 minutes and the results were smashing - but feel free to experiment. I think I could have cooked them much longer and reduced to a sweeter concoction.  This makeshift plum sauce would be incredible over ice cream, mixed with dessert rice, or in cottage cheese or yogurt. 

Chop up your potatoes, carrots and onions and toss with oil, salt and black pepper in a bowl.  Toss with the plum sauce and place all that yumminess into a baking dish.  I broke my large casserole pan last week (it exploded, long story), and so I used an old Corningware pot that was generously given to me after a neighbor on the block passed away. Lay those juicy chicken thighs right atop that lovely veg and then top each thigh with a scoop of green olive tapanade (it's best to scoop out what you need first in a bowl and then place on the chicken as you don't want to contaminate the rest of the jar with chicken germs).

Not the prettiest picture, but I swear to you, this was delicious!

Pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 mins to an hour or until the potatoes are done. I finished off my cooking with about a five minute broil. If you prefer your chicken not quite as well done, add in after the potatoes and veggies have cooked for a bit. Enjoy with friends or family.  Or if you are lucky, friends you love enough as family, and family you like enough as friends. 

My lovely friends and a giant air conditioner tube.

A Frugal Experiment: Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

Image Credit: Wikipedia

I had been hearing for years that red raspberry leaf tea can be good for "lady time."  And by "lady time" I mean your period. I started googling and found various anecdotes about how it helped women in pregnancy and was given upon the advice of midwives.* Most articles were about the benefits for pregnancy related issues, with afterthoughts about it's efficacy during menses. 

According to Wikipedia,

 "The red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus), also known as garden raspberry leaf, is a pale-green leaf produced by the raspberry plant; an upright shrub with perennialroots and prickly, biennial canes. The leaf has been used in folk remedies, due to its rich content in vitamins, minerals, and tannins." 

Worth a shot, right?

Since I'm doing "No Pay May," I decided I would try to make some myself instead of buying this stuff that I see in the health food store:

                                                 
I have a few small raspberry plants and decided to start there. While I've read that dried leaves are better (not sure why), my period already started and I was hurting (plus I'm not very patient when I am wanting to try something fun)!  So Monday night I went out to the garden, plucked a few leaves off the red raspberry bush and steeped a handful.  Within an hour my cramps had eased and I did not have to take ibuprofen.  Weird.

Tuesday morning - Typically my heaviest and most painful day, I did the same and my cramps were held held at bay and I still didn't need to take ibuprofen to get through the work day (Ibuprofen has been linked to liver damage among other things, so I try not to take it unless nothing else is helping).  Hmmm, could it be the placebo effect?

Wednesday - I noticed the past few days my bleeding has been lighter than usual. Started cramping a bit this morning.  Made some more tea. Cramps were mild enough that I didn't need ibuprofen.

Wednesday afternoon - cramps were a little stronger. Made another cup using the old leaves. - an hour later they were pretty much gone. Hmmmm...

Today is Thursday, and I'm at the tail end of my period.  My period was significantly lighter, and I did not have to take ibuprofen for cramps (probably the first time since I started my period at age 13 that I have not use ibuprofen).

Other things that I have done that could be affecting the outcome here is that I begun to take iron, Vitamin D, and B Vitamins consistently about a week ago. The brain is also very powerful, and it could be a combined mental effect of placebo and having a soothing tea. Who knows?

Bottom Line: I'll be harvesting more leaves to dry and make the tea the "right" way for next month. To me this was a successful frugal experiment!

Have you had success with red raspberry tea? Have you made it yourself?  Have you tried making any other kinds of tea?

*I am not, nor do I claim to be a healthcare professional.  Please consult your healthcare provider for advice on your particular situation.

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DON'T BUY THAT! Chicken Broth

A picture of chicken noodle soup, The Simple, Easy and Frugal Way, with a few surprise ingredients.

A roasted chicken is a delicious meal that can be stretched into several meals no matter the size of your family.  To me, the best part is what comes next - the chicken broth!

The key to a delicious and more nutritious and healing broth is the length of time you cook the bones. I aim to cook the carcass for 4-5 hours on a slow Sunday when I'm cleaning the house.  I add a little bit of vinegar because I read once that that helps to draw out the good stuff from the bones.  Plus vinegar always helps things to taste a little better in my opinion!

This is a simple, easy and frugal way to  stretch your dollars.  There is just no comparing this to the watered down, high in sodium store bought broth.

Here's what you do:

After you roast your chicken, "pick the bird."  I'll do this after we've gotten our fill at dinner. Take off all the meat you can get and store it in the refrigerator to use later.  If you want you can freeze the chicken pieces in smaller portions. The key is not to let any go bad! I always think, "wow, this chicken died so i could eat it - I better use up every last bit." It helps to assuage the guilt I feel about eating such a charming little animal!

Once you have your carcass (and any leftover skin), put it in a medium to large pot and fill with water.  Add a half to one whole onion quartered or thickly chopped (you'll be taking this out at the end).  Add a few sprigs of rosemary (a great compliment to chicken) or dill (a unique and yummy flavor in broth), more if you like stronger flavor.  Add a little (I usually use about an 1/8 to a 1/4 cup) of vinegar.  Add a generous pinch of kosher or sea salt. Garlic can also be a nice addition.

Bring to a boil on high and then lower the heat so it's at a slow rolling boil. Keep the lid almost all the way on, but leave it a little off kilter so the steam doesn't build up and it doesn't boil over. You do need a lid on it though or else it will start to evaporate.

When it's done "doing it's thang," let cool a bit and then strain. You will "pick the bird" again at this point and any of those little meat bits can be used when you make your soup. 

Broth can be stored in old jars, or you can freeze in plastic containers.  After it cools in the fridge you will notice it is thick like jello.  That's good! That is the good stuff from the bones (look here for how gelatin is made).  It will melt when you reheat it.  Since it is very concentrated, you can add water to stretch your broth.  You might also notice a layer of fat on the top.  You can either leave it in, or skim it and use it later for cooking, but don't throw it out, it's good for you!

You can now use your delicious and healing broth in soup or just drink it plain, or my favorite, with a pinch of added salt and a squeeze of lemon.

Later I will share my recipe for a delicious and filling chicken noodle soup. 

Note: If you don't have time to cook the carcass, it will be fine in the fridge for a few days.  If it will be five days or longer until you can make broth, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer.

Do you make broth at home? How long do you let it cook? What do you like to add?